Occurrent

Occurrent is a philosophical term that refers to the process of becoming or changing. It is often contrasted with the concept of permanent or unchanging entities, known as continuants. The term was introduced by the philosopher Alfred North Whitehead in his work "Process and Reality." Whitehead argued that the world is composed of processes rather than things, and that these processes are the fundamental units of reality.

Occurrent processes are characterized by their temporal nature and their ability to evolve over time. They can be simple or complex, and they can interact with other processes to produce new processes. Examples of occurrent processes include the growth of a plant, the development of a thought, and the formation of a society.

The study of occurrents is a central concern of process philosophy, which seeks to understand the nature of reality in terms of processes rather than things. Process philosophers argue that by focusing on the dynamics of change and becoming, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world and our place in it.

In contrast to occurrent processes, continuants are entities that persist through time without change. Examples of continuants include physical objects, such as a table or a person, and abstract entities, such as numbers or ideas. While continuants are important in many areas of philosophy and science, process philosophers argue that they are not the fundamental units of reality.

The distinction between occurrent and continuant processes is a key aspect of Whitehead's philosophy, and it has influenced many subsequent philosophers and thinkers. By emphasizing the importance of change and becoming, process philosophy offers a unique perspective on the nature of reality and our experience of it.