Can the universe evolve toward a higher state of being through spontaneous creative tendencies?

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Samuel Alexander proposed a bold metaphysical system where the cosmos is a single, unfolding process. He argued that space-time acts as the fundamental matrix, from which matter and mind emerge in successive, unpredictable stages. This hierarchy suggests that the universe is constantly striving toward a future state of deity.

Born in Sydney in 1859, Samuel Alexander became a prominent figure in 20th-century British philosophy. After studying in Melbourne, he moved to Oxford in 1877, eventually becoming a professor at Owens College, Manchester, in 1893. His intellectual journey was marked by a shift toward experimental psychology, which he studied under Hugo Münsterberg in Germany during the early 1890s. This background informed his later, singular major work, Space, Time and Deity, published in 1920 following his tenure as a Gifford lecturer at Glasgow University.

Alexander’s system centers on the concept of emergent evolution. He viewed the world not as a static creation, but as a dynamic process where space-time serves as the basic cosmic matrix. From this foundation, matter arises, which subsequently gives rise to mind, or awareness. These transitions are defined by the appearance of 'emergents'—qualitative syntheses that possess genuinely new characteristics. Because these higher levels are not predetermined, each new synthesis remains fundamentally unpredictable, representing a spontaneous creative tendency within the cosmic order.

In this framework, 'deity' is not a pre-existing entity but the ultimate goal toward which the universe tends. It represents the next level of development in the hierarchy of change. Alexander did not seek an ultimate explanation for why the world exists; instead, he focused on describing the mechanism of its evolution. His work, which earned him the Order of Merit in 1930, remains a significant attempt to reconcile the physical nature of the universe with the emergence of consciousness and value, influencing thinkers like A. N. Whitehead along the way.

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