climbing a hillside

 

climbing a hillside

where orange daylilies bloom

letting worries go

The Haiku's Connection to Process Philosophy

The haiku reflects process philosophy by emphasizing change, experience, and the interconnectedness of things. It focuses on the dynamic journey rather than a static destination.

Process over Stasis: The haiku describes a continuous action: "climbing a hillside." This highlights becoming over being. The person is in a state of constant change and movement, which is a core concept in process thought. The focus isn't on the person having arrived at the top, but on the act of climbing itself.

Experience and Subjectivity: The poem centers on a personal, felt experience: "letting worries go." This subjective experience is the primary reality. Process philosophy, particularly the work of Alfred North Whitehead, emphasizes that reality is not a collection of objects but a series of "actual occasions" or "moments of experience." The act of climbing and the feeling of release are these moments.

Interconnectedness: The haiku links the human action ("climbing," "letting worries go") with the natural world ("hillside," "orange daylilies"). This shows a reciprocal relationship. The beauty of the daylilies and the natural setting facilitate the internal state of peace. This resonates with the process view that everything is interrelated and that the world is a complex web of events influencing one another.

Creative Advance: The poem suggests a positive development—letting go of worries and finding peace. This reflects the process philosophy idea of "creative advance into novelty." There is an onward movement toward new and better states of being, not just a repetition of the past. The individual is not just reacting to the environment but is also actively creating a new, more peaceful reality for themselves.