An Aesthetic Representation of Alfred North Whitehead's Philosophy of Mathematics Education

CONCLUSION

By passing through the Gabriel’s Horn, Ali learns that every form in this world refers to a realized being in the World of Heavens. Meanwhile, Ali’s brother studies his book to learn more about this world. It is up to the reader to decide which character is more successful in reaching general truths by starting from particulars. In this story, Ali’s brother represents the philosopher Leibniz, who aimed to inherit two thousand years of human thought (Whitehead, 1938). Ali represented William James, who “intuitively discovered the great truth” (Whitehead, 1938, p.4). The most important lesson Ali learned from his experience in the World of Heavens was the true, organic, and connected state of all things. Before visiting the World of Heavens, Ali was saddened at the idea of organisms such as animals, vegetables, even daisies dying disconnected from one another in their own worlds. After learning the truths of the World of Heavens and seeing that everything is dependent on one another to survive, he came to the romantic view that the everything is conscious and lives in harmonious connection with one another. The apple tree was serving its apples to other organisms, and doing it because the goal of its existence is to provide abundantly and thrive, rather than out of any sense of obligation. Death made way for others to live and experience life. It wasn’t a cause for sadness. Ali was illuminated by the understanding that the opportunity to live was reason enough for happiness. The rabbit presented this lesson to Ali, representing Alfred North Whitehead’s belief that there was only one subject worth studying and that was life in all its manifestations (Whitehead, 1929).