The Systems View of Life

Fritjof Capra has been a profound influence on Totems founder Richard Hassell since he read the Tao of Physics in the early 1980s. The Systems View of Life updates this thinking with another 30 years of knowledge and research. This thinking has contributed at the deepest level to the concept of Totems for the 21st Century. A totem is a small intervention in multiple systems that we hope will have cascading effects - in the ecosystem, in our culture, and in our own well being.

The Systems View of Life by Fritjof Capra and Pier Luigi Luisi

Reviewer’s quote:

'... gives us a sound synthesis of the best science and theory on the connectedness of all living things, the dynamics of emergence and self-organization as conceived by Francisco Varela. This volume offers a profound framework for understanding our place on the planet, for better or worse. And if we apply the insights offered by Capra and Luisi, it will be for the better ... should be required reading for today's young, tomorrow's leaders, and anyone who cares about life on this planet.' Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence and Ecological Intelligence '

From the book website:

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.

Table of Contents:

Preface;

Acknowledgements;

Introduction: paradigms in science and society;

Part I. The Mechanistic World View:

1. The Newtonian world-machine;

2. The mechanistic view of life;

3. Mechanistic social thought;

Part II. The Rise of Systems Thinking:

4. From the parts to the whole;

5. Classical systems theories;

6. Complexity theory;

Part III. A New Conception of Life:

7. What is life?;

8. Order and complexity in the living world;

9. Darwin and biological evolution;

10. The quest for the origin of life on Earth;

11. The human adventure;

12. Mind and consciousness;

13. Science and spirituality;

14. Life, mind, and society;

15. The systems view of health;

Part IV. Sustaining the Web of Life:

16. The ecological dimension of life;

17. Connecting the dots: systems thinking and the state of the world;

18. Systemic solutions;

Bibliography;

Index.