Why did Alfred North Whitehead believe that change and novelty are central to reality?

Alfred North Whitehead viewed change and novelty as central to reality because he rejected the traditional philosophical emphasis on static "being" and permanence. Instead, he championed process philosophy, which posits that reality is essentially historical and defined by "becoming".12

Whitehead’s perspective was shaped by several key convictions:

• Creative Advance: He maintained that "passage," or creative advance, is the most fundamental feature of nature. In his view, the universe consists entirely of becomings, where each process integrates items from the past with novel possibilities provided by God.23
• Critique of Materialism: He criticized "scientific materialism"—the idea that nature is merely matter in motion—for mistaking abstract mathematical models for the fullness of concrete experience. He argued that philosophy must account for the variety of human experience, which includes the impulse toward newness.3
• Historical Reality: Because reality emerges from the past and advances into a novel future, Whitehead believed it cannot be captured by static, spatial concepts. He emphasized that life possesses an inherent impulse toward newness, which is essential for the development of civilization.13