"In contrast to the mechanistic Cartesian view of the world, the worldview emerging from modern physics can be characterized by words like organic, holistic, and ecological. It might also be called a systems view, in the sense of general systems theory. The universe is no longer seen as a machine, made up of a multitude of objects, but has to be pictured as one indivisible, dynamic whole whose parts are essentially interrelated and can be understood only as patterns of a cosmic process." "I believe that human survival in the face of the threat of nuclear holocaust and the devastation of our natural environment will be possible only if we are able to radically change the methods and values underlying our science and technology. I advocate the shift from an attitude of domination and control of nature, including human beings, to one of cooperation and nonviolence." "The picture of an interconnected cosmic web which emerges from modern atomic physics has been used extensively in the East to convey the mystical experience of nature." "The most important characteristic of the Eastern worldview—one could almost say the essence of it—is the awareness of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things and events, the experience of all phenomena in the world as manifestations of a basic oneness. All things are seen as interdependent and inseparable parts of the cosmic whole; as different manifestations of the same ultimate reality." "Quantum theory forces us to see the universe not as a collection of physical objects, but rather as a complicated web of relations between the various parts of a unified whole." "This shift from objects to relationships has far-reaching implications for science as a whole. Gregory Bateson even argued that relationships should be used as a basis for all definitions, and that this should be taught to our children in elementary school. Any thing, he believed, should be defined not by what it is in itself, but by its relations to other things." -- Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics and The Turning Point
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 17:40:20 +0000
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