What do you think?
Rate this book
The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision
Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation, leading to a novel kind of 'systemic' thinking. This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as autopoiesis, dissipative structures, social networks, and a systemic understanding of evolution. The implications of the systems view of life for health care, management, and our global ecological and economic crises are also discussed. Written primarily for undergraduates, it is also essential reading for graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the new systemic conception of life and its implications for a broad range of professions - from economics and politics to medicine, psychology and law.
510 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2014
422 people are currently reading
8188 people want to read
About the author
Fritjof Capra
102 books621 followersFritjof Capra (born February 1, 1939) is an Austrian-born American physicist. He is a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, and is on the faculty of Schumacher College. Capra is the author of several books, including The Tao of Physics (1975), The Turning Point (1982), Uncommon Wisdom (1988), The Web of Life (1996) and The Hidden Connections (2002).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 11, 2021
A book that pretends to offer a global, 'unifying' view on life and reality cannot be but very comprehensive. And in this respect Fritjof Capra lives up to all expectations: not only does he offer a thorough critique on classical science (its determinism and reductionism), but he also offers an alternative: a contextual, integrative and holistic approach. For Capra that alternative paradigm can be found through 'Systems Approach', a philosophical-scientific and technical current of thinking, that came to the foreground after the Second World War.
Capra summarizes the specific perspective of Systems View as follows: “The great shock of twentieth-century science has been that living systems cannot be understood by analysis. The properties of the parts are not intrinsic properties, but can be understood only within the context of the larger whole. Thus the relationship between the parts and the whole has been reversed. In the systems approach, the properties of the parts can be understood only from the organization of the whole. Accordingly, systems thinking does not concentrate on basic building blocks but rather on basic principles of organization. Systems thinking is 'contextual', which is the opposite of analytical thinking. Analysis means taking something apart in order to understand it; systems thinking means putting it into the context of a larger whole.”
In this book Capra shows us the usefulness of this approach on all scientific domains that are relevant to life, and he does so in great detail, but without becoming too technical (although of course sometimes it’s a tough read). And I must say: it’s fascinating and intriguing, and he's quite convincing that this more integrative and contextual approach has much to offer. Capra illustrates that a lot of the tools that in the past decades have been created by the Systems Views give a better understanding of the ultracomplexity of life: nonlinearity, feedback-loops, self-organization, emergent properties, autopoiesis, the focus on relations, patterns and processes instead of components, etc. In this sense this book is really worth reading.
But (yes, of course there’s a but!), Capra does make a very extreme black-and-white drawing of it. Throughout the entire book, in all domains that Capra raises, he underlines how classical science and the paradigm behind it fail. According to him it even is responsible for the major world problems we are facing. And quite frankly, that is a fairly gross and largely unjust accusation. I have the impression that in his enthousiasm Capra sometimes twists and turns things to fit his view. For example, in his overview of the history of science he pretends that there has always been a pendulum movement between a reductionist-deterministic approach and a holistic one, and that is manifestly incorrect. On top of that he is very selective in what he puts under the banner of the Systems View. After having read quite a number of books on Systems Thinking I think I can make the estimation that this is quite a heterogenous current, and Capra manifestly left out the bits that didn’t fit in his story.
Of course, Capra is not an amateur: he has written dozens of popular scientific works and I have the impression that he really knows the latest state of affairs in various scientific domains. But his rather self-assured, demonstrative and sometimes even indoctrinating tone makes me very suspicious. By his critics Capra is regularly labeled as a New Age author, especially referring to one of his first and most famous works, The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism; in that book he stressed the failure of the classic reductionist sciences and embraced the holistic wisdoms of Eastern religions. 40 years later, Capra takes up that line again (the Dalai Lama even gets a guest article in this new book!), but now he uses the Systems View as an interface. And there’s another shift: instead of Buddhism and Taoism, Capra now sees a new doctrine of salvation in Ecology; the last 100 pages of this book are entirely dedicated to that approach; it gets so much emphasis that I think the title of this book should have been an "ecological view of life", instead of a “systems view”.
Now, obviously there is a lot of wisdom in the ecological view and we have to shift our current way of thinking much more in that direction; that’s without question, and when you look around this is a process that is in full swing. But, once again, my impression is that Capra is exaggerating once again, and is falling into the trap of eco-fundamentalism, depicting a too black-and-white state of affairs and being almost dogmatic in his line of thought (I’m strongly in favor of ecologism too, but not when it turns into a anti-humanism). At the end this book breaths more the air of a manifesto than of a reasoned analysis. It is also clear that it was written in the period 2011-2012, just after the severe economic crisis, and Capra repeatedly gives the impression that the whole world finally is convinced of the paradigm shift proclaimed by him. More than 5 years later, that eschatological-looking expectation certainly still has not been fulfilled, perhaps even on the contrary.
Capra is an enticing writer, that is the least you can say. And his presentation of the Systems View as a better way of looking at reality is inspiring. But his deviation to Eastern mysticism and radical Ecology reveals that he still clings to a rather dogmatic kind of holism. Now, our world needs dreamers and visionists like Capra, so let them do, but as a reader, it does no harm to stay on your guard and link back to reality!
Capra summarizes the specific perspective of Systems View as follows: “The great shock of twentieth-century science has been that living systems cannot be understood by analysis. The properties of the parts are not intrinsic properties, but can be understood only within the context of the larger whole. Thus the relationship between the parts and the whole has been reversed. In the systems approach, the properties of the parts can be understood only from the organization of the whole. Accordingly, systems thinking does not concentrate on basic building blocks but rather on basic principles of organization. Systems thinking is 'contextual', which is the opposite of analytical thinking. Analysis means taking something apart in order to understand it; systems thinking means putting it into the context of a larger whole.”
In this book Capra shows us the usefulness of this approach on all scientific domains that are relevant to life, and he does so in great detail, but without becoming too technical (although of course sometimes it’s a tough read). And I must say: it’s fascinating and intriguing, and he's quite convincing that this more integrative and contextual approach has much to offer. Capra illustrates that a lot of the tools that in the past decades have been created by the Systems Views give a better understanding of the ultracomplexity of life: nonlinearity, feedback-loops, self-organization, emergent properties, autopoiesis, the focus on relations, patterns and processes instead of components, etc. In this sense this book is really worth reading.
But (yes, of course there’s a but!), Capra does make a very extreme black-and-white drawing of it. Throughout the entire book, in all domains that Capra raises, he underlines how classical science and the paradigm behind it fail. According to him it even is responsible for the major world problems we are facing. And quite frankly, that is a fairly gross and largely unjust accusation. I have the impression that in his enthousiasm Capra sometimes twists and turns things to fit his view. For example, in his overview of the history of science he pretends that there has always been a pendulum movement between a reductionist-deterministic approach and a holistic one, and that is manifestly incorrect. On top of that he is very selective in what he puts under the banner of the Systems View. After having read quite a number of books on Systems Thinking I think I can make the estimation that this is quite a heterogenous current, and Capra manifestly left out the bits that didn’t fit in his story.
Of course, Capra is not an amateur: he has written dozens of popular scientific works and I have the impression that he really knows the latest state of affairs in various scientific domains. But his rather self-assured, demonstrative and sometimes even indoctrinating tone makes me very suspicious. By his critics Capra is regularly labeled as a New Age author, especially referring to one of his first and most famous works, The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism; in that book he stressed the failure of the classic reductionist sciences and embraced the holistic wisdoms of Eastern religions. 40 years later, Capra takes up that line again (the Dalai Lama even gets a guest article in this new book!), but now he uses the Systems View as an interface. And there’s another shift: instead of Buddhism and Taoism, Capra now sees a new doctrine of salvation in Ecology; the last 100 pages of this book are entirely dedicated to that approach; it gets so much emphasis that I think the title of this book should have been an "ecological view of life", instead of a “systems view”.
Now, obviously there is a lot of wisdom in the ecological view and we have to shift our current way of thinking much more in that direction; that’s without question, and when you look around this is a process that is in full swing. But, once again, my impression is that Capra is exaggerating once again, and is falling into the trap of eco-fundamentalism, depicting a too black-and-white state of affairs and being almost dogmatic in his line of thought (I’m strongly in favor of ecologism too, but not when it turns into a anti-humanism). At the end this book breaths more the air of a manifesto than of a reasoned analysis. It is also clear that it was written in the period 2011-2012, just after the severe economic crisis, and Capra repeatedly gives the impression that the whole world finally is convinced of the paradigm shift proclaimed by him. More than 5 years later, that eschatological-looking expectation certainly still has not been fulfilled, perhaps even on the contrary.
Capra is an enticing writer, that is the least you can say. And his presentation of the Systems View as a better way of looking at reality is inspiring. But his deviation to Eastern mysticism and radical Ecology reveals that he still clings to a rather dogmatic kind of holism. Now, our world needs dreamers and visionists like Capra, so let them do, but as a reader, it does no harm to stay on your guard and link back to reality!
January 28, 2015
This book was informative and beautiful. The basic gist, using a quote from the book is that "there is a fundamental unity to life... Different living systems exhibit similar patterns of organization." The authors explore these patterns of organizations using biology, mathematics, sociology, and more. Towards the end of the book, the authors demonstrate how our economic and social systems are based on ideas of infinite growth and individualism that simply do not fit with the world that we live in. They argue for a greater focus on "ecological literacy" - principles of ecology and sustainability - in our education system among many proposed solutions.
Some things I especially liked:
- In exploring the "similar patterns of organization" that all life exhibits, one starts to conclude that things are somewhat pre-determined. The authors give a good analogy here: "Evolutionary theorists use the image of water flowing down the irregular surface of a hill to illustrate the interplay between determinism and contingency. The water's downward movement is determined by the law of gravity, but the irregular terrain with its rocks and crevices determine the actual pathway." The term that the authors use for this interplay is that we live in a "structurally coupled system."
- Speaking of terms, the authors did a great job of explaining terms I had heard of but didn't really understand like chaos theory, epigenetics, or cybernetics, as well as introducing new terms that help to frame my thoughts, such as emergent properties, autopoiesis, strange attractors, proto-self, generative economy, embodied mind, etc etc.
- The book features essays by guest contributors throughout, which I thought was a nice touch
Some things I especially liked:
- In exploring the "similar patterns of organization" that all life exhibits, one starts to conclude that things are somewhat pre-determined. The authors give a good analogy here: "Evolutionary theorists use the image of water flowing down the irregular surface of a hill to illustrate the interplay between determinism and contingency. The water's downward movement is determined by the law of gravity, but the irregular terrain with its rocks and crevices determine the actual pathway." The term that the authors use for this interplay is that we live in a "structurally coupled system."
- Speaking of terms, the authors did a great job of explaining terms I had heard of but didn't really understand like chaos theory, epigenetics, or cybernetics, as well as introducing new terms that help to frame my thoughts, such as emergent properties, autopoiesis, strange attractors, proto-self, generative economy, embodied mind, etc etc.
- The book features essays by guest contributors throughout, which I thought was a nice touch
May 21, 2017
The Systems View of Life argues that Cartesian reductionism, which refers to attempts to describe reality by examining its constituent parts, distracts us from a true account of our world and the universe. Instead, Capra argues that focusing on patterns, processes, and underlying relationships offers more fertile ground for useful inferences about reality. I enjoyed the book until its head-snapping turn to superficial polemics on healthcare, business, and energy policy. These revealed the author's tendency to draw sweeping inferences from scant data in fields he clearly does not understand well. By the end, The Systems View of Life felt like a vacation that started well and then became a series of loud, high-pressure sales pitches for expensive time-shares in another part of the world.
January 1, 2016
suffice to say that this book is a total outlier in terms of number of tags I used; most of my books have 2-5 tags, this one has got 14!: anthropology, biology, business, cooperation, design, education, innovation, networks, philosophy, read, science, spiritual, technology, work
March 12, 2015
it's been a long time since I've been so excited about reading a non-fiction book, let alone a text book. But this one has captivated my interest by pulling together so many ideas and threads of scientific knowledge and wisdom.
In a sense, this book feels like a Rosetta stone for me, unlocking connections and roots of a panoply of different ideas and concepts.
It starts walking us through the history of science—and how scientific models influenced most aspect of cultures. This is a wonderful section that lays out the people who came up with the ideas.
I was reading about the history of systems thinking. At one point, as the authors were about to begin giving a history and explanation of a concept I’d had a loose handle on, I realized that I was suddenly feeling very excited, like I was in a movie, sitting on the edge of my seat, or becoming aroused and excited. But it was a non-fiction book, on scientific theory. Frankly, at 70 pages into this book, at that point, I was highly aroused, with excitement and curiosity and anticipation. I can’t wait to get to the next parts of the book, to put the whole picture together.
This is what a great writer and a great book are supposed to do.
Now I'm 270 pages into it, reading about consciousness, having just finished reading about evolution of humans. Great, great book that's changing my thinking on the book I'm working on-- Bottom-up.
Update: I finished the book. It's one of the best books I've read in the past few years. I can't recommend it highly enough. I did the interview with Capra-- it exceeded my expectations.
In a sense, this book feels like a Rosetta stone for me, unlocking connections and roots of a panoply of different ideas and concepts.
It starts walking us through the history of science—and how scientific models influenced most aspect of cultures. This is a wonderful section that lays out the people who came up with the ideas.
I was reading about the history of systems thinking. At one point, as the authors were about to begin giving a history and explanation of a concept I’d had a loose handle on, I realized that I was suddenly feeling very excited, like I was in a movie, sitting on the edge of my seat, or becoming aroused and excited. But it was a non-fiction book, on scientific theory. Frankly, at 70 pages into this book, at that point, I was highly aroused, with excitement and curiosity and anticipation. I can’t wait to get to the next parts of the book, to put the whole picture together.
This is what a great writer and a great book are supposed to do.
Now I'm 270 pages into it, reading about consciousness, having just finished reading about evolution of humans. Great, great book that's changing my thinking on the book I'm working on-- Bottom-up.
Update: I finished the book. It's one of the best books I've read in the past few years. I can't recommend it highly enough. I did the interview with Capra-- it exceeded my expectations.
July 29, 2020
It would be great to read a book on the systems view of life: redescribing biology in the language of complexity science and game theory, to show how cells, organisms and ecosystems manage flows of energy and information, with a lot of empirical detail, biological area knowledge, useful concepts and quantification. Basically, someone who understands a lot about biology and complexity summarizing their perspective into a single unified picture.
Sadly, that is not this book. Quoting an amazon reviewer:
Appears to be a textbook on applied complexity science when it is actually a personal manifesto attempting to dubiously scientifically substantiate topics from environmentalism, spiritualism, alternative medicine, left-wing political opinions and other philosophical musings. Highly disappointing.
That about sums it up.
Not only does the book not present a lot of information, it presents it poorly. The prose style is a kind of disorganized wooly rambling; three excerpts will give an impression of the whole.
In concluding this chapter, let us note that in this discussion, we have presented the genetic determinants of being human separate from each other. This is, of course, valid only for the sake of simplicity. Consciousness, spirituality, artistic creativity, abstract thinking, and rationality intertwine with each other in an intricate maze. In most manifestations of our actions, and products of our civilization, it may be difficult to discriminate any one from the others. This reiterates the complexity of the species H. sapiens – the species capable of creating the splendors of St. Peter’s Basilica, and also capable of dropping the atomic bomb.
...
Darwinism is linked to beauty by Roger Scruton, in his book Beauty (2009). The idea is that contemplative appreciation is also instinctive, which permits the author to link high artistic values to our biology. It is perhaps interesting to recall that Immanuel Kant had already thought that our appreciation of nature is spontaneous, coming from our instinct.
...
During most of Western philosophy, human nature was believed to be unique and radically different from the nature of animals. Aristotle taught that the human soul shared certain characteristics with the animal soul, but that its principal and unique characteristic was reason. Christian medieval philosophers associated this faculty with the soul’s divine origin, and they believed that it was uniquely human and immortal. And finally, Descartes postulated the fundamental division between mind and matter, which implied an even more radical difference between humans, inhabited by a rational soul, and animals, who were simply machines.
Better to just click around the links at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex...
Sadly, that is not this book. Quoting an amazon reviewer:
Appears to be a textbook on applied complexity science when it is actually a personal manifesto attempting to dubiously scientifically substantiate topics from environmentalism, spiritualism, alternative medicine, left-wing political opinions and other philosophical musings. Highly disappointing.
That about sums it up.
Not only does the book not present a lot of information, it presents it poorly. The prose style is a kind of disorganized wooly rambling; three excerpts will give an impression of the whole.
In concluding this chapter, let us note that in this discussion, we have presented the genetic determinants of being human separate from each other. This is, of course, valid only for the sake of simplicity. Consciousness, spirituality, artistic creativity, abstract thinking, and rationality intertwine with each other in an intricate maze. In most manifestations of our actions, and products of our civilization, it may be difficult to discriminate any one from the others. This reiterates the complexity of the species H. sapiens – the species capable of creating the splendors of St. Peter’s Basilica, and also capable of dropping the atomic bomb.
...
Darwinism is linked to beauty by Roger Scruton, in his book Beauty (2009). The idea is that contemplative appreciation is also instinctive, which permits the author to link high artistic values to our biology. It is perhaps interesting to recall that Immanuel Kant had already thought that our appreciation of nature is spontaneous, coming from our instinct.
...
During most of Western philosophy, human nature was believed to be unique and radically different from the nature of animals. Aristotle taught that the human soul shared certain characteristics with the animal soul, but that its principal and unique characteristic was reason. Christian medieval philosophers associated this faculty with the soul’s divine origin, and they believed that it was uniquely human and immortal. And finally, Descartes postulated the fundamental division between mind and matter, which implied an even more radical difference between humans, inhabited by a rational soul, and animals, who were simply machines.
Better to just click around the links at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex...
November 22, 2016
The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision by Fritjof Capra and Pier Luigi Luisi is an interdisciplinary book which presents ”a unified systemic vision that includes and integrates life’s” different dimensions (p.xii). All living systems are ”highly nonlinear” networks where there are ”countless interconnections” (p.xii). Here is a summary of the book together with some conclusions.
Introduction (pp.1--16)
The systems view of life is ”a change from seeing the world as a machine to understanding it as a network” (p.4). Greek philosophy, in the sixth century BC, ”understood the order of the cosmos to be that of a living organism” (p.5). The shift from an organic to a mechanistic worldview ”was initiated by … René Descartes (1596-1650)” who is ”regarded as the founder of modern philosophy” (p.8).
A living system is "an integrated whole whose … properties cannot be reduced to its parts" (p.10). These properties "arise from the interactions and relationships between the parts" (p.10). Outlines of a "coherent theory of living systems … are now emerging" (p.12). This is the subject of the book.
We need to "question … the old paradigm" (p.12). The "paradigm shift also involves … changes of values" (p.13). There is a "striking connection between changes of thinking and of values" (p.13). The "connection between an ecological perception of the world and corresponding behavior is not a logical but a psychological connection" (p.14). "Logic does not lead us from the fact that we are an integral part of the web of life to certain norms of how we should live (p.14). However, if we have a "deep ecological experience of being part of the web of life, then we will … be inclined to care for all living nature" (p.15). "The paradigm shift … at its deepest level, involves a perceptual shift" (p.15).
The mechanistic worldview (pp.17--60)
As the organic view of nature was replaced by the metaphor of the world as a machine, "the goal of science became … to dominate and control nature" (p.21). All "scientific theories are reductionist in the sense that they need to reduce the phenomena described to a … number of characteristics" (p.24). Scientists "in treating living organisms as machines, tended to believe that they are nothing but machines" (p.26). The adverse consequences of this "have become especially apparent in medicine" (p.26). "Economists [also] generally fail to recognize that the economy is merely one aspect of the whole ecological and social fabric" (p.56). Unlimited growth "on a finite planet can only lead to disaster" (p.56).
As the "metaphor of organizations as machines" has taking hold, it has generated "mechanistic theories of management" with "clearly defined lines of command and communication" (p.58). During the Industrial Revolution "efficient operation of the new machines required major changes in the organization of the workforce" (p.58). The workforce was disciplined "to accept the rigorous routines [required] by factory production" (p.58).
Interestingly, Max Weber (1864-1920) "was very critical of the development of mechanistic forms of organization" (p.58). Weber observed "the parallels between the machination of industry and bureaucratic forms of organization" (p.58). He was concerned about "the mechanization of human life, the erosion of human spirit, and the undermining of democracy" (p.58). Weber's contemporary, Frederick Taylor (1856-1915), "perfected the engineering approach to management" (p.58). The organization's "structure and goals are designed by management … and are imposed on the organization" with "top-down control" (p.59). The "design of formal structures, linked by clear lines of communication, coordination, and control, has become almost second nature" (p.59).
Transcending "the mechanistic conceptions of health, the economy, or biotechnology" and "the mechanistic view of organizations" is "critical for the survival of or human civilization (p.59).
The rise of systems thinking (pp.61--126)
"Throughout the living world, we find living systems nesting within other living systems" (p.65). Living systems act both as "parts and wholes" (p.65). There is both "an integrative" and "a self-assertive" tendency (p.65). The "essential properties" of living systems are "properties of the whole" (p.65). "The great chock of twentieth-century science has been that living systems cannot be understood by analysis" (p.66).
There are "three kinds of living systems - organisms, parts of organisms, and communities of organisms" (p.67). Living systems "at all levels are networks" and consists of "networks within networks" (p.68). "Whenever we look at life, we look at networks" (p.95). Nature shows us "a complex web of relationships between … parts of a unified whole" (p.68). "There is stability, but this stability is one of dynamic balance" (p.75). All living systems are "open systems" which need "a continual flux of matter and energy" (p.86).
Norbert Wiener (1894--1964) introduced the term "cybernetics," from the Greek kybernetes ("steersman"), in the 1940s. Wiener defined cybernetics as the science of "control and communication in the animal and the machine" (p.87). "All major achievements of cybernetics originated … in mechanistic models of living systems" (p.89). Interestingly, Norbert Wiener made "a clear distinction between a mechanistic model and the non-mechanistic living system it represents" (p.93). Ross Ashby (1903--1972), who was "the leading theorist of the cybernetics movement" in the 1950s and 1960s, had, on the other hand, a "strictly mechanistic outlook" (p.93). For Ashby, there was "no creativity, no development, no evolution" (p.97).
Even "the simplest living system … is a highly complex network" (p.98). "Nonlinear dynamics … represents a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach to complexity and … systems thinking" (p.99). The systems view is a shift of perspective "from objects to relationships, from measuring to mapping, from quantity to quality" (p.99). Nonlinear phenomena are "an essential aspect of the network patterns of living systems" (p.105). Nonlinearity has brought about a "shift of emphasis from quantitative to qualitative analysis" (p.105).
The "spontaneous emergence of order at critical points of instability" is "one of the hallmarks of life" (p.116). The "understanding of pattern[s] is crucial to understand the living world" (p.126).
A new conception of life (pp. 127--339)
Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela coined the term "autopoiesis", which means "self-making", in the 1970s (p.129). The main characteristic of life is "self-maintenance" (p.129). A living organism "does not need any information from the outside to be what it is, but it is … dependent on outside materials in order to survive" (p.134). Life can be seen as "a system of interlocked autopoietic systems" (p.135). "Autopoiesis is the particular self-organization of life" (p.135).
There is "a clear difference between the ways living and nonliving systems interact with their environments" (p.136). If you "kick a stone, it will react" (p.136). If you "kick a dog, it will respond" (p.136). "The interaction with the environment … is determined by the internal organization of the living organism" (p.141). A living organism is "capable of cognition (the process of knowing)" (p.142). The "living organism and the environment become one through cognitive interactions" (p.143). "A particular combination of self-organization and emergence gives rise to self-reproduction" (p.145).
Dynamic systems "generally operate far from equilibrium, and yet are … stable, self-organizing structures" (p.158). In static systems, "self-organization and the resulting emergent properties are relatively simple concepts" (p.180). In dynamic systems, however, "self-organization and emergence are subtle and complex" (p.180). "New structures … and forms of organization may arise … in situations of instability, chaos, or crisis" (p.180).
The "appropriate way of approaching nature … is not through domination and control but through respect, cooperation, and dialogue" (p.180). In the living world, "history plays an important role" and "the future is uncertain" (p.180). "Life … cannot be explained in reductionistic terms" (p.181). All living forms "are linked together to each other by a network of parenthood" (p.182). "Cooperation is clearly visible … at many levels of living organisms" (p.202). "The planetary network of bacteria," for example, "has been the main source of evolutionary creativity" (p.192). Another example is "symbiosis, the tendency of different organisms to live in close association with one another" (p.202).
In living organisms, "there is no easy way to separate instructions from the way they are carried out, to distinguish plan from execution" (p.206). The "principle of structural determinism, … implies that only those changes can be accepted that are consistent with the existing inner structure and organization of the living organism" (p.214). The change must also be consistent with the organism's "self-maintenance" (p.214). Evolution is "complex, highly ordered, and ultimately cognitive" (p.215). It is "an integral part of life's self-organization" (p.215).
One important implication of "the new systemic understanding of life" is a new understanding of "the nature of mind and consciousness" (p.252). The "phenomenon of mind" is connected with the "phenomenon of life" (p.253). In other words, "cognition is the very process of life" (p.254). "The organizing activity of living systems, at all levels of life, is mental activity" (p.254). "Mind - or, more accurately, mental activity - is immanent in matter at all levels of life" (p.254).
"Every living organism continually renews itself" while maintaining "its overall identity or pattern of organization" (p.255). Living organisms create "new structures - new connections in the network" (p.255). "Living systems are autonomous" (p.255). Living organisms respond "to environmental changes," and "these changes" alter future responses. This "modification of behavior on the basis of previous experience" is learning (p.255). Continuing "adaptation, learning, and development" are key characteristics of all living beings (p.255). "We can never direct a living system; we can only disturb it" (p.256). A living system has the "autonomy to decide what to notice and what will disturb it" (p.256).
"Describing cognition as the breath of life seems to be a perfect metaphor" (p.256). Mind is "the process of cognition, which is identified with the process of life" (p.257). At all levels of life, "mind and matter, process and structure, are inseparably connected" (p.257). Consciousness "emerges when cognition reaches a certain level of complexity" (p.257). Consciousness is "a cognitive process" (p.260) which "involves self-awareness" (p.258). Conscious experience is "an expression of life, emerging from complex neural activity" (p.265). Mind and body "are two complementary aspects of life" (p.273). Primary, or core, consciousness "provides the organism with a transient sense of self (the core self) in the act of perception" (p.274), while "reflective consciousness" is "the process of cognition … we experience as thought" (p.274).
The "pattern of organization of any system … is the configuration of relationships among the system's components" (p.301). This "configuration of relationships" gives the system "its essential characteristics" (p.301). The "structure of a system" is its "physical embodiment of its pattern of organization" (p.302). The "process of life" is the "continual embodiment of the system's pattern of organization" (p.302). These are three perspectives on life: "organization, structure, and process" (p.302). This is the "trilogy of life" (p.303).
The trilogy of life can, in more general terms, be expressed as "form (or pattern of organization), … matter (or material structure), and … process" (p.304). Meaning is added to "the other three perspectives" in order to "extend the systemic understanding of life to the social domain" (p.304). Meaning is "a shorthand notation for the inner world of reflective consciousness, which contains a multitude of interrelated characteristics" (p.304). Human action "flows from the meaning that we attribute to our surroundings" (p.304). Human language "involves the communication of meaning" (p.304).
Living systems "exhibit similar patterns of organization" (p.305). "The network pattern, in particular, is … very basic" (p.305). "All living systems are … networks within networks" (p.306). "A social network, too, is a nonlinear pattern of organization" (p.306). However, "organisms and human societies are very different types of living systems" (p.307). "Human beings can choose whether and how to obey a social rule; molecules cannot choose" (p.307). "Meaning is essential to human beings" (p.309). In "acting with intention and purpose … we experience human freedom" (p.309). The "behavior is constrained but not determined by outside forces" (p.309). As human beings, "we experience this … as the freedom to act according to our own choices and decisions" (p.309).
"Bringing life into human organizations … increases their flexibility, creativity, and learning potential" (p.320). People need to "feel that they are supported … and do not have to sacrifice their integrity to meet the goals of the organization" (p.320). However, the economic environment today "is not life-enhancing but increasingly life-destroying" (p.320). We need to "change our economic system so that it becomes life-enhancing rather than life-destroying (p.321). This change will "be imperative not only for the well-being of human organizations but also for the survival … of humanity as a whole" (p.321). The "new unifying vision of life … has important implication for almost every field of study and every human endeavor" (p.322).
"From a systems point of view, … illness results from patterns of disorder" (p.327). Health is "a multidimensional and multileveled phenomenon" (p.327). "Lack of flexibility manifests itself as stress" (p.356). "Loss of flexibility means loss of health" (p.328). From a systems view of life "the current health revolution can be seen as part of a global movement dedicated to creating a sustainable world" (p.338).
Sustaining the web of life (pp. 339--452)
There are different meanings of "self-organization" (p.346). "To cyberneticists … self-organization meant the … emergence of order in machines featuring feedback loops" (p.346). In complexity theory self-organization is the "emergence of new order … governed by nonlinear dynamics" (p.346). And, in ecosystems self-organization is understood as "dissipative structures operating far from equilibrium" (p.346). There is, however, "almost total silence on the question of autopoiesis in ecosystems" (p.347). We need to "understand the principles of [self-]organization that ecosystems have evolved" (p.353). Ecology is of "paramount practical importance" (p.361).
The "major problems of our time … cannot be understood in isolation" (p.362). The fundamental dilemma is "the illusion that unlimited growth is possible on a finite planet" (p.363). "Social and environmental costs" are not included in economic activities (p.363). There is "a widening gap between the rich and the poor" (p.363). All "ethical dimensions are excluded" (p.378). "Global capitalism … exacerbates" poverty and social exclusion (pp. 384--385). There are also "actively misleading" campaigns that "systematically create doubt and confusion … concerning the threat of global warming" (p.388). "This is why the systems view of life" is very important and "has tremendous practical relevance" (p.392). There are "hundreds of systemic solutions being developed all over the world" (p.393).
It seems as a "more fluid system of global governance would be more appropriate for today's world," where power is increasingly shifted "to regional and local levels" (p.398). This includes the "shift from governments serving corporations to governments serving people and communities," as well as respect for "core labor, social and other human rights" (p.397).
The most important reformation of "the corporation will be to expose the core myth that shareholder returns must be maximized at the expense of human and ecological communities" (p.400). This means "reviving the traditional purpose of the corporation to serve the public good" (p.400). A "fundamental issue … is ownership" (p.401). "Conventional corporate ownership" is an example of "extractive ownership" (p.401). A new "generative ownership" is needed, which "generates well-being and real, living wealth" (p.401).
"Unfortunately, … systemic thinking is still very rare among … corporate and political leaders" (p.407). The "world has to act now or face devastating … consequences," but there is "lack of political will" (p.411). There is an "erroneous belief that nature can be subjected to human control" (p.437). We "need to honor, respect, and cooperate with nature" (p.442). And "we can learn valuable lessons from nature's ecosystems" (p.442). "We have the knowledge and the technologies to build a sustainable world" (p.452). What is needed is "political will and leadership" (p.452). "Major breakthroughs" are needed "to turn the tide" (p.452).
Conclusions
Fritjof Capra och Pier Luigi Luisi's book is truly impressive! The amount of materials covered is broad indeed. The Systems View of Life: A Unified Vision is an attempt to integrate life's biological, cognitive, and social dimensions in a unified systems view of life. In a way, I think Capra and Luisi are brave in taking such a broad sweep across so many different areas. Even if you take a broad sweep, it will still be too narrow. And what you gain in breadth, you risk losing in depth. Overall, I think Capra and Luisi have succeeded in integrating many different perspectives. The book certainly broadened my own perspectives. The main value of the book is the integration of the different ideas, models, and theories into a single framework.
Introduction (pp.1--16)
The systems view of life is ”a change from seeing the world as a machine to understanding it as a network” (p.4). Greek philosophy, in the sixth century BC, ”understood the order of the cosmos to be that of a living organism” (p.5). The shift from an organic to a mechanistic worldview ”was initiated by … René Descartes (1596-1650)” who is ”regarded as the founder of modern philosophy” (p.8).
A living system is "an integrated whole whose … properties cannot be reduced to its parts" (p.10). These properties "arise from the interactions and relationships between the parts" (p.10). Outlines of a "coherent theory of living systems … are now emerging" (p.12). This is the subject of the book.
We need to "question … the old paradigm" (p.12). The "paradigm shift also involves … changes of values" (p.13). There is a "striking connection between changes of thinking and of values" (p.13). The "connection between an ecological perception of the world and corresponding behavior is not a logical but a psychological connection" (p.14). "Logic does not lead us from the fact that we are an integral part of the web of life to certain norms of how we should live (p.14). However, if we have a "deep ecological experience of being part of the web of life, then we will … be inclined to care for all living nature" (p.15). "The paradigm shift … at its deepest level, involves a perceptual shift" (p.15).
The mechanistic worldview (pp.17--60)
As the organic view of nature was replaced by the metaphor of the world as a machine, "the goal of science became … to dominate and control nature" (p.21). All "scientific theories are reductionist in the sense that they need to reduce the phenomena described to a … number of characteristics" (p.24). Scientists "in treating living organisms as machines, tended to believe that they are nothing but machines" (p.26). The adverse consequences of this "have become especially apparent in medicine" (p.26). "Economists [also] generally fail to recognize that the economy is merely one aspect of the whole ecological and social fabric" (p.56). Unlimited growth "on a finite planet can only lead to disaster" (p.56).
As the "metaphor of organizations as machines" has taking hold, it has generated "mechanistic theories of management" with "clearly defined lines of command and communication" (p.58). During the Industrial Revolution "efficient operation of the new machines required major changes in the organization of the workforce" (p.58). The workforce was disciplined "to accept the rigorous routines [required] by factory production" (p.58).
Interestingly, Max Weber (1864-1920) "was very critical of the development of mechanistic forms of organization" (p.58). Weber observed "the parallels between the machination of industry and bureaucratic forms of organization" (p.58). He was concerned about "the mechanization of human life, the erosion of human spirit, and the undermining of democracy" (p.58). Weber's contemporary, Frederick Taylor (1856-1915), "perfected the engineering approach to management" (p.58). The organization's "structure and goals are designed by management … and are imposed on the organization" with "top-down control" (p.59). The "design of formal structures, linked by clear lines of communication, coordination, and control, has become almost second nature" (p.59).
Transcending "the mechanistic conceptions of health, the economy, or biotechnology" and "the mechanistic view of organizations" is "critical for the survival of or human civilization (p.59).
The rise of systems thinking (pp.61--126)
"Throughout the living world, we find living systems nesting within other living systems" (p.65). Living systems act both as "parts and wholes" (p.65). There is both "an integrative" and "a self-assertive" tendency (p.65). The "essential properties" of living systems are "properties of the whole" (p.65). "The great chock of twentieth-century science has been that living systems cannot be understood by analysis" (p.66).
There are "three kinds of living systems - organisms, parts of organisms, and communities of organisms" (p.67). Living systems "at all levels are networks" and consists of "networks within networks" (p.68). "Whenever we look at life, we look at networks" (p.95). Nature shows us "a complex web of relationships between … parts of a unified whole" (p.68). "There is stability, but this stability is one of dynamic balance" (p.75). All living systems are "open systems" which need "a continual flux of matter and energy" (p.86).
Norbert Wiener (1894--1964) introduced the term "cybernetics," from the Greek kybernetes ("steersman"), in the 1940s. Wiener defined cybernetics as the science of "control and communication in the animal and the machine" (p.87). "All major achievements of cybernetics originated … in mechanistic models of living systems" (p.89). Interestingly, Norbert Wiener made "a clear distinction between a mechanistic model and the non-mechanistic living system it represents" (p.93). Ross Ashby (1903--1972), who was "the leading theorist of the cybernetics movement" in the 1950s and 1960s, had, on the other hand, a "strictly mechanistic outlook" (p.93). For Ashby, there was "no creativity, no development, no evolution" (p.97).
Even "the simplest living system … is a highly complex network" (p.98). "Nonlinear dynamics … represents a qualitative rather than a quantitative approach to complexity and … systems thinking" (p.99). The systems view is a shift of perspective "from objects to relationships, from measuring to mapping, from quantity to quality" (p.99). Nonlinear phenomena are "an essential aspect of the network patterns of living systems" (p.105). Nonlinearity has brought about a "shift of emphasis from quantitative to qualitative analysis" (p.105).
The "spontaneous emergence of order at critical points of instability" is "one of the hallmarks of life" (p.116). The "understanding of pattern[s] is crucial to understand the living world" (p.126).
A new conception of life (pp. 127--339)
Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela coined the term "autopoiesis", which means "self-making", in the 1970s (p.129). The main characteristic of life is "self-maintenance" (p.129). A living organism "does not need any information from the outside to be what it is, but it is … dependent on outside materials in order to survive" (p.134). Life can be seen as "a system of interlocked autopoietic systems" (p.135). "Autopoiesis is the particular self-organization of life" (p.135).
There is "a clear difference between the ways living and nonliving systems interact with their environments" (p.136). If you "kick a stone, it will react" (p.136). If you "kick a dog, it will respond" (p.136). "The interaction with the environment … is determined by the internal organization of the living organism" (p.141). A living organism is "capable of cognition (the process of knowing)" (p.142). The "living organism and the environment become one through cognitive interactions" (p.143). "A particular combination of self-organization and emergence gives rise to self-reproduction" (p.145).
Dynamic systems "generally operate far from equilibrium, and yet are … stable, self-organizing structures" (p.158). In static systems, "self-organization and the resulting emergent properties are relatively simple concepts" (p.180). In dynamic systems, however, "self-organization and emergence are subtle and complex" (p.180). "New structures … and forms of organization may arise … in situations of instability, chaos, or crisis" (p.180).
The "appropriate way of approaching nature … is not through domination and control but through respect, cooperation, and dialogue" (p.180). In the living world, "history plays an important role" and "the future is uncertain" (p.180). "Life … cannot be explained in reductionistic terms" (p.181). All living forms "are linked together to each other by a network of parenthood" (p.182). "Cooperation is clearly visible … at many levels of living organisms" (p.202). "The planetary network of bacteria," for example, "has been the main source of evolutionary creativity" (p.192). Another example is "symbiosis, the tendency of different organisms to live in close association with one another" (p.202).
In living organisms, "there is no easy way to separate instructions from the way they are carried out, to distinguish plan from execution" (p.206). The "principle of structural determinism, … implies that only those changes can be accepted that are consistent with the existing inner structure and organization of the living organism" (p.214). The change must also be consistent with the organism's "self-maintenance" (p.214). Evolution is "complex, highly ordered, and ultimately cognitive" (p.215). It is "an integral part of life's self-organization" (p.215).
One important implication of "the new systemic understanding of life" is a new understanding of "the nature of mind and consciousness" (p.252). The "phenomenon of mind" is connected with the "phenomenon of life" (p.253). In other words, "cognition is the very process of life" (p.254). "The organizing activity of living systems, at all levels of life, is mental activity" (p.254). "Mind - or, more accurately, mental activity - is immanent in matter at all levels of life" (p.254).
"Every living organism continually renews itself" while maintaining "its overall identity or pattern of organization" (p.255). Living organisms create "new structures - new connections in the network" (p.255). "Living systems are autonomous" (p.255). Living organisms respond "to environmental changes," and "these changes" alter future responses. This "modification of behavior on the basis of previous experience" is learning (p.255). Continuing "adaptation, learning, and development" are key characteristics of all living beings (p.255). "We can never direct a living system; we can only disturb it" (p.256). A living system has the "autonomy to decide what to notice and what will disturb it" (p.256).
"Describing cognition as the breath of life seems to be a perfect metaphor" (p.256). Mind is "the process of cognition, which is identified with the process of life" (p.257). At all levels of life, "mind and matter, process and structure, are inseparably connected" (p.257). Consciousness "emerges when cognition reaches a certain level of complexity" (p.257). Consciousness is "a cognitive process" (p.260) which "involves self-awareness" (p.258). Conscious experience is "an expression of life, emerging from complex neural activity" (p.265). Mind and body "are two complementary aspects of life" (p.273). Primary, or core, consciousness "provides the organism with a transient sense of self (the core self) in the act of perception" (p.274), while "reflective consciousness" is "the process of cognition … we experience as thought" (p.274).
The "pattern of organization of any system … is the configuration of relationships among the system's components" (p.301). This "configuration of relationships" gives the system "its essential characteristics" (p.301). The "structure of a system" is its "physical embodiment of its pattern of organization" (p.302). The "process of life" is the "continual embodiment of the system's pattern of organization" (p.302). These are three perspectives on life: "organization, structure, and process" (p.302). This is the "trilogy of life" (p.303).
The trilogy of life can, in more general terms, be expressed as "form (or pattern of organization), … matter (or material structure), and … process" (p.304). Meaning is added to "the other three perspectives" in order to "extend the systemic understanding of life to the social domain" (p.304). Meaning is "a shorthand notation for the inner world of reflective consciousness, which contains a multitude of interrelated characteristics" (p.304). Human action "flows from the meaning that we attribute to our surroundings" (p.304). Human language "involves the communication of meaning" (p.304).
Living systems "exhibit similar patterns of organization" (p.305). "The network pattern, in particular, is … very basic" (p.305). "All living systems are … networks within networks" (p.306). "A social network, too, is a nonlinear pattern of organization" (p.306). However, "organisms and human societies are very different types of living systems" (p.307). "Human beings can choose whether and how to obey a social rule; molecules cannot choose" (p.307). "Meaning is essential to human beings" (p.309). In "acting with intention and purpose … we experience human freedom" (p.309). The "behavior is constrained but not determined by outside forces" (p.309). As human beings, "we experience this … as the freedom to act according to our own choices and decisions" (p.309).
"Bringing life into human organizations … increases their flexibility, creativity, and learning potential" (p.320). People need to "feel that they are supported … and do not have to sacrifice their integrity to meet the goals of the organization" (p.320). However, the economic environment today "is not life-enhancing but increasingly life-destroying" (p.320). We need to "change our economic system so that it becomes life-enhancing rather than life-destroying (p.321). This change will "be imperative not only for the well-being of human organizations but also for the survival … of humanity as a whole" (p.321). The "new unifying vision of life … has important implication for almost every field of study and every human endeavor" (p.322).
"From a systems point of view, … illness results from patterns of disorder" (p.327). Health is "a multidimensional and multileveled phenomenon" (p.327). "Lack of flexibility manifests itself as stress" (p.356). "Loss of flexibility means loss of health" (p.328). From a systems view of life "the current health revolution can be seen as part of a global movement dedicated to creating a sustainable world" (p.338).
Sustaining the web of life (pp. 339--452)
There are different meanings of "self-organization" (p.346). "To cyberneticists … self-organization meant the … emergence of order in machines featuring feedback loops" (p.346). In complexity theory self-organization is the "emergence of new order … governed by nonlinear dynamics" (p.346). And, in ecosystems self-organization is understood as "dissipative structures operating far from equilibrium" (p.346). There is, however, "almost total silence on the question of autopoiesis in ecosystems" (p.347). We need to "understand the principles of [self-]organization that ecosystems have evolved" (p.353). Ecology is of "paramount practical importance" (p.361).
The "major problems of our time … cannot be understood in isolation" (p.362). The fundamental dilemma is "the illusion that unlimited growth is possible on a finite planet" (p.363). "Social and environmental costs" are not included in economic activities (p.363). There is "a widening gap between the rich and the poor" (p.363). All "ethical dimensions are excluded" (p.378). "Global capitalism … exacerbates" poverty and social exclusion (pp. 384--385). There are also "actively misleading" campaigns that "systematically create doubt and confusion … concerning the threat of global warming" (p.388). "This is why the systems view of life" is very important and "has tremendous practical relevance" (p.392). There are "hundreds of systemic solutions being developed all over the world" (p.393).
It seems as a "more fluid system of global governance would be more appropriate for today's world," where power is increasingly shifted "to regional and local levels" (p.398). This includes the "shift from governments serving corporations to governments serving people and communities," as well as respect for "core labor, social and other human rights" (p.397).
The most important reformation of "the corporation will be to expose the core myth that shareholder returns must be maximized at the expense of human and ecological communities" (p.400). This means "reviving the traditional purpose of the corporation to serve the public good" (p.400). A "fundamental issue … is ownership" (p.401). "Conventional corporate ownership" is an example of "extractive ownership" (p.401). A new "generative ownership" is needed, which "generates well-being and real, living wealth" (p.401).
"Unfortunately, … systemic thinking is still very rare among … corporate and political leaders" (p.407). The "world has to act now or face devastating … consequences," but there is "lack of political will" (p.411). There is an "erroneous belief that nature can be subjected to human control" (p.437). We "need to honor, respect, and cooperate with nature" (p.442). And "we can learn valuable lessons from nature's ecosystems" (p.442). "We have the knowledge and the technologies to build a sustainable world" (p.452). What is needed is "political will and leadership" (p.452). "Major breakthroughs" are needed "to turn the tide" (p.452).
Conclusions
Fritjof Capra och Pier Luigi Luisi's book is truly impressive! The amount of materials covered is broad indeed. The Systems View of Life: A Unified Vision is an attempt to integrate life's biological, cognitive, and social dimensions in a unified systems view of life. In a way, I think Capra and Luisi are brave in taking such a broad sweep across so many different areas. Even if you take a broad sweep, it will still be too narrow. And what you gain in breadth, you risk losing in depth. Overall, I think Capra and Luisi have succeeded in integrating many different perspectives. The book certainly broadened my own perspectives. The main value of the book is the integration of the different ideas, models, and theories into a single framework.
February 12, 2016
Very ambitious. I didn't know what to make of it when I first heard about Fritjof Capra's work. He and his co author are attempting to not only understand the systematic nature of everything, and I mean everything, they are also trying to find a way to harvest what they learn from how systems work so they can make suggestions about how to make life on Earth more sustainable.
While I enjoyed their explanation of systems in the emergence of organisms, I didn't really enjoy the sections on consciousness, I really appreciate what they are trying to do. However, I think they muddy the waters in trying to have a philosophy of mind debate. They would stand firmly with the Churchland's, who believe that all consciousness is material. And maybe I would be interested in reading about that. But IMO, that is for another book. I would be happy to hear opposing views. Cognitive neuroscience is one of my favorite subjects, and I would love it if someone who understood systems thinking more than I do could shed light on where Fritjof Capra and co-author are going with this.
Their discussion of the systems approach to evolution was fantastic! That alone makes this book worth reading. So much research coming from systems folks, thermodynamics folks (i.e.., Jeremy England), and others are demonstrating that gene centered evolutionary theory is outdated. A new paradigm is afoot that adds 3 very important aspects to the theory; 1) emergence, 2) horizontal gene transfer as a greater focus, 3) endosymbiosis.
Once we view evotdluion from this perspective, we see that the inclusion of the aforementioned additions to evolutionary process means that the behaviors that arise are less random than once thought. At the end of the day, genes are less the driver of evolution and physical forces, which result in the emergence of complexity are the main driver. He is firmly in the camp that under the right conditions, life will self-organize.
The authors then go on to show that social networks emerge and operate on the same principles. They are self generating. From this, they look at the systemic nature of social issues and try to understand what steps can be taken, once you have taken the steps to understand the systems nature of the problem, to live in a more sustainable manner.
While I enjoyed their explanation of systems in the emergence of organisms, I didn't really enjoy the sections on consciousness, I really appreciate what they are trying to do. However, I think they muddy the waters in trying to have a philosophy of mind debate. They would stand firmly with the Churchland's, who believe that all consciousness is material. And maybe I would be interested in reading about that. But IMO, that is for another book. I would be happy to hear opposing views. Cognitive neuroscience is one of my favorite subjects, and I would love it if someone who understood systems thinking more than I do could shed light on where Fritjof Capra and co-author are going with this.
Their discussion of the systems approach to evolution was fantastic! That alone makes this book worth reading. So much research coming from systems folks, thermodynamics folks (i.e.., Jeremy England), and others are demonstrating that gene centered evolutionary theory is outdated. A new paradigm is afoot that adds 3 very important aspects to the theory; 1) emergence, 2) horizontal gene transfer as a greater focus, 3) endosymbiosis.
Once we view evotdluion from this perspective, we see that the inclusion of the aforementioned additions to evolutionary process means that the behaviors that arise are less random than once thought. At the end of the day, genes are less the driver of evolution and physical forces, which result in the emergence of complexity are the main driver. He is firmly in the camp that under the right conditions, life will self-organize.
The authors then go on to show that social networks emerge and operate on the same principles. They are self generating. From this, they look at the systemic nature of social issues and try to understand what steps can be taken, once you have taken the steps to understand the systems nature of the problem, to live in a more sustainable manner.
July 27, 2017
Deeply disappointing. After a promising start in its diagnosis of the problems this book totally fails to deliver on its solutions. By the end it declines into highly naive hippy nonsense. e.g. Medicine doesn't consider holistic care so let's use reiki and homeopathy. What!?! No, look into wellness centres and holistic care programs. Solve multiple food crises at once with locally grown produce. What an original thought, seems so obvious. Large scale monocultures exist because we need them. Subsistence farming would mean many of us living hand to mouth. Chases after both poverty and ecological damage failing to recognise that the two are not compounding factors and that our current position of relative wealth is due to the ecological damage we've caused. It's just so superficial, a skin deep analysis of the global economy with high school quality solutions. I expected so much more. Saved from 1 star only by its introduction and it's definition of life.
February 20, 2015
Best place to dive into the shallow end of autopoesis and Varela's work on biosemiotics.
March 24, 2016
I read my first piece of Capra's work in college a decade ago, the Tao of Physics, and was utterly inspired. Then a couple years back I read his book on DaVinci, which for the most part was phenomenal. Then I took on the challenge of reading this book.
This work attempts the herculean task of weaving together the stories of human biological, philosophical, spiritual, intellectual, and social evolution with the world's current sociopolitical and economic status, and how that is all tied to and embedded in our natural environment. The authors, using a combination of ideas from complexity theory and systems theory, attempt to elucidate all the implied interrelations of the above and explain how the current state of the environment, our sociopolitical ideals, and the world's economies are all inextricably linked in a vast system of complex feedback loops.
The main thrust of the book is that for the last four hundred years the mechanical worldview has reigned supreme in every facet of human pursuits, from spirituality to science to sociology, psychology etc., and that the limits of this worldview have become painfully apparent as we face multiple existential threats as a species.
The authors posit that in order to bring not only society itself, but society and the planetary ecosystem into balance, we must embrace the emerging view that our world and everything in it is composed of nested networks, whose interactions generate properties that cannot be isolated to their individual constituent parts. We must see our race as an integrated whole and quickly work together to repair the fabric of the web of life lest we become the makers of our own undoing.
This work attempts the herculean task of weaving together the stories of human biological, philosophical, spiritual, intellectual, and social evolution with the world's current sociopolitical and economic status, and how that is all tied to and embedded in our natural environment. The authors, using a combination of ideas from complexity theory and systems theory, attempt to elucidate all the implied interrelations of the above and explain how the current state of the environment, our sociopolitical ideals, and the world's economies are all inextricably linked in a vast system of complex feedback loops.
The main thrust of the book is that for the last four hundred years the mechanical worldview has reigned supreme in every facet of human pursuits, from spirituality to science to sociology, psychology etc., and that the limits of this worldview have become painfully apparent as we face multiple existential threats as a species.
The authors posit that in order to bring not only society itself, but society and the planetary ecosystem into balance, we must embrace the emerging view that our world and everything in it is composed of nested networks, whose interactions generate properties that cannot be isolated to their individual constituent parts. We must see our race as an integrated whole and quickly work together to repair the fabric of the web of life lest we become the makers of our own undoing.
Read
July 23, 2022In my opinion, there should be a course that is taught along with this textbook that is prerequisite for every undergraduate degree. The book does a good job of explaining interdependent origination from an interdisciplinary scientific point of view. We desperately need to overcome our mechanistic, binary view of the world and our lived sense of separateness from it in order to ensure the longevity of our, along with every other, species on this planet. Education and inner reflection are keys to overcome the maelstrom of conditioning that has been imposed upon us all. One can only hope that the modern era zeitgeist which has prevailed since the Industrial Revolution will give way to a more holistic/systemic/cooperative way of life. In all probability, the future generations of all sentient beings are dependent upon it. As a fitting conclusion to the book, Capra and Luisi offer us an inspiring quote from Vaclav Havel:
"The kind of hope that I often think about...I understand above all as a state of mind, not a state of the world. Either we have hope within us or we don't; it is a dimension of the soul, and it's not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation...[Hope] is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
"The kind of hope that I often think about...I understand above all as a state of mind, not a state of the world. Either we have hope within us or we don't; it is a dimension of the soul, and it's not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world or estimate of the situation...[Hope] is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."
November 20, 2019
It has taken me a while to put a review of this book online. I found that I have so much to say about it; it became rather daunting to try to lay it all out. My compromise is that I will not say much.
What I will say is that this book has had a powerfully transformative effect on my view of the world. I read it slowly. Over the course of nearly three years. During that time, I started to realize the foundational place systems thinking has in describing the complex and interconnected world we are all a part of. It is a substantial text to pick up, and I found it a rather demanding read at times. Still, I am confident that there is a not single work of nonfiction that I have read that has given me more understanding and perspective than The Systems View of Life. This book will be a part of me for a long time and I am so thankful for that.
What I will say is that this book has had a powerfully transformative effect on my view of the world. I read it slowly. Over the course of nearly three years. During that time, I started to realize the foundational place systems thinking has in describing the complex and interconnected world we are all a part of. It is a substantial text to pick up, and I found it a rather demanding read at times. Still, I am confident that there is a not single work of nonfiction that I have read that has given me more understanding and perspective than The Systems View of Life. This book will be a part of me for a long time and I am so thankful for that.
June 14, 2021
6/5 stars.
One of my favourite non-fiction books about a range of subjects concerning complexity, systems thinking and emergence.
My experience was a combination of excitement, recognition (the overlap between the author's and my own ways of looking at the world) and thought-provoking.
This is probably the book I would recommend to everyone, especially those interested in science, philosophy and complex systems; including biology, healthcare, economics and society.
One of my favourite non-fiction books about a range of subjects concerning complexity, systems thinking and emergence.
My experience was a combination of excitement, recognition (the overlap between the author's and my own ways of looking at the world) and thought-provoking.
This is probably the book I would recommend to everyone, especially those interested in science, philosophy and complex systems; including biology, healthcare, economics and society.
August 26, 2014
Fundamental! Really! I'm serious!
August 11, 2015
This also appears on my blog www.silashruparell.com
My one-liner: Astounding breadth of coverage of philosophical, scientific and economic systems and processes guiding humanity towards a more sustainable existence
“[T]he Zeitgeist (“spirit of the age”) of the early twenty-first century is being shaped by a profound change of paradigms, characterized by a shift of metaphors from the world as a machine to the world as a network. The new paradigm may be called a holistic worldview, seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts”
The Systems View of Life - A Unifying Vision (Fritjof Capra and Pier Luigi Luisi) is the kind of book I wish I could write. As the industrial age, which began in the period of the European Enlightenment, draws to maturity through the end of the 20th century and beyond, its very fruits have given humanity the tools to move beyond the industrial and mechanical, and into a higher conception of the nature of existence.
Thus we have the insights of quantum physics and fractal mathematics which were only made possible by going through the Newtonian / Cartesian phase. Or the interconnected, networked world that is forming today, that came about through incremental phases of industrial, machine-based progress. The recent giant leaps in computing power that today enable us to study and model complexity and chaos, leave us perhaps with more questions than answers, but evolved through essentially linear statistical methods over the preceding 200-years.
Where Capra and Luisi take us therefore, is into a place that we I think, already know to be instinctively know we need to be. Namely that as a society we are perhaps grown up enough to be able to once again emphasise the qualitative over the quantitative, the observation over the explanation, the process rather than the outcome. The prize, they argue, is a great one:
“As we move further into the twenty-first century, transcending the mechanistic view of organizations will be as critical for the survival of human civilization as transcending the mechanistic conceptions of health, the economy, or biotechnology. All these issues are linked, ultimately, to the profound scientific, social, and cultural transformation that is now under way with the emergence of the new systemic conception of life.”
Personally I would add a caveat to this: the developed or industrialised world in primed for this transition; the developing world is still undergoing its industrialisation phase through which many hundreds of millions of people are being lifted out of food poverty. Capra and Luisi hint that this can be short-circuited (“The root causes of hunger around the world are unrelated to food production. They are poverty, inequality, and lack of access to food and land”) – my view is that they need to take their time to evolve societally, having now moved away from a land / organic-based existence – they will not need 500 years like we did, but they will need decades. This is important, because the transitions implied in the book will likely remain imperceptible at the level of all humanity for rest of the century.
Moving back to the book itself, the authors do well to delve into science well enough to give the reader a sense of rigour, without crossing the line into incomprehensibility for the layman. A consistent theme is the rationalist, and currently prevailing tendency to break down our existence into building blocks and compartments, whether that be measurements of economic growth, medical diagnosis, legal systems, industrial production. But modern physicists have taught us that at that quantum level ���matter” (in the non-technical sense) is fundamentally interconnected and cannot be reduced to infinitesimally small building blocks:
“An electron is neither a particle nor a wave, but it may show particle-like aspects in some situations and wave-like aspects in others. While it acts like a particle, it is capable of developing its wave nature at the expense of its particle nature, and vice versa, thus undergoing continual transformations from particle to wave and from wave to particle…
The discovery of the dual aspect of matter and of the fundamental role of probability has demolished the classical notion of solid objects. At the subatomic level, the solid material objects of classical physics dissolve into wave-like patterns of probabilities. These patterns, furthermore, do not represent probabilities of things, but rather of probabilities of interconnections…
The laws of atomic physics are statistical laws, according to which the probabilities for atomic events are determined by the dynamics of the whole system. Whereas in classical mechanics the properties and behavior of the parts determine those of the whole, the situation is reversed in quantum mechanics: it is the whole that determines the behavior of the parts.”
And the recently evolving discipline of fractal geometry provides us with the basis to extend this principle of interconnectedness and probability both upwards and downwards:
More obviously upwards - the functioning of the human body; the development of societies and economies; ecological phenomena; the space-time of the universe. Less obviously downwards, but reaching into the spiritual and philosophical (think of the buddhist and other eastern philosophies which emphasise the oneness of zero and infinity).
We arrive here through the property of fractal geometry known as self-similarity. The authors tell us how the inventor of fractal geometry Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrates this by breaking a piece of a cauliflower and showing that it looks just like a small cauliflower. Every part looks like the whole vegetable at every level of scale.
So if such interconnectedness and self-similarity exists at the quantum level, why have we organised our societies in such a compartmentalised, non-holistic way ? The answer set out in the book can be summarised by two phenomena.
First, the focus on responding to, and treating, observed outcomes rather than rather than understanding the underlying processes that lead to those outcomes. An obvious example would be politicians who create new government policies based on “events” rather than a qualitative appraisal of the world around them. Or alternatively the diagnostic approach of modern medicine:
“The conceptual foundation of modern scientific medicine is the so-called biomedical model, which is firmly grounded in Cartesian thought …[T]he conceptual problem at the center of contemporary healthcare is the confusion between the origins of disease and the processes through which it manifests itself…
A systemic approach, by contrast, would broaden the scope from the levels of organs and cells to the whole person – to the patient's body and mind, as well as his or her interactions with a particular natural and social environment. Such a broad, systemic perspective will enable health professionals to better understand the phenomenon of healing, which today is often considered outside the scientific framework. Although every practicing physician knows that healing is an essential part of all medical care, the phenomenon is presently not part of scientific medicine. The reason is evident: it is a phenomenon that cannot be understood when health is reduced to mechanical functioning.”
The second is the sense of connection that humans once had with the physical world, the land, nature and eco-systems, and which has been lost through in the industrial society that we inhabit. This connection is, the authors tell us, real and rooted in science. Indeed that very epitome and oft-cited champion of the rationalist scientific school, Charles Darwin gives us our route back to nature. For at the end of day all living organisms share a common ancestor. Organic and inorganic matter evolved to produce living cells which then evolved to produce water, air and land-borne species, of which we are but one.
“There is nothing more holistic and systemic than this notion of Darwinian biological evolution”
Studies of the number of proteins that form all of life suggest that there around 1014 different types (or 100,000 billion). A lot, you might think. However, the mathematically possible number of proteins that could exist based on chains of so-called “residues”, or amino acids, is 10130. Some of those would be energetically impossible, but even if 1 in a billion of those are “permitted” the resulting number of all possible proteins would be 10120. By way of comparison if the actual number of proteins in existence were a single grain of sand, then all the other possible combination representing those that don’t exist, would be the equivalent of the Sahara Desert. And we still do not understand very much the process by which that “one grain of sand”, representing all of life, was selected, over and above all of the other mathematically possible combinations.
And delving into space-time, planets such as our own, have also been part of a cosmic evolution of the universe, the concept of a universe “pregnant with life”. The authors quote the physicist Freeman Dyson (1985):
“As we look out in the universe and identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it almost seems as if the Universe must in some sense have known that we were coming.”
So where does that leave us and where do we go from here ? Rationalist science cannot yet (and may not ever) give us the answers to the true origins of life ? Does it matter ? Yes, it does matter, One the one hand it matters to adherents of organised religion, searching for a way to become closer to a god as creator.
And it also matters to the finest scientific minds seeking out the origins of life and the universe, whether to through Big Bang or more recent theories. Take Stephen Hawking, in A Brief History of Time, and his binary test for whether or not there is a creator:
“So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really completely self-contained, having no boundary or edge, it would have neither beginning nor end: it would simply be. What place, then, for a creator?”
Capra and Luisi push us to gaining an understanding of the nature of consciousness, and the signposts point to philosophies of the east:
“From our point of view, the apparent dichotomy dissolves when we move from organized religion to the broader realm of spirituality, and when we recognize that both spiritual experience and the mystery we find at the edge of every scientific theory transcend all words and concepts…
[S]cientists [such as Oppenheimer, Bohr and Heisenberg] published popular books about the history and philosophy of quantum physics, in which they hinted at remarkable parallels between the worldview implied by modern physics and the views of Eastern spiritual and philosophical traditions.”
As physicists delve deeper into the material world they come to realise that their own consciousness is part of the unity of all natural phenomena. Mystics arrive there from the opposite direction, with an understanding that outer world is essentially one and the same as the inner world which is their starting point. Thus there is an increasing recognition, observable as we move into a new century that we are “part of a great order, a grand symphony of life”. Every molecule in our body was once part of a previous body, non-living or living, and the same will apply to all life forms that come after us.
Indeed, the authors point out the origin of spirituality. The word “spirit” is derived from the Latin for “breath”, see also the related Latin “anima”, Greek “psyche”, and Sanskrit “atman”. Allowing us to posit that this notion of the spirit, being breath as the source of life, is common across the ancient schools of thought in both east and west:
“Spiritual teachers throughout the ages have insisted that the experience of a profound sense of connectedness, of belonging to the cosmos as a whole, which is the central characteristic of mystical experience, is ineffable – incapable of being adequately expressed in words or concepts – and they often describe it as being accompanied by a deep sense of awe and wonder together with a feeling of great humility”
This, say Capra and Luisi, is the true sense of “ecology” (derived from the Greek “oikos” meaning “Earth Household”) – a oneness with the natural world around us, being a member of a “global community of living beings”, and not interfering with ability of the earth to sustain life. The reader is not surprised at this point that authors take on a quick detour into Gaia theory as well.
Practically, achieving this oneness means that current and future generations of politicians, scientists, business leaders, teachers and professionals will need an understanding of the nature of sustainability. An education programme, in other words.
Modern social networks have the ability to achieve this. Social networks can be (and have typically in the past) used as instruments of control and authority, through bringing together and influencing people of similar mindsets. But in the future they can also be a means of empowerment, dissipating common views about the importance of sustainability, and a systemic or holistic way of thinking.
Examples include: holistic therapies that connect physical well-being to mental well-being; a recognition that an individual’s well-being is determined by diet, and environment and social interaction; an understanding of the self-healing properties of many systems, including the human body and its surrounding ecology; the importance of human and ecological well-being for any corporate entity, arguably over and above its financial and profitability measure.
So, the network, technological and philosophical ingredients are in place in the 21st century. What are the policy implications ? Is there some new world order that needs to be created ? The book takes the obligatory diversion through the well-trodden path of the economic and environmental unsustainability of our current existence, culminating in a now-familiar walk-through of the global financial crisis, its causes and effects. We also hear about various bodies, movements and NGOs that have sprung up before and since to address and promote sustainability.
The book then concludes with a number of possible visions for a more sustainable future, and presents a number of overlapping strategies. The authors note in particular that economic globalisation, which has accelerated in the last 100 years or so, is now essentially characterised by a global network of machines (computers, factories, communication lines, financial systems) that are pre-programmed to maximise profit.
The financial motive is the current “human value” which dominates. It would not, they argue, be too much of a leap of imagination to re-programme the machines to have other values built into them. This would also involve moving from quantitative measures of economic growth, such as GDP, to what may be termed “qualitative growth”. Whilst growth is a characteristic of all life, it is not linear and not unlimited – at the same time as some organisms and ecosystems grow others will shrink and release their components which can become resources for new growth. Qualitative growth is “growth which enhances life”. Quantities can be measured, but qualities need to be mapped, and new mathematical and computing disciplines are allowing us now to do this.
Linked to this, the authors contend, should be a programme for corporate reform. The obligation to maximise shareholder return is etched into the contractual structure of a company, its board and the underpinning legal system. The fiduciary duty owed by a company and its managers to its shareholders overrides all other duties. This profit maximising duty makes the same assumption that economists currently do, namely that social costs, resource ownership, ecological sustainability should not be the goal of a corporation. The authors recommend extending or even replacing this fiduciary duty to include the well-being of the corporation’s employees, of local communities and of future generations, and creating new forms of ownership. And arguably this need not be in conflict with a market-based economy.
The next area for change is where I am most sceptical – namely a number of suggestions around poverty eradication, stabilising population growth, and empowering of women. The last, in particular is seen to be important as a way of tempering the male, power-based, private ownership-based, accumulative cultures that predominate today, with a more feminine approach: conservation, co-operation, and community. More yin, less yang. I am sceptical not because these aims are not highly laudable (though limiting population growth sounds a tad Malthusian), but because it seems apparent to me, having witnessed the rise of China, the tiger economies and some Latin American countries, that the quickest way to eliminate poverty is rapid industrialisation. As I mentioned, their time for an ecological approach will come, and it will come within decades rather than centuries, but they will have to learn the hard way !
Finally, energy transformation. In particular the systemic view advocates a shift away from coal, oil and other fossil fuels. We are at a moment of perfect technological alignment for an energy revolution, because of advances in both energy and communications technology, enabling the a “Third Industrial Revolution” with five pillars:
•shifting to renewables (solar, wind, hydro)
•transforming building stock into power plants, collecting energy on-site
•deploying hydrogen and other storage technologies
•using the internet to transform electricity grids into “inter-grids”
•transforming automobiles to electric plug in and fuel cell vehicles
The argument is that this can be achieved in the context of a market economy generating viable returns for investors. Couple this with reductions in industrial waste and inefficiency (estimates are that we can save up to 90% of energy and materials currently used in industrial design), and we can become truly sustainable:
“Imagine fuel without fear. No climate change. No oil spills, dead coal miners, dirty air, devastated lands, lost wildlife. No energy poverty. No oil-fed wars, tyrannies, or terrorists. Nothing to run out. Nothing to cut off. Nothing to worry about. Just energy abundance, benign and affordable, for all, for ever”.
This is a great book and will get a 5* rating from me on the various book blog sites. I like it because it provides a coherent scientific, philosophical and technological underpinning for the ideas presented. I do agree that we are seeing signs of systemic rather than linear phenomena, and I do think that current conditions can provide the impetus for this transition. What I don’t understand, and I don’t think the authors do yet either, is whether this transition will be itself a systemic process, or whether some top-down “policies” or “new forms of government” will be required to push the process.
My one-liner: Astounding breadth of coverage of philosophical, scientific and economic systems and processes guiding humanity towards a more sustainable existence
“[T]he Zeitgeist (“spirit of the age”) of the early twenty-first century is being shaped by a profound change of paradigms, characterized by a shift of metaphors from the world as a machine to the world as a network. The new paradigm may be called a holistic worldview, seeing the world as an integrated whole rather than a dissociated collection of parts”
The Systems View of Life - A Unifying Vision (Fritjof Capra and Pier Luigi Luisi) is the kind of book I wish I could write. As the industrial age, which began in the period of the European Enlightenment, draws to maturity through the end of the 20th century and beyond, its very fruits have given humanity the tools to move beyond the industrial and mechanical, and into a higher conception of the nature of existence.
Thus we have the insights of quantum physics and fractal mathematics which were only made possible by going through the Newtonian / Cartesian phase. Or the interconnected, networked world that is forming today, that came about through incremental phases of industrial, machine-based progress. The recent giant leaps in computing power that today enable us to study and model complexity and chaos, leave us perhaps with more questions than answers, but evolved through essentially linear statistical methods over the preceding 200-years.
Where Capra and Luisi take us therefore, is into a place that we I think, already know to be instinctively know we need to be. Namely that as a society we are perhaps grown up enough to be able to once again emphasise the qualitative over the quantitative, the observation over the explanation, the process rather than the outcome. The prize, they argue, is a great one:
“As we move further into the twenty-first century, transcending the mechanistic view of organizations will be as critical for the survival of human civilization as transcending the mechanistic conceptions of health, the economy, or biotechnology. All these issues are linked, ultimately, to the profound scientific, social, and cultural transformation that is now under way with the emergence of the new systemic conception of life.”
Personally I would add a caveat to this: the developed or industrialised world in primed for this transition; the developing world is still undergoing its industrialisation phase through which many hundreds of millions of people are being lifted out of food poverty. Capra and Luisi hint that this can be short-circuited (“The root causes of hunger around the world are unrelated to food production. They are poverty, inequality, and lack of access to food and land”) – my view is that they need to take their time to evolve societally, having now moved away from a land / organic-based existence – they will not need 500 years like we did, but they will need decades. This is important, because the transitions implied in the book will likely remain imperceptible at the level of all humanity for rest of the century.
Moving back to the book itself, the authors do well to delve into science well enough to give the reader a sense of rigour, without crossing the line into incomprehensibility for the layman. A consistent theme is the rationalist, and currently prevailing tendency to break down our existence into building blocks and compartments, whether that be measurements of economic growth, medical diagnosis, legal systems, industrial production. But modern physicists have taught us that at that quantum level ���matter” (in the non-technical sense) is fundamentally interconnected and cannot be reduced to infinitesimally small building blocks:
“An electron is neither a particle nor a wave, but it may show particle-like aspects in some situations and wave-like aspects in others. While it acts like a particle, it is capable of developing its wave nature at the expense of its particle nature, and vice versa, thus undergoing continual transformations from particle to wave and from wave to particle…
The discovery of the dual aspect of matter and of the fundamental role of probability has demolished the classical notion of solid objects. At the subatomic level, the solid material objects of classical physics dissolve into wave-like patterns of probabilities. These patterns, furthermore, do not represent probabilities of things, but rather of probabilities of interconnections…
The laws of atomic physics are statistical laws, according to which the probabilities for atomic events are determined by the dynamics of the whole system. Whereas in classical mechanics the properties and behavior of the parts determine those of the whole, the situation is reversed in quantum mechanics: it is the whole that determines the behavior of the parts.”
And the recently evolving discipline of fractal geometry provides us with the basis to extend this principle of interconnectedness and probability both upwards and downwards:
More obviously upwards - the functioning of the human body; the development of societies and economies; ecological phenomena; the space-time of the universe. Less obviously downwards, but reaching into the spiritual and philosophical (think of the buddhist and other eastern philosophies which emphasise the oneness of zero and infinity).
We arrive here through the property of fractal geometry known as self-similarity. The authors tell us how the inventor of fractal geometry Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrates this by breaking a piece of a cauliflower and showing that it looks just like a small cauliflower. Every part looks like the whole vegetable at every level of scale.
So if such interconnectedness and self-similarity exists at the quantum level, why have we organised our societies in such a compartmentalised, non-holistic way ? The answer set out in the book can be summarised by two phenomena.
First, the focus on responding to, and treating, observed outcomes rather than rather than understanding the underlying processes that lead to those outcomes. An obvious example would be politicians who create new government policies based on “events” rather than a qualitative appraisal of the world around them. Or alternatively the diagnostic approach of modern medicine:
“The conceptual foundation of modern scientific medicine is the so-called biomedical model, which is firmly grounded in Cartesian thought …[T]he conceptual problem at the center of contemporary healthcare is the confusion between the origins of disease and the processes through which it manifests itself…
A systemic approach, by contrast, would broaden the scope from the levels of organs and cells to the whole person – to the patient's body and mind, as well as his or her interactions with a particular natural and social environment. Such a broad, systemic perspective will enable health professionals to better understand the phenomenon of healing, which today is often considered outside the scientific framework. Although every practicing physician knows that healing is an essential part of all medical care, the phenomenon is presently not part of scientific medicine. The reason is evident: it is a phenomenon that cannot be understood when health is reduced to mechanical functioning.”
The second is the sense of connection that humans once had with the physical world, the land, nature and eco-systems, and which has been lost through in the industrial society that we inhabit. This connection is, the authors tell us, real and rooted in science. Indeed that very epitome and oft-cited champion of the rationalist scientific school, Charles Darwin gives us our route back to nature. For at the end of day all living organisms share a common ancestor. Organic and inorganic matter evolved to produce living cells which then evolved to produce water, air and land-borne species, of which we are but one.
“There is nothing more holistic and systemic than this notion of Darwinian biological evolution”
Studies of the number of proteins that form all of life suggest that there around 1014 different types (or 100,000 billion). A lot, you might think. However, the mathematically possible number of proteins that could exist based on chains of so-called “residues”, or amino acids, is 10130. Some of those would be energetically impossible, but even if 1 in a billion of those are “permitted” the resulting number of all possible proteins would be 10120. By way of comparison if the actual number of proteins in existence were a single grain of sand, then all the other possible combination representing those that don’t exist, would be the equivalent of the Sahara Desert. And we still do not understand very much the process by which that “one grain of sand”, representing all of life, was selected, over and above all of the other mathematically possible combinations.
And delving into space-time, planets such as our own, have also been part of a cosmic evolution of the universe, the concept of a universe “pregnant with life”. The authors quote the physicist Freeman Dyson (1985):
“As we look out in the universe and identify the many accidents of physics and astronomy that have worked together to our benefit, it almost seems as if the Universe must in some sense have known that we were coming.”
So where does that leave us and where do we go from here ? Rationalist science cannot yet (and may not ever) give us the answers to the true origins of life ? Does it matter ? Yes, it does matter, One the one hand it matters to adherents of organised religion, searching for a way to become closer to a god as creator.
And it also matters to the finest scientific minds seeking out the origins of life and the universe, whether to through Big Bang or more recent theories. Take Stephen Hawking, in A Brief History of Time, and his binary test for whether or not there is a creator:
“So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really completely self-contained, having no boundary or edge, it would have neither beginning nor end: it would simply be. What place, then, for a creator?”
Capra and Luisi push us to gaining an understanding of the nature of consciousness, and the signposts point to philosophies of the east:
“From our point of view, the apparent dichotomy dissolves when we move from organized religion to the broader realm of spirituality, and when we recognize that both spiritual experience and the mystery we find at the edge of every scientific theory transcend all words and concepts…
[S]cientists [such as Oppenheimer, Bohr and Heisenberg] published popular books about the history and philosophy of quantum physics, in which they hinted at remarkable parallels between the worldview implied by modern physics and the views of Eastern spiritual and philosophical traditions.”
As physicists delve deeper into the material world they come to realise that their own consciousness is part of the unity of all natural phenomena. Mystics arrive there from the opposite direction, with an understanding that outer world is essentially one and the same as the inner world which is their starting point. Thus there is an increasing recognition, observable as we move into a new century that we are “part of a great order, a grand symphony of life”. Every molecule in our body was once part of a previous body, non-living or living, and the same will apply to all life forms that come after us.
Indeed, the authors point out the origin of spirituality. The word “spirit” is derived from the Latin for “breath”, see also the related Latin “anima”, Greek “psyche”, and Sanskrit “atman”. Allowing us to posit that this notion of the spirit, being breath as the source of life, is common across the ancient schools of thought in both east and west:
“Spiritual teachers throughout the ages have insisted that the experience of a profound sense of connectedness, of belonging to the cosmos as a whole, which is the central characteristic of mystical experience, is ineffable – incapable of being adequately expressed in words or concepts – and they often describe it as being accompanied by a deep sense of awe and wonder together with a feeling of great humility”
This, say Capra and Luisi, is the true sense of “ecology” (derived from the Greek “oikos” meaning “Earth Household”) – a oneness with the natural world around us, being a member of a “global community of living beings”, and not interfering with ability of the earth to sustain life. The reader is not surprised at this point that authors take on a quick detour into Gaia theory as well.
Practically, achieving this oneness means that current and future generations of politicians, scientists, business leaders, teachers and professionals will need an understanding of the nature of sustainability. An education programme, in other words.
Modern social networks have the ability to achieve this. Social networks can be (and have typically in the past) used as instruments of control and authority, through bringing together and influencing people of similar mindsets. But in the future they can also be a means of empowerment, dissipating common views about the importance of sustainability, and a systemic or holistic way of thinking.
Examples include: holistic therapies that connect physical well-being to mental well-being; a recognition that an individual’s well-being is determined by diet, and environment and social interaction; an understanding of the self-healing properties of many systems, including the human body and its surrounding ecology; the importance of human and ecological well-being for any corporate entity, arguably over and above its financial and profitability measure.
So, the network, technological and philosophical ingredients are in place in the 21st century. What are the policy implications ? Is there some new world order that needs to be created ? The book takes the obligatory diversion through the well-trodden path of the economic and environmental unsustainability of our current existence, culminating in a now-familiar walk-through of the global financial crisis, its causes and effects. We also hear about various bodies, movements and NGOs that have sprung up before and since to address and promote sustainability.
The book then concludes with a number of possible visions for a more sustainable future, and presents a number of overlapping strategies. The authors note in particular that economic globalisation, which has accelerated in the last 100 years or so, is now essentially characterised by a global network of machines (computers, factories, communication lines, financial systems) that are pre-programmed to maximise profit.
The financial motive is the current “human value” which dominates. It would not, they argue, be too much of a leap of imagination to re-programme the machines to have other values built into them. This would also involve moving from quantitative measures of economic growth, such as GDP, to what may be termed “qualitative growth”. Whilst growth is a characteristic of all life, it is not linear and not unlimited – at the same time as some organisms and ecosystems grow others will shrink and release their components which can become resources for new growth. Qualitative growth is “growth which enhances life”. Quantities can be measured, but qualities need to be mapped, and new mathematical and computing disciplines are allowing us now to do this.
Linked to this, the authors contend, should be a programme for corporate reform. The obligation to maximise shareholder return is etched into the contractual structure of a company, its board and the underpinning legal system. The fiduciary duty owed by a company and its managers to its shareholders overrides all other duties. This profit maximising duty makes the same assumption that economists currently do, namely that social costs, resource ownership, ecological sustainability should not be the goal of a corporation. The authors recommend extending or even replacing this fiduciary duty to include the well-being of the corporation’s employees, of local communities and of future generations, and creating new forms of ownership. And arguably this need not be in conflict with a market-based economy.
The next area for change is where I am most sceptical – namely a number of suggestions around poverty eradication, stabilising population growth, and empowering of women. The last, in particular is seen to be important as a way of tempering the male, power-based, private ownership-based, accumulative cultures that predominate today, with a more feminine approach: conservation, co-operation, and community. More yin, less yang. I am sceptical not because these aims are not highly laudable (though limiting population growth sounds a tad Malthusian), but because it seems apparent to me, having witnessed the rise of China, the tiger economies and some Latin American countries, that the quickest way to eliminate poverty is rapid industrialisation. As I mentioned, their time for an ecological approach will come, and it will come within decades rather than centuries, but they will have to learn the hard way !
Finally, energy transformation. In particular the systemic view advocates a shift away from coal, oil and other fossil fuels. We are at a moment of perfect technological alignment for an energy revolution, because of advances in both energy and communications technology, enabling the a “Third Industrial Revolution” with five pillars:
•shifting to renewables (solar, wind, hydro)
•transforming building stock into power plants, collecting energy on-site
•deploying hydrogen and other storage technologies
•using the internet to transform electricity grids into “inter-grids”
•transforming automobiles to electric plug in and fuel cell vehicles
The argument is that this can be achieved in the context of a market economy generating viable returns for investors. Couple this with reductions in industrial waste and inefficiency (estimates are that we can save up to 90% of energy and materials currently used in industrial design), and we can become truly sustainable:
“Imagine fuel without fear. No climate change. No oil spills, dead coal miners, dirty air, devastated lands, lost wildlife. No energy poverty. No oil-fed wars, tyrannies, or terrorists. Nothing to run out. Nothing to cut off. Nothing to worry about. Just energy abundance, benign and affordable, for all, for ever”.
This is a great book and will get a 5* rating from me on the various book blog sites. I like it because it provides a coherent scientific, philosophical and technological underpinning for the ideas presented. I do agree that we are seeing signs of systemic rather than linear phenomena, and I do think that current conditions can provide the impetus for this transition. What I don’t understand, and I don’t think the authors do yet either, is whether this transition will be itself a systemic process, or whether some top-down “policies” or “new forms of government” will be required to push the process.
July 21, 2021
This is a refreshing look at life based on a simple premise: that life is a self-regulating network in which essential properties arise not from the constituent parts themselves, but from the configuration of relationships within the integrated system as a whole. The authors guide us through an incredible range of scientific disciplines, revealing the uncanny ramifications of this subtle change in perspective. In the systems view, the parts have no meaning as isolated entities; they are defined only by their interconnections; they are inseparable patterns within the larger web. This approach is an eye-opening contrast to the mainstream viewpoint of reductionistic analysis, and the authors explain how reductionism had shaped our culture to the detriment of the environment we cohabit.
The Systems View of Life treats readers to a rational expansion of self towards unity with the fabric of life and oneness with the universe, much like the monism of Advaita Vedanta or Monistic Idealism. Every distinction we presuppose as individuals, as nations, and as a species breaks down under this unflinching scrutiny. When we let go of our individual pride, we allow room instead for inclusive cooperation. Nothing less than this kind of fundamental shift of identity will prepare us to face the multifaceted global crises we have created for the biosphere.
This book exhibits the systems view of life within the context of numerous academic disciplines including: history, philosophy, economics, physics, genetics, mathematics, ecology, biology, evolution, chemistry, cognitive linguistics, spirituality, sociology, medicine, and climatology. It is written for undergraduates but approachable to casual readers willing to delve deep into several different scientific fields. It is not an easy read, nor is it short, but the vision is beautiful, and the elevated viewpoint is worth every page. My only serious critique is that the systemic solutions to our global threats proposed in the last chapter seem generally unrealistic. However, to be fair, I couldn’t do better.
The very notion of “I” is an emergent property arising from the simultaneous occurrence and resonance of feelings, memories, and thoughts, so that the “I” is not localized anywhere, but rather is an organized pattern without a center.
When we look at the world around us, we find that we are not thrown into chaos and randomness but are part of a great order, a grand symphony of life. Every atom in our body was once a part of previous bodies - living or nonliving - and will be a part of future bodies. In this sense, our body will not die but will live on, again and again, because life lives on. Moreover, we share not only life’s molecules, but also its basic principles of organization with the rest of the living world. And since our mind, too, is embodied, our concepts and metaphors are embedded in the web of life together with our bodies and brains. Indeed, we belong to the universe, and this experience of belonging can make our lives profoundly meaningful.”
The Systems View of Life treats readers to a rational expansion of self towards unity with the fabric of life and oneness with the universe, much like the monism of Advaita Vedanta or Monistic Idealism. Every distinction we presuppose as individuals, as nations, and as a species breaks down under this unflinching scrutiny. When we let go of our individual pride, we allow room instead for inclusive cooperation. Nothing less than this kind of fundamental shift of identity will prepare us to face the multifaceted global crises we have created for the biosphere.
This book exhibits the systems view of life within the context of numerous academic disciplines including: history, philosophy, economics, physics, genetics, mathematics, ecology, biology, evolution, chemistry, cognitive linguistics, spirituality, sociology, medicine, and climatology. It is written for undergraduates but approachable to casual readers willing to delve deep into several different scientific fields. It is not an easy read, nor is it short, but the vision is beautiful, and the elevated viewpoint is worth every page. My only serious critique is that the systemic solutions to our global threats proposed in the last chapter seem generally unrealistic. However, to be fair, I couldn’t do better.
The very notion of “I” is an emergent property arising from the simultaneous occurrence and resonance of feelings, memories, and thoughts, so that the “I” is not localized anywhere, but rather is an organized pattern without a center.
When we look at the world around us, we find that we are not thrown into chaos and randomness but are part of a great order, a grand symphony of life. Every atom in our body was once a part of previous bodies - living or nonliving - and will be a part of future bodies. In this sense, our body will not die but will live on, again and again, because life lives on. Moreover, we share not only life’s molecules, but also its basic principles of organization with the rest of the living world. And since our mind, too, is embodied, our concepts and metaphors are embedded in the web of life together with our bodies and brains. Indeed, we belong to the universe, and this experience of belonging can make our lives profoundly meaningful.”
September 8, 2020
After reading Thinking in Systems: A Primer, I had very high expectations for this book. The major issue I have is that the authors bit off more than they could thoroughly chew in just 500 pages. The end result is extremely wide reaching, but not very deep. It would have been better dealt with in 2-3 separate books.
The first section is a whirlwind science tour through Cybernetics, Quantum mechanics, Nonlinear dynamics, Natural selection and genetics, Molecular biology and Prebiotic chemistry. Some prior knowledge is required as the book doesn't digest key concepts for the general public. It feels like its goal was to impress rather than explain, and the end result is an unconvincing case for the foundational theory behind the Systems View of Life. It's worth noting that I was positively predisposed to this worldview, but was left less convinced than before.
The book does have a very thorough analysis of the problems of industrial petrochemical-based agriculture as well as other key issues in the current makeup of our civilization. Some of the solutions presented (particularly those proposed by Amory Lovins) felt a little too "techno-utopian" to me. Specifically Hydrogen fuel cells, smart grids, and similar medium-term half measures make it sound as if the solutions are just around the corner, and not enough attention is given to the elephant in the room - people living in 'developed' countries need to reduce their consumption by 90% or more.
Finally, the book was released in 2014, and has aged very poorly by 2020. The ecodesign and restoration wave that was supposedly just beginning has made negligible progress in the meantime and the key issues (climate change and biodiversity loss in particular) show no signs of slowing down.
While I wholeheartedly align myself with the attitude of the book, which is best summarized as "learning from nature and cooperating with her, rather than attempting to control her; adapting our needs to the patterns and processes of the web of life, rather than the other way around" I think that the techniques presented in this book are lacking in getting us there before time runs out.
If this sort of stuff interests you, I strongly recommend checking out Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It and The Simpler Way: Collected Writings of Ted Trainer.
The first section is a whirlwind science tour through Cybernetics, Quantum mechanics, Nonlinear dynamics, Natural selection and genetics, Molecular biology and Prebiotic chemistry. Some prior knowledge is required as the book doesn't digest key concepts for the general public. It feels like its goal was to impress rather than explain, and the end result is an unconvincing case for the foundational theory behind the Systems View of Life. It's worth noting that I was positively predisposed to this worldview, but was left less convinced than before.
The book does have a very thorough analysis of the problems of industrial petrochemical-based agriculture as well as other key issues in the current makeup of our civilization. Some of the solutions presented (particularly those proposed by Amory Lovins) felt a little too "techno-utopian" to me. Specifically Hydrogen fuel cells, smart grids, and similar medium-term half measures make it sound as if the solutions are just around the corner, and not enough attention is given to the elephant in the room - people living in 'developed' countries need to reduce their consumption by 90% or more.
Finally, the book was released in 2014, and has aged very poorly by 2020. The ecodesign and restoration wave that was supposedly just beginning has made negligible progress in the meantime and the key issues (climate change and biodiversity loss in particular) show no signs of slowing down.
While I wholeheartedly align myself with the attitude of the book, which is best summarized as "learning from nature and cooperating with her, rather than attempting to control her; adapting our needs to the patterns and processes of the web of life, rather than the other way around" I think that the techniques presented in this book are lacking in getting us there before time runs out.
If this sort of stuff interests you, I strongly recommend checking out Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It and The Simpler Way: Collected Writings of Ted Trainer.
July 1, 2020
Excellent book.
Well-written, nice overview of complexity theory and science. Describes the systems view of life and points to shortcomings in reductionistic and mechanistic views of life. At moments it felt a bit too optimistic but it did not downplay the issues at hand at all, and yet it maintained a positive outlook. It also overed several solutions to these problems in detail in the latter chapter.
Some chapters were more interesting to me as others. What I missed was a discussion about the Jevon's paradox. Overall a very good book that I would highly recommend. The citations should give me some more to read.
Well-written, nice overview of complexity theory and science. Describes the systems view of life and points to shortcomings in reductionistic and mechanistic views of life. At moments it felt a bit too optimistic but it did not downplay the issues at hand at all, and yet it maintained a positive outlook. It also overed several solutions to these problems in detail in the latter chapter.
Some chapters were more interesting to me as others. What I missed was a discussion about the Jevon's paradox. Overall a very good book that I would highly recommend. The citations should give me some more to read.
abandoned
March 19, 2018I give up. I really tried. I finished 52% of it. I read somewhere that this textbook is comprehensible to the layman but it has become too much of a task for this non-techie. I'm too advanced in years to spend time struggling with a book.
June 11, 2017
Great overview of complexity theory branching across a variety of disciplines. Excellent primer for those interested in complexity and systems thinking.
April 14, 2023
A book / compendium that I would recommend to anyone ( from newcomers just starting a degree in science, to the more mature readers).
I have to disagree with the 1 star rating given by some readers, simply because I think it is a refusal to look at things from a broader perspective ( socially, politically, historically).
We need this discussion proposed by Capra just so we balance the “ overthinking “ of science that , sometimes can reduce and simplify complex systems: like ecosystems or human biology.
I have to disagree with the 1 star rating given by some readers, simply because I think it is a refusal to look at things from a broader perspective ( socially, politically, historically).
We need this discussion proposed by Capra just so we balance the “ overthinking “ of science that , sometimes can reduce and simplify complex systems: like ecosystems or human biology.
February 3, 2023
Heb het grootste deel van dit boek gelezen. Interessant wereldbeeld, denk heel belangrijk om wereldproblemen op te lossen. Denk wel dat dit niet een super accesible boek is, want het is best moeilijk en theoretisch. Er is nog een lange weg te gaan wat betreft het switchen naar systeem denken, want ik zie de overblijfselen van het mechanistische denken nog overal.
September 21, 2017
Reads like a textbook- though maybe one of the most important ones you'll ever read.
July 28, 2024
good bibliography
May 14, 2017
livro cansativo da porra...4 estrelas pela tematica, 1 estrela pela escrita, 2 estrelas pela motivaçao de leitura
November 13, 2024
This book is a comprehensive exploration of systems thinking as applied to life sciences, ecology, social sciences, and spiritual perspectives. Published in 2014, the book integrates diverse fields to offer a cohesive, holistic perspective on life and complex systems. Capra, known for his work in systems theory and ecological thought, collaborates with biochemist Luisi to bridge scientific rigor with philosophical insight, creating an interdisciplinary framework for understanding life as an interconnected whole.
Capra and Luisi propose that life can best be understood as an interconnected system where the parts cannot be fully explained in isolation from the whole. Rather than reductionism—which breaks down complex phenomena into smaller, isolated parts—the systems view emphasizes relationships, processes, and patterns. The authors argue that adopting a systems perspective has transformative implications for how we approach biology, social organization, health, the environment, and even spiritual understanding.
The key themes of the book are that:
1. Life as a Network of Relationships
Capra and Luisi build on the concept that all living systems are interdependent and interconnected networks. They explain how, at every level—from cells to ecosystems—life exists as a web of relationships. The structure and behavior of living systems can only be understood by observing these networks holistically. This perspective is relevant to a range of fields, from ecology and sociology to medicine, where understanding the interdependence between body systems or social structures can lead to more holistic approaches to health and societal well-being.
2. The Shift from Mechanistic to Systemic Thinking
The authors outline the historical shift in scientific thought from a mechanistic model, which views the universe as a giant machine, to a systemic model, where everything is seen as interconnected. They trace this shift back to quantum physics, complexity science, and ecology, which all suggest that natural systems operate as dynamic, self-organizing networks rather than as clockwork mechanisms. This systems view challenges conventional approaches that dominate fields like economics, healthcare, and education, where linear thinking often prevails. The book advocates for approaches that consider the “big picture” and that prioritize the health of the whole system.
3. Implications for Sustainability and Ecology
The Systems View of Life emphasizes sustainability as an essential framework. According to the authors, modern ecological and social crises stem from a failure to recognize our interdependence with the environment. They argue that systems thinking offers a path to sustainable living by encouraging practices that align with nature’s principles of interdependence, diversity, and resilience. Capra and Luisi call for an ecological ethics that views humanity as part of the Earth’s broader ecosystem. They suggest that we should design our technologies, economies, and social systems to mimic the cyclical, waste-free processes found in nature, known as biomimicry.
4. Integration of Science and Spirituality
Capra has long been interested in the intersections of science and spirituality, and this book is no exception. He and Luisi argue that the systems view supports the insights of many spiritual traditions that emphasize unity, balance, and the interconnectedness of all life. They draw parallels between systems thinking and spiritual concepts from Buddhism, Taoism, and indigenous philosophies, suggesting that these traditions offer valuable wisdom for understanding and living in harmony with the larger system of life. The book posits that spirituality, in its pure form, does not have to conflict with science, as both can serve to deepen our understanding of the universe and our place within it. By combining scientific and spiritual perspectives, Capra and Luisi provide a more comprehensive understanding of existence.
5. Applications in Health, Education, and Social Systems
The systems view offers practical insights for fields such as healthcare, where Capra and Luisi advocate for integrative medicine, which considers mental, emotional, and social factors in health, rather than just treating symptoms. In education, they propose that learning environments should nurture systemic thinking, creativity, and critical thinking rather than memorization. They call for a shift in how knowledge is shared and developed, with a focus on fostering interconnected understanding across disciplines.
Capra and Luisi write in a clear and engaging style that makes complex scientific concepts accessible to readers from various backgrounds. The book balances rigorous scientific explanations with philosophical reflection, making it suitable for both academics and general readers interested in holistic approaches to life and sustainability. While technical at times, the authors succeed in drawing readers into a new way of thinking that is intuitive, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring.
The Systems View of Life has become a key text for those interested in systems theory, sustainability, and interdisciplinary studies. It resonates particularly with those who seek a holistic worldview that aligns scientific, ecological, and spiritual insights. The book encourages readers to consider how their own lives are connected to larger systems—social, ecological, and economic—and has inspired educators, policymakers, and environmentalists to incorporate systems thinking into their work.
For readers who may already be familiar with Capra’s earlier work (The Tao of Physics, The Turning Point), this book feels like a culmination of his lifelong pursuit to bring together science and spirituality. It provides an expanded framework that is as relevant to addressing today’s global challenges as it is for personal transformation.
In conclusion The Systems View of Life is a thought-provoking and insightful work that challenges readers to shift from reductionist thinking to a systemic, holistic perspective. Capra and Luisi’s argument that life is an interconnected network of relationships offers a compelling framework for addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, from climate change to social inequality. The book calls us to view the world through a lens of interconnectedness, encouraging not only individual growth but a transformation in how we approach science, education, healthcare, and ecology. For anyone interested in sustainability, systems thinking, or exploring a unified vision of science and spirituality, The Systems View of Life is an essential read. It is both a call to action and a blueprint for a future rooted in an understanding of our profound connection to the larger web of life.
Capra and Luisi propose that life can best be understood as an interconnected system where the parts cannot be fully explained in isolation from the whole. Rather than reductionism—which breaks down complex phenomena into smaller, isolated parts—the systems view emphasizes relationships, processes, and patterns. The authors argue that adopting a systems perspective has transformative implications for how we approach biology, social organization, health, the environment, and even spiritual understanding.
The key themes of the book are that:
1. Life as a Network of Relationships
Capra and Luisi build on the concept that all living systems are interdependent and interconnected networks. They explain how, at every level—from cells to ecosystems—life exists as a web of relationships. The structure and behavior of living systems can only be understood by observing these networks holistically. This perspective is relevant to a range of fields, from ecology and sociology to medicine, where understanding the interdependence between body systems or social structures can lead to more holistic approaches to health and societal well-being.
2. The Shift from Mechanistic to Systemic Thinking
The authors outline the historical shift in scientific thought from a mechanistic model, which views the universe as a giant machine, to a systemic model, where everything is seen as interconnected. They trace this shift back to quantum physics, complexity science, and ecology, which all suggest that natural systems operate as dynamic, self-organizing networks rather than as clockwork mechanisms. This systems view challenges conventional approaches that dominate fields like economics, healthcare, and education, where linear thinking often prevails. The book advocates for approaches that consider the “big picture” and that prioritize the health of the whole system.
3. Implications for Sustainability and Ecology
The Systems View of Life emphasizes sustainability as an essential framework. According to the authors, modern ecological and social crises stem from a failure to recognize our interdependence with the environment. They argue that systems thinking offers a path to sustainable living by encouraging practices that align with nature’s principles of interdependence, diversity, and resilience. Capra and Luisi call for an ecological ethics that views humanity as part of the Earth’s broader ecosystem. They suggest that we should design our technologies, economies, and social systems to mimic the cyclical, waste-free processes found in nature, known as biomimicry.
4. Integration of Science and Spirituality
Capra has long been interested in the intersections of science and spirituality, and this book is no exception. He and Luisi argue that the systems view supports the insights of many spiritual traditions that emphasize unity, balance, and the interconnectedness of all life. They draw parallels between systems thinking and spiritual concepts from Buddhism, Taoism, and indigenous philosophies, suggesting that these traditions offer valuable wisdom for understanding and living in harmony with the larger system of life. The book posits that spirituality, in its pure form, does not have to conflict with science, as both can serve to deepen our understanding of the universe and our place within it. By combining scientific and spiritual perspectives, Capra and Luisi provide a more comprehensive understanding of existence.
5. Applications in Health, Education, and Social Systems
The systems view offers practical insights for fields such as healthcare, where Capra and Luisi advocate for integrative medicine, which considers mental, emotional, and social factors in health, rather than just treating symptoms. In education, they propose that learning environments should nurture systemic thinking, creativity, and critical thinking rather than memorization. They call for a shift in how knowledge is shared and developed, with a focus on fostering interconnected understanding across disciplines.
Capra and Luisi write in a clear and engaging style that makes complex scientific concepts accessible to readers from various backgrounds. The book balances rigorous scientific explanations with philosophical reflection, making it suitable for both academics and general readers interested in holistic approaches to life and sustainability. While technical at times, the authors succeed in drawing readers into a new way of thinking that is intuitive, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring.
The Systems View of Life has become a key text for those interested in systems theory, sustainability, and interdisciplinary studies. It resonates particularly with those who seek a holistic worldview that aligns scientific, ecological, and spiritual insights. The book encourages readers to consider how their own lives are connected to larger systems—social, ecological, and economic—and has inspired educators, policymakers, and environmentalists to incorporate systems thinking into their work.
For readers who may already be familiar with Capra’s earlier work (The Tao of Physics, The Turning Point), this book feels like a culmination of his lifelong pursuit to bring together science and spirituality. It provides an expanded framework that is as relevant to addressing today’s global challenges as it is for personal transformation.
In conclusion The Systems View of Life is a thought-provoking and insightful work that challenges readers to shift from reductionist thinking to a systemic, holistic perspective. Capra and Luisi’s argument that life is an interconnected network of relationships offers a compelling framework for addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time, from climate change to social inequality. The book calls us to view the world through a lens of interconnectedness, encouraging not only individual growth but a transformation in how we approach science, education, healthcare, and ecology. For anyone interested in sustainability, systems thinking, or exploring a unified vision of science and spirituality, The Systems View of Life is an essential read. It is both a call to action and a blueprint for a future rooted in an understanding of our profound connection to the larger web of life.
July 26, 2020
If you’re new to systems thinking, this is an excellent primer. If you’re not new, this book will likely be of some value.
The Systems View of Life is an excellent survey of the history of science from a western perspective. It rightly criticizes the mechanistic view of the world that has dominated western society since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and it lays bare the damaging consequences of that mechanistic perspective on the world and the environment. It’s advocacy of systems thinking is admirable and encouraging.
Ultimately, by focusing on systems instead of reductionism, this book offers an optimistic way forward, but it avoids some of the most difficult challenges faced by it’s hoped-for solutions. As an example, it advocates for renewable energy, and even mentions the resource limitations present for various minerals, but it fails to address the fact that renewable energy today still relies on an extractive model of mining that continues to create problems for places such as the Congo or Xinjiang.
That said, this book is still worth the read and has value for anyone. It’s breadth is so broad that anyone but Capra and Luisi will find something new to expand one’s understanding of the world and the interconnected of all things.
The Systems View of Life is an excellent survey of the history of science from a western perspective. It rightly criticizes the mechanistic view of the world that has dominated western society since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and it lays bare the damaging consequences of that mechanistic perspective on the world and the environment. It’s advocacy of systems thinking is admirable and encouraging.
Ultimately, by focusing on systems instead of reductionism, this book offers an optimistic way forward, but it avoids some of the most difficult challenges faced by it’s hoped-for solutions. As an example, it advocates for renewable energy, and even mentions the resource limitations present for various minerals, but it fails to address the fact that renewable energy today still relies on an extractive model of mining that continues to create problems for places such as the Congo or Xinjiang.
That said, this book is still worth the read and has value for anyone. It’s breadth is so broad that anyone but Capra and Luisi will find something new to expand one’s understanding of the world and the interconnected of all things.
March 7, 2018
This is one of the most demanding books I have read in a long time. The authors don't compromise on their expectations of the reader and there were times when I have to admit their expectations exceeded my abilities - particularly when explaining their understanding of nonlinearity, genetics and the origins of life. Nevertheless I persevered and by Section IV when they began to discuss issues with which I am more familiar - the ecological dimension of life; systems thinking and the state of the world; and systemic solutions to global issues - I began to realise just how 'unified' their vision of systems really is. I can imagine The Systems View of Life being the main text for a full-time course on understanding systems and I'm sure my appreciation of the incredible achievement this book represents would be enhanced by studying it with others. I would suggest this is not a book for the feint-hearted but I think anyone with an interest in thinking systemically about the nature of life will find some revelatory connections here.
October 20, 2021
I feel obliged to write a few words about the book, as the rating may deliver different to original expectations.
Firstly, the subject, that of unitary holistic thinking of life in non-linear systems, is a very good subject - 5 star, and it surely feels holistic in approach, but somehow widening too much the focus, so that some chapters are touching too thinly the subject, where others, specially around ecology go too deep - 2-4 stars, depending on how one knows the subjects already. But where the book is lacking, surprisingly to the nature of the book, is in making the connections between areas of knowledge, and this hampering the "making the point" moment, so that the book does score "points" in areas closer to ecology, rather than following the scholarly attempt of giving an uncovered understanding of the systems view of life, which also happens somewhat in the book, but a bit under cover - 2 stars.
Overall for me I found it interesting enough, but please start with adequate expectations.
If anyone has any other recommendation of further reading, please share.
Firstly, the subject, that of unitary holistic thinking of life in non-linear systems, is a very good subject - 5 star, and it surely feels holistic in approach, but somehow widening too much the focus, so that some chapters are touching too thinly the subject, where others, specially around ecology go too deep - 2-4 stars, depending on how one knows the subjects already. But where the book is lacking, surprisingly to the nature of the book, is in making the connections between areas of knowledge, and this hampering the "making the point" moment, so that the book does score "points" in areas closer to ecology, rather than following the scholarly attempt of giving an uncovered understanding of the systems view of life, which also happens somewhat in the book, but a bit under cover - 2 stars.
Overall for me I found it interesting enough, but please start with adequate expectations.
If anyone has any other recommendation of further reading, please share.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews