2025 is coming to a close, and it’s been a significant one for the Whitehead Research Project and the Critical Edition.

Our biggest accomplishment is clearly the publication of both volumes of Whitehead’s collected essays and articles in October. We published the first two volumes of the CEW in 2017 and 2021, respectively, meaning it’s been four years between each volume. But this time we were able to publish two at once, and we’re aiming for the third volume of Harvard lectures to be released in 2026, and the first volume of critically edited monograph works in 2027 (to include SMW, RM, S). In short, the pace is picking up.

The accelerated schedule is in large part due to NEH funding that has allowed us to devote more hours toward producing these volumes. We had a scare at the end of the first quarter when Elon Musk’s DOGE cut roughly two-thirds of NEH staff and 85% or more of its existing grants. Thankfully, we were one of the relatively few projects that survived. Our final year of NEH funding for this grant period is secure for next year, and we have submitted a proposal for another three years, i.e. 2027–2029—the results of which we will know in late July or early August—though there is no guarantee that this proposal will be a successful one.

But there is also more to the Whitehead Research Project than just the Critical Edition, and this year-end update seems a good place for a quick reminder of its other aspects that are discussed less often.

First, the Contemporary Whitehead Studies (CWS) book series continues to be a going concern. Last year, Rowman & Littlefield and its imprints were acquired by Bloomsbury, giving the series a new, more prestigious home. Longtime founding co-editor, Roland Faber, has decided to fully retire this year, but the series remains active under the editorship of Brian G. Henning and is soliciting proposals. We hope to continue to support scholars with contemporary and innovative approaches to Whitehead studies in areas ranging from contemporary continental philosophy, to East/West dialogues, to education and the future of civilization.

Second, the online Whitehead Research Library (WRL) provides open access to archival material related to the philosophy and life of Alfred North Whitehead. It includes electronic versions of student lecture notes, letters, and photographs, including a few long-lost Whitehead essays that—at least until the publication of the Essays and Articles volumes this year!—had not been seen by anyone in nearly a century. We aim to continue adding to it as copyright restrictions allow.

Third, the online Whitehead Encyclopedia aims to explicate the ways in which Whitehead has influenced contemporary work in philosophy, theology, and the natural and social sciences, as well as explore his relationship to other thinkers—both those who influenced him and those who were influenced by him. This free, open access research tool is based on the Handbook of Whiteheadian Process Thought (2008, De Gruyter), edited by Michel Weber and Will Desmond—a two-volume, 1,400-page endeavor that was filled with valuable scholarship, but whose $700 price tag put it beyond the reach of many prospective readers. We added some new articles in 2023, and though this project has taken a bit of a backseat to the NEH work, we hope to continue to add to it.

If the Whitehead Research Project is to continue, it will be because of the generosity of private donors. With four volumes published and another thirteen still to go, the Critical Edition will still need at least another decade to complete its work.

The work of searching for, transcribing, and editing archival materials is time-consuming and costly. If you are able to support our work with a donation, it would be much appreciated. Just follow this link.