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There remain the differences, nonetheless, between philosophy in this "speculative" or "constructive," aspect or function and metaphysics and ethics, strictly and properly so-called, which belong rather to philosophy in its other purely formal, analytic aspect or function. 

Wiki MarkupAnother passage in which Whitehead again stresses the "combining" function of philosophy is his discussion of "speculative philosophy" in _Adventures of Ideas_: 285 f. "Speculative philosophy," he says, "embodies the method of the 'working hypothesis.' The purpose of this working hypothesis for philosophy is to coordinate the current expressions of human experience, in common speech, in social institutions, in actions, in the principles of the various sciences, elucidating harmony and exposing discrepancies." In the light of this statement, one can understand when Whitehead also says -- – in the concluding paragraph of the chapter on "Speculative Philosophy" in _Process and Reality_ -- – "The useful function of philosophy is to promote the most general systematization of civilized thought" (_PR{_}c: 77 \ [25 f.\]).unmigrated-wiki-markup

But to what end, finally, is this "coordination," or "systematization"? There can be little question as to the answer, especially in the light of Whitehead's account in _The Function of Reason_, according to which reason's function is to serve the art of life -- – or, in the light of his comments toward the end of _Modes of Thought_: "Existence is activity ever merging into the future. The aim of philosophic understanding is the aim at piercing the blindness of activity in respect to its transcendent functions." And "\[t\]he task of a university is the creation of the future, so far as rational thought, and civilized modes of appreciation, can affect the issue" (_MT{_}r: 169, 171).

21 October 2000