WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL PROCESS NETWORK (IPN)?
The International Process Network is a means to active communication with process-related organizations and individuals around the world to advance the Common Good.
IPN is a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to supporting, generating and disseminating an international discourse on the meaning and implications of process thought, and to fulfill this purpose:
- Promotes member programs, conferences, publications, activities
- Encourages development of process-related organizations;
- Sponsors international conferences and film festivals;
- Disseminates declarations, resolutions, and awards;
- Facilitates publication, translation, distribution of process-oriented works;
- Provides process-related educational programs and resources; and
- Maintains a website that provides information on process thought and member activities.
Click HERE for the IPN Brochure.
WHAT IS PROCESS THOUGHT?
‘Process thought’ most commonly refers to the speculative metaphysics developed by the British mathematician and philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947), and the American philosopher, Charles Hartshorne (1897-2000). It in fact has a long history taking influences from Heraclitus, Plato, Leibniz, Charles Peirce, William James and Henri Bergson. Process philosophy sees the world primarily in terms of dynamic and interrelated events and processes, and only secondarily in terms of independent substances and structures. It therefore stresses an organic model or metaphor for understanding of the world, rather than a traditional mechanistic one.
“The philosophy of organism is mainly devoted to the task of making clear the notion of ‘being present in another entity.’”(Whitehead: Process and Reality)
WHAT IS THE COMMON GOOD
The ‘Common Good’ refers to the work of addressing social and environmental issues. IPN encourages process thought that seeks to articulate the highest aspirations of the common good and to foster relations of solidarity for achieving the common good. The widespread use of the term in the process community began when For The Common Good by John B. Cobb, Jr. and Herman Daly was published in 1989.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP IN IPN?
Process offers many resources for interpreting and relating various fields of inquiry, and offers insights into ethical, environmental and social action. So becoming a member of IPN means entering into a global network to further and share this work. Membership in IPN offers these benefits by allowing you to:
∙ Enter into an active communications network with like-minded organizations and individuals;
∙ Receive an online newsletter and ‘process- announce listserv’ announcements about process developments and events;
∙ Post information about your organization, yourself and events on www.processnetwork.org;
∙ Learn of process events (e.g., International Whitehead Conferences and Summits, and the IPN International Film Festival);
∙ Link to process–related organizations, individuals and online journals;
∙ Access process resources on the IPN website;
∙ Contribute to discussions on IPN initiatives;
∙ Participate in international IPN-sponsored conferences; and
∙ Join IPN committees to further process education; publication, translation and distribution of books; support of process academics and students; and endeavors such as the ‘China Project’ on postmodern development.
WHO SHOULD BE A MEMBER?
Individuals
IPN membership is for anyone interested in relating process thought to his or her life and work. People attracted to process thought include mathematicians, educators, physicists, biologists, chemists, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, ecologists, economists, ethicists, psychotherapists, and philosophers (including those interested in analytical philosophy, bio-philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, cosmology, post-structuralism, and phenomenology); and persons interested in religion including classical and indigenous traditions. If you are a professional, an academic or aspiring student in any of these areas, or if you are a person interested in working with others, membership in IPN may be for you.
Organizations
Process-related organizations are at the core of IPN because most of the important work is done by them. A primary purpose of IPN is to support process-related organizations and assist in the formation of additional such organizations. If you are part of such an organization, membership might be for your organization.
MEMBERSHIP DUES OR DONATIONS
Individual Membership: US $0-$25
Group Membership: US $0-$100
Sustaining memberships: Individuals US $25 and up; Groups US $125 and up