PROCESS PHILOSOPHY AND COVID-19: TOWARDS A PROCESSUAL EXAMINATION OF CORONAVIRUSES

Abstract

As the world struggles in the face of the deadly covid-19, there is an uncertainty as to the twist of
which a particular vector may undergo within a given historical period. This uncertainty, no
doubt, is the route in which coronavirus employ overtime whenever it strikes the human
population. In other for us to have an insight into the nature of coronavirus diseases, it becomes
necessary that we study the morphology of the virus. This is necessary because the virus is,
undoubtedly, a serious reality that stares us in the face. However, the discipline of philosophy is
committed to understanding the basic nature of reality. But the explanation of reality by
philosophers have often assumed two basic positions: the substance and process view. While
substance philosophy or ontology conceives of reality as a basic entity, process philosophy on
the other hand sees reality as creative and progressive. In this work, we subscribe to process view
of reality. This is because process philosophy conceives of reality as an unending novelty which
gradually unfolds as nature itself progresses. It is in this sense that this work seeks to reawaken
the process consciousness in seeking measures to curtail the present effect and subsequent
recurrence of coronaviruses related pandemic. Using the speculative method of philosophical
investigation, the paper maintains the position that creativity, progress and interconnectedness
characterizes entities in the world, be it plants, animals or pathogens. Our position is that the
current outbreak will not be the last time humanity will witness a coronavirus disease of such
epic proportion, hence, in seeking preventive measures to curtail future recurrence, medical
scientists must take into consideration, the creative and progressive nature of the virus using
clues from process philosophical ontology.