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​A Yearning for Intensity

Whitehead's Notion of Contrasts
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What are we looking for? Buddhists propose that, deep down, we are looking for wisdom and compassion. Christians propose that we are looking for love and the experience of being loved. Others propose that we are looking for meaning. Still others say we are looking for beauty. And still others say that we are looking for the experience of being fully alive.

Whitehead is in the latter category. To be sure, he also talks about love and wisdom, meaning and beauty. In "Process and Reality," Whitehead proposes that we are looking for satisfying intensity through the enjoyment of felt contrasts. It is arguable that wisdom, compassion, meaning and beauty are forms of satisfying intensity, but such intensity can also be understood more simply as the experience of being as fully alive as is possible for us, in the immediacy of the moment. Not alive in the physical sense, although that can be a very good thing. but alive in the subjective sense. We want to feel, to experience, satisfying intensity in relation to ourselves, other people, the natural world, and the heavens.

For Whitehead, the quest for this intensity includes and builds upon his notion of contrast. Indeed, contrasts are, for Whitehead, one of the eight fundamental categories of existence. The notion is aesthetic, but not in a shallow sense. Contrast includes depth of experience in its many forms: ethical, psychological, interpersonal, and private. All living beings seek the enjoyment of felt contrasts. On this page, I offer a brief interpretation.

- Jay McDaniel

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Whitehead's Eight Categories of Existence

"There are eight Categories of Existence:

(i)  Actual Entities (also termed Actual Occasions), or Final Realities, or Res Verae.
(ii)  Prehensions, or Concrete Facts of Relatedness.
(iii)  Nexūs (plural of Nexus), or Public Matters of Fact.
(iv)  Subjective Forms, or Private Matters of Fact.
(v)  Eternal Objects, or Pure Potentials for the Specific Determination of Fact, or Forms of Definiteness.
(vi)  Propositions, or Matters of Fact in Potential Determination, or Impure Potentials for the Specific Determination of Matters of Fact, or Theories.
(vii)  Multiplicities, or Pure Disjunctions of Diverse Entities.
​(viii) Contrasts, or Modes of Synthesis of Entities in one Prehension, or Patterned Entities.

Among these eight categories of existence, actual entities and eternal objects stand out with a certain extreme finality. The other types of existence have a certain intermediate character. The eighth category includes an indefinite progression of categories, as we proceed from ‘contrasts’ to ‘contrasts of contrasts,’ and on indefinitely to higher grades of contrasts."

- Whitehead, Process and Reality, 22

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Early in Process and Reality, Whitehead addresses the question: "What kinds of things exist?" He arrives at eight kinds, one of which is what he calls "contrasts." The others are actual entities, eternal objects, prehensions, subjective forms, nexūs, multiplicities, and propositions.

A contrast is not a conflict; it is a felt synthesis of diverse elements of experience into a complex unity where the differences are maintained, amid the feeling of the whole. Consider viewing a landscape. The diverse elements are felt in their diversity yet experienced as contributing to a whole. They form patterned contrasts.

This example could suggest that contrasts are primarily between items of perception and, in this case, relatively detached visual perception. But in fact the contrasts can be between memories, feelings, emotions, hopes and fears. In other words, they can be contrasts in the subjective side of experience. Whitehead proposes that the primary value of contrasts is to elicit intensity of experience in the immediacy of the moment. The contrasts that are felt can be given to experience or created by experience, or both. In any case, they are very much part of what gives meaning to experience. 

Not all contrasts are of the same value. Contrast which achieve their beauty by blocking our differences are vague. They lack what he calls, approvingly, narrowness or focus on particulars. They fall into sameness. And contrasts which achieve their intensity by including too much multiplicity, without any narrowness or focus, are trivial. The aim of life is to enjoy contrasts that avoid narrowness and triviality by including many patterned contrasts which avoid too much vagueness and triviality, or, to say that same things, exhibit depth.

Varieties of Depth

At one point in Process and Reality Whitehead links contrasts with what he calls depth. In his words: 

"Contrast elicits depth, and only shallow experience is possible when there is a lack of patterned contrast."

Here some examples of depth:

1. Emotional Depth:

• Love and Relationships: Experiencing profound love, empathy, and connection with others, whether romantic, familial, or platonic.
• Grief and Loss: The deep emotional responses to loss and the process of mourning, reflecting the importance of the relationships and values we hold dear.

2. Intellectual Depth:

• Philosophical Inquiry: Engaging with fundamental questions about existence, purpose, and the nature of reality.
• Complex Problem-Solving: Tackling intricate problems in science, mathematics, or other fields, requiring deep understanding and innovative thinking.

3. Spiritual Depth:

• Religious or Spiritual Practices: Participating in rituals, meditation, or prayer that foster a connection to a higher power or deeper sense of self.
• Life Purpose and Meaning: Reflecting on one's purpose in life and seeking to live in accordance with deeply held values and beliefs.

4. Cultural and Artistic Depth:

• Art and Literature: Engaging with and creating works of art, literature, music, and theater that express profound human experiences and emotions.
• Cultural Traditions: Participating in and preserving cultural traditions that carry deep historical and communal significance.

5. Psychological Depth:

• Self-Reflection and Growth: Delving into one's own psyche through therapy, journaling, or introspection to understand and improve oneself.
• Resilience and Coping: Developing inner strength and resilience in the face of adversity, demonstrating the depth of the human spirit.

6. Moral and Ethical Depth:

• Ethical Decision-Making: Grappling with complex moral dilemmas and striving to make choices that align with ethical principles and values.
• Justice and Advocacy: Working towards social justice and advocating for the rights and well-being of others, reflecting a deep commitment to humanity.
• Compassion: experiencing the depth of caring for others and being care for by others. A beloved community

7. Interpersonal Depth:

• Deep Conversations: Engaging in meaningful conversations that explore significant topics and foster mutual understanding and connection.
• Mentorship and Teaching: Investing time and effort in guiding and teaching others, contributing to their growth and development.

8. Depth in Relation to the More than Human World

• Relationships with Animals: Immersing oneself in a relationship with other animals: companion animals, for example.
• Nature and Wilderness: Immersing oneself in natural settings, finding a deep connection with the environment and a sense of peace and wonder.

9. Professional Depth:

• Mastery and Expertise: Achieving a high level of skill and knowledge in one's profession, reflecting dedication and a deep commitment to one's work.
• Innovation and Creativity: Pushing the boundaries of what is possible in a field, contributing to advancements and new ways of thinking.

These examples are very different and we may find some forms more valuable than others: ethical and moral depth, for example, over professional depth. But the point is that all are deep in different ways, and all build upon creative synthesis of diverse elements of experience, yielding a certain kind of intensity.

It is important to recognize that other sentient beings, other animals for example, likewise seek and find depth of experience in their ways, And that the very soul of the universe, God, likewise seeks and finds depth or intensity through contrasts.

It is tempting to say that, in the case of God, the intensity if always about love. And this may be true. But love must be more than a sentiment. It must be a kind of flourishing, and this is the kind of love God seeks the world and, for that matter, for Godself. If God is the unity of the universe evolving toward increased forms of intensity, we might also say God is a journey into depth, not yet complete.

Even the heart of the universe - the Thou in whose life unfolds - seeks satisfying intensity.