Ebook: The Cosmology of Freedom

This remarkably fresh and creative treatment of the concept of freedom integrates many of the basic notions of personal and social freedom in one cosmological scheme. Although the principle of integration is in the tradition of Whitehead and Dewey, Robert Neville’s cosmology, unlike Whitehead’s system, focuses on events of human scale, and, unlike Dewey’s philosophy, emphasizes the importance of conflict in a pluralistic society. Mr. Neville is determined to keep the development of his theories in the broadest possible philosophical framework. Before introducing his cosmological scheme, he places the problem of freedom in its historical setting. The general theory of value he develops is then applied to actual ethical problems. Neville first considers personal freedoms: the freedom to respond to the opportunities in the sociophysical environment; the freedom to act intentionally; and freedom of choice. Freedom as creativity and the problem of innovative deliberation are taken up at the end of this provocative section.

The author then focuses on freedom to participate in society. Here he discusses the necessary conditions for full participation in society, placing great emphasis on pluralism as a prerequisite for social freedom. Privacy and its importance receive special attention in connection with the style of experience appropriate for a pluralistic society. The book ends with a statement of the political necessities for a participatory democracy in which the principles of government and decision-making are elucidated.