The Tao of Physics (Frifjof Capra)

[The Lawspeaker]

THE TAO OF PHYSICS (http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/archivos_pdf/taophysics.pdf)
An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism
by Frifjof Capra


It was mentioned in a test (http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx) when I looked for information about Taoism. So perhaps it is interesting ?:coffee:

[Psychonaut]

I'm not at all comfortable with Capra's methodology nor the near identical methodology of Gary Zukav (http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Wu-Li-Masters-Overview/dp/055326382X). The idea of using contemporary physics—particulalry when we know that both Relativity and Quantum Mechanics are going to be replaced in the near future with something radically different—to prove a religion is doomed to fail. If the history of science has shown us anything it's that scientific truth is an ever evolving animal, and to try and correlate it with a religious truth that purports to be æternal, just seems foolish. The books cover topics that are, in and of themselves, absolutely fascinating; but their correlation is troublesome.

[Aemma]

I'm not at all comfortable with Capra's methodology nor the near identical methodology of Gary Zukav (http://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Wu-Li-Masters-Overview/dp/055326382X). The idea of using contemporary physics—particulalry when we know that both Relativity and Quantum Mechanics are going to be replaced in the near future with something radically different—to prove a religion is doomed to fail. If the history of science has shown us anything it's that scientific truth is an ever evolving animal, and to try and correlate it with a religious truth that purports to be æternal, just seems foolish. The books cover topics that are, in and of themselves, absolutely fascinating; but their correlation is troublesome.

True. But I think that for the time that these works were published, they did help open one's eyes to interesting spiritual paradigms.

I remember having read both of these works (and others of this genre, Berman's The Re-Enchantement of the World and scads of Ken Wilbur's works come to mind) and thinking that there was much that such "new agey" works could and did offer those of us who appreciated these (for the time) more refreshing conceptual frameworks from which to launch our respective thoughts on spirituality, religious thought processes and the like.

Dated works, no doubt. But still worth a read I would say. :)

[Nodens]

I'm far more interested in the claim that "Heidegger is the only Western Philosopher who not only intellectually understands but has intuitively grasped Taoist thought." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Heidegger#Heidegger_and_Eastern_thought) Something to look into when I've the time and motivation.