"Fritjof Capra, scientist, educator, activist, and accomplished author, presents the evolution of his thought over five decades in Patterns of Connection. First introduced in the late 1950s to the work of Werner Heisenberg, a founder of quantum mechanics, Capra quickly intuited the connections between the discoveries of quantum physics and the traditions of Eastern philosophy—resulting in his first book, the bestselling The Tao of Physics. This synthesis, representative of the change from the mechanistic worldview of Descartes and Newton to a systemic, ecological one, went on to inform Capra's thinking about the life sciences, ecology, and environmental policy.
Today Fritjof Capra remains a major figure at the crossroads of physics, spirituality, environmentalism, and systems theory. Organized thematically and chronologically, the essays in Patterns of Connection document the revolutionary and far-reaching intellectual journey of one of the major public thinkers of the last half-century."
"Bestselling author Fritjof Capra partners with distinguished legal scholar Ugo Mattei to reveal that our legal system must catch up with the current scientific under-standing of the world if it is to contribute to solving the great crises of our times.
At the root of many of the environmental, economic, and social crises we face today is a legal system based on an outdated and ultimately destructive worldview. In this groundbreaking book, bestselling author, physicist, and systems theorist Fritjof Capra and distinguished legal scholar Ugo Mattei show how, by incorporating concepts from modern science, the law can be updated to reflect a more accurate view of how the world works and become a progressive force.
Capra and Mattei trace the fascinating parallel history of law and science to show how the two disciplines have always influenced each other-until recently. Science now sees the world as being made up of interconnected networks. But law is stuck in a mechanistic, 17th century paradigm that views the world as discrete individual parts. This has led to a disregard for the health of the whole-for example, elevating the rights of individual property owners over the good of the community. But Capra and Mattei outline the basic concepts and structures of a legal order consistent with the ecological principles that sustain life on this planet."
"'Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science, but man needs both.' —Fritjof Capra, Ph.D.
Their paths to the truth could not be more different—but the amazing thing is that, in their own ways, the mystics and the scientists are discovering the same truths about our world. In non-technical language, with no complex mathematics or formulae, this thought-provoking program explores the main concepts and theories of modern physics, the revelations coming from particle accelerators and laboratories—and compares them with the ancient tenets of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. In the process, we gain a clear and fascinating picture of how such seemingly disparate areas of thought are ultimately quests for the same kind of understanding."
"How can we begin to look at the deeper social, economic and spiritual questions behind the environmental crisis? In this program, Fritjof Capra, Arne Naess, and other environmentalists expand on the radical nature of Deep Ecology."
"These two great minds have joined together to explore the exciting parallels and compatibility of thought in Buddhism, Christianity and modern physics. In the “new paradigm” of thinking, there is a shift from the alienation-producing authority model to one of cooperative thinking, in which we can truly develop a deep sense of belonging to a greater whole. This, they say, is the central aim of spirituality, ecology and perhaps all of human endeavor."
"From Descartes and Newton to Einstein and Bohr, Capra takes us on a journey through the past four centuries of the scientific revolution and leads us to the birth of a new worldview in response to the escalating world crises. He reveals the difficulty in translating abstract ideas to the screen, and how the use of visual metaphor became a powerful tool and symbolized the importance of the ecological dimension."
"Capra relates his personal journey of meeting and interacting with some of the leading contemporary thinkers and visionaries. What emerges is a wisdom packed dialogue about new ways of thinking and being. From Krishnamurti's spiritual insight to Gregory Bateson's intellectual prowess, Capra weaves an intricate and informative web of influences on his own pioneering work of bridging science and spirit. For anyone interested in the future, this is a conversation not to be missed."
