Patterns of Connection

Winner of the Silver Medal for Environment/Ecology in the 2022 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards 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. His observations of sustainable communities in nature inspired his work on systems theory—the complex web of interrelated processes that organize everything from biological systems to social, cultural, and political systems. 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.

Fritjof Capra is the recipient of many awards, including the Gold Medal of the UK Systems Society, the Medal of the President of the Italian Republic, the Bioneers Award, the New Dimensions Broadcaster Award, and the American Book Award. He became universally known for his book The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism, which explored the ways in which modern physics was changing our worldview from a mechanistic to a holistic and ecological one. Capra lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and daughter.

Acknowledgments Preface Chapter 1. Philosophical Roots: Heisenberg and the Sixties Essay 1. Werner Heisenberg: Explorer of the Limits of Human Imagination Essay 2. Heisenberg and Tagore Essay 3. Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Reflections on the Spirit and Legacy of the Sixties Chapter 2. Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism: First Discoveries of the Parallels Essay 4. The Dance of Shiva: The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics Essay 5. Bootstrap and Buddhism Essay 6. Particle Physics and Eastern Philosophy Essay 7. In Memoriam Geoffrey Chew, 1924–2019 Chapter 3. Implications of the “New Physics” Essay 8. The New Physics as a Model for a New Medicine, Psychology, and Economics? Essay 9. The Unification of Physics Chapter 4. The New Vision of Reality: An Early Synthesis Essay 10. Homage to Gregory Bateson Essay 11. The Turning Point: A New Vision of Reality Essay 12. The Role of Physics in the Current Change of Paradigms Chapter 5. Crisis of Perception Essay 13. Why Are the Real Issues of Our Time Excluded from the Political Dialogue? Essay 14. The Challenge of the Nineties Chapter 6. Ecological Literacy Essay 15. The Principles of Ecology Essay 16. Ecology and Community Essay 17. Turn, Turn, Turn: Understanding Nature's Cycles Chapter 7. Complexity and Life Essay 18. Russian Pioneers of Systems Thinking Essay 19. “What Is Life?” Revisited Essay 20. Complexity and Life Essay 21. Arcadia and the Science of Complexity Chapter 8. The Full Synthesis Essay 22. The Nature of Life: Integrating Biological, Cognitive, and Social Dimensions Essay 23. Food, Water, and Life Essay 24. The Flow of Life in the Art of Andy Goldsworthy Chapter 9. Systemic Problems—Systemic Solutions Essay 25. The Challenge of the 21st Century Essay 26. Systems Thinking and the State of the World Essay 27. The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systemic Analysis Chapter 10. Ecology and Ethics Essay 28. Deep Ecology: A New Paradigm Essay 29. Earth Ethics Chapter 11. Science and Spirituality Revisited Essay 30. Science, Spirituality, and Religion Epilogue Bibliography Index