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The Tao of Physics

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 6,444 ratings · 249 reviews

After a quarter of a century in print, Capra's groundbreaking work still challenges and inspires. This updated edition of The Tao of Physics includes a new preface and afterword in which the author reviews the developments of the twenty-five years since the book's first publication, discusses criticisms the book has received, and examines future possibilities for a new sc...more

Paperback, 25th Anniversary Edition, 368 pages

Published January 4th 2000 by Shambhala (first published 1975)

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Jan 23, 2013 James Hollomon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don't look to Capra for a highly disciplined discourse on particle physics or the nature of cosmology. Nor is this book a deep exploration of Taoism or other Eastern Religious Philosophy. Rather, it is a fascinating mental adventure showing the ways the two schools of thought often developed in parallel and came to similar conclusions from very different beginning points. The author's own words in the epilogue sum it up nicely. "Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science...more

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Dec 22, 2007 John rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book would have been better called "The Buddha of Physics", or something like that. Throughout the whole book there is hardly a single reference to taoism, and certainly no understanding of taoism and its relation to other asian religions.

The great majority of the spiritual/religious references in this book are from Indian Buddhism and Hinduism. A mild smattering of zen. Hardly any Chinese Buddhism.

I found this book incredibly boring. I think I actually started skimming towards the end, whi...more

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Jan 14, 2008 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book bridged a major divide in my perception of the world, bringing together ideas of Quantum Physics and Eastern Mysticism. Capra, trained in both disciplines, does a fine job comparing quotes and emerging universal perceptions of the early pioneers in quantum physics, against philosophers and yogis of the ancient religions of the East. In a beautiful way, you come to discover that each of these disparate disciplines are somehow describing the universe through strikingly similar metaphors....more

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Aug 09, 2011 Neelesh Marik added it · review of another edition

A seminal classic that was one of the first pieces of reading that began to change my worldview, and till today, remains one of the first attempted ‘consilience’ of science and spirit. Rather than a conventional book summary or review, I would like to capture key sentences/ quotes that adorn the terrain like a string of pearls:

Chapter 1 – Modern Physics: A Path with a Heart
Any path is only a path, and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it if that is what your heart tells y...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Lage von Dissen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book points out many of the parallels between modern physics and Eastern mysticism. In particular we can recognize parallels between many ancient mystic ideas and the modern quantum physical findings of superposition (and non locality), the duality of light and matter, and the ultimate non-physicality of nature. For many years there have been cultures that ascribed to these types of ideas as crazy as they sounded when they first hit the physics arena in the 20th century. These ideas weren't...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Lo rated it 1 of 5 stars

Well, this is my first one star on good reads, that means this book was even worse than the Third Hunger Games book.

The main reason for the one star is just my complete disappointment in this book. I went in to reading 'The Tao fo Physics' expecting to find something that correlated elements of quantum mechanics to the insights of Eastern mysticism and philosophy (which I feel was a reasonable expectation). However, what I found was an author who not only was dull but founded his 'correlations'...more Well, this is my first one star on good reads, that means this book was even worse than the Third Hunger Games book.

The main reason for the one star is just my complete disappointment in this book. I went in to reading 'The Tao fo Physics' expecting to find something that correlated elements of quantum mechanics to the insights of Eastern mysticism and philosophy (which I feel was a reasonable expectation). However, what I found was an author who not only was dull but founded his 'correlations' on the beliefs of famous physicists and philosophers. For a good 1/3 of the book, you, the reader, are submitted to a quote by Einstein (or insert another well known physicist name here) and then a quote by the Buddha (or insert another philosopher, unknown or known here) and Capra going, "see they are saying the same thing!!". Nothing irks me more than this in nonfiction books about physics that target the general public - why have my own beliefs or both explaining things when I can say this landmark figure said this at some point (whether it be in context or not) and therefore it must be true. Ironically, the one thing I really do feel Eastern mysticism and physics have in common are that both demand that if you seek more knowledge, you must always question everything and through this incessant questioning, you begin to gain understanding. Our author here could use a little more of that in his writing ability.

I have very little positive to say about this book unfortunately. I learned a little bit more about Eastern philosophies than I knew, but I feel like there are other books out there that could have conveyed the information Capra tries to present more effectively. I really would not recommend this book to anyone - I fell asleep ~20 times reading this book (no joke, even when I wasn't tired this book put me to sleep), I feel like I gained very little knowledge or understanding from this book, and at some points, it was painfully banal to read. Capra is not good at explaining physics, Eastern mysticism, and certainly not the link between the two. (less)

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Mar 02, 2011 Ken Deshaies rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting treatise on how physics is just catching up with Eastern religions. The more scientists discover about the working of the universe, from the tiniest particles to the most universal truths, the more Eastern mysticism and preachings are substantiated as true. Yet Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism have been preaching these truths for thousands of years. I was totally fascinated and engrossed. The first few chapters each give a brief overview of the different Eastern religions (p...more

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May 15, 2009 Ben rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-and-philosophy-of-science

It is widely recognized, at least by those outside of science, that scientists are notorious bunglers when it comes to philosophical matters. So it is not surprising, though hardly excusable, that Capra's book displays a level of incompetence that should be immediately obvious to anyone with even a cursory background in logic or philosophy. As a matter of fact, it would be surprising if such an unqualified admirer of Taoism, whose writings Capra notes approvingly are "full of passages reflecting...more It is widely recognized, at least by those outside of science, that scientists are notorious bunglers when it comes to philosophical matters. So it is not surprising, though hardly excusable, that Capra's book displays a level of incompetence that should be immediately obvious to anyone with even a cursory background in logic or philosophy. As a matter of fact, it would be surprising if such an unqualified admirer of Taoism, whose writings Capra notes approvingly are "full of passages reflecting the Taoist's contempt of reasoning" (p. 113), should display much in the way of sound reasoning. While I was not especially sympathetic to Capra's thesis even before I read the book, I at least had high hopes for a compelling argument for his case, but that was wishful thinking. The thesis is that the worldviews of Eastern mysticism provide the best framework for understanding modern physics, and that all the advances in physics in the 20th century unanimously confirm these worldviews. However, the picture that emerges is rather one of the utter incompatibility of Eastern mysticism with physics of any kind, classical or modern.

In order to fully appreciate the force of this book, it is important to keep in mind not only the results of physics, but also the scientific endeavor itself. That endeavor consists of an incredibly strenuous exertion of the human rational faculties to uncover truths about reality that we do not know ahead of time, and to systematize the results of investigation into rigorous theories explaining the phenomena. In contrast to this, according to Capra, "all concepts about reality formed by the human mind are void" (p. 97); "the human intellect can never comprehend the Tao" (p. 113); "whenever you want to achieve anything, you should start with its opposite" (p. 115); "words can never express the ultimate truth" (p. 122); "to believe that our abstract concepts of separate 'things' and 'events' are realities of nature is an illusion" (p. 131); the particles of modern physics "are merely idealizations which are useful from a practical point of view, but have no fundamental significance" (p. 137); "all the concepts we use to describe nature . . . are not features of reality, as we tend to believe, but creations of the mind" (p. 161); "the idea of a constant 'self' undergoing successive experiences is an illusion" (p. 212); "all phenomena in the world are nothing but the illusory manifestation of the mind and have no reality on their own . . . what appears to be external does not exist in reality" (p. 277); "ultimately, there are no parts at all in this interconnected web" (p. 330); "there is no absolute truth in science" (p. 337). This collection of quotes does indeed give an excellent picture of the foundation that Eastern mysticism has to offer for science, but is it even possible to think that this view of the world constitutes fertile soil for the scientific enterprise?

A striking feature of many of Capra's central arguments is the profound gulf between his premises and his conclusions, which would be simply laughable if it were not for the fact that so many people stand to be badly led astray. For instance, Capra leaps from Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2 to the most astounding claim in the whole book, that "modern physicists . . . deny the existence of any material substance" (p. 204). Can this be serious? This is the logical equivalent of saying that "magnetism has been discovered to be an aspect of an electromagnetic field, therefore magnetism doesn't exist" or "scientists have discovered that houses are made of wood, therefore houses don't exist". One of Capra's favorite mantras is that modern physics has discovered that material particles "are not distinct entities" (p. 209). Even if we accept for the sake of the argument his repeated confusion of existence and measurability, it is difficult to see how the fact that particles interact, influence each other, and in some cases are even indistinguishable, means that they are not distinct entities.

If it were not enough to repeatedly outrage every principle of sound reasoning, Capra is equally adept at mangling the most profound discoveries of 20th century physics. He dwells at length on Einstein's General Relativity, arguing that it proves that "geometry is not inherent in nature but is imposed upon it by the mind" (p. 162). In actual fact, General Relativity is the scientific rock upon which all the floundering ships in the fleet of subjectivism are dashed. From Einstein we have learned that the true structure of space and time is actually so incredibly foreign to our everyday intuitions that it is not even possible to understand it without the formidable apparatus of non-Euclidean geometry. Capra goes on in the same chapter to give an example that "shows that we can always determine whether a surface is curved or not, just by making geometrical measurements of its surface, and by comparing the results with those predicted by Euclidean geometry. If there is a discrepancy, the surface is curved; and the larger the discrepancy is - for a given size of figures - the stronger the curvature" (p. 176). But what is it that is curved or not? Something created by our mind? Why are we doing an experiment at all if the geometry of space is nothing but a creation of the mind? But a mind sunk in the quagmires of Eastern mysticism cannot readily recognize such an obvious point. In all of science there is nothing more "objective" than Einstein's General Relativity, a fact of which Einstein himself was well aware.

But this discussion brings up another important point. I would like to know, if it is true that in modern physics "cause and effect lose their meaning" (p. 81) how, even in principle, anyone could ever do a scientific experiment in atomic physics. If the answer is that cause and effect are just illusions of the sensory world, then the question remains, how can we ever do a scientific experiment? Whence comes this illusion, and how can it possibly be trusted to be reliable? If the answer is that cause and effect are indeed principles of macroscopic and sensory reality, but that they are not a part of the unseen "ultimate reality" which underlies all the rest, then I ask, from whence arises this lawfulness in sensory reality? How do we build up from the constituents of a reality where cause and effect are meaningless to an observable world where they are no longer meaningless? This constitutes as insurmountable a leap for logic as it does for science.

As the book drags on, Capra continues to weary us with his absurdities. On p. 288 he claims that fundamental constants are "arbitrary parameters". What does this even mean? Is Planck's constant arbitrary? I would like to see Capra replace it with something else. On p. 334 he says that "scientists do not deal with truth (in the sense of a precise correspondence between the description and the described phenomena); they deal with limited and approximate descriptions of reality." This is certainly contradicted by the staggering precision achieved in modern physics, both in theories and experiments, but such a consideration would most likely not intimidate a mind infatuated with contradictions. Such was certainly not the mind of Johannes Kepler, who spent several years of his life working to account for barely a one tenth of one degree of angle disparity between the orbit of Mars and theory, convinced that the human mind, created in the image of a rational God, could precisely learn the truth about the rational creation of that God. How foreign such a mindset must really be to Eastern mystical thought. Would Kepler have undergone such Herculean intellectual exertions had he shared Capra's conviction that he could attain only limited and approximate knowledge, or would he simply have shrugged his shoulders and decided that Ptolemaic astronomy was "close enough"?

But it is least of all to history that we should look for confirmation of Capra's thesis. In the early chapters he blames Aristotle and Christianity for the ensuing "lack of interest in the material world" (p. 22). But what cultures ever displayed a more profound and studious disregard for the material world than the Eastern mystical traditions? And why would they hold in high regard something that is at best a creation of the human mind and at worst a deceptive illusion? On p. 198-199 Capra considers the idea of an oscillating and organic universe, and goes on to say that "the scale of this ancient myth is indeed staggering: it has taken the human mind more than two thousand years to come up again with a similar concept." But on the contrary, it took the human mind so many thousands of years to overcome organismic and oscillatory theories of the universe. These theories were ubiquitous in all the great ancient cultures, from the Egyptian to the Babylonian to the Indian to the Chinese to the Mayan to the Greek, and it was exactly this conception that so effectively stifled the optimistic and rational view of nature that is indispensable for science.

In conclusion, Capra has done a masterful job of presenting the relevance of Eastern mysticism to modern physics, but even a passing consideration readily reveals that this relevance is only the thorough incompatibility of Eastern mysticism with science of any kind. As Western culture steadily abandons rationality and the human ability to know truth, the philosophies of Eastern mysticism do indeed continue to gain credence and ascendance, but to exactly the same extent we will surely witness the decline of science. (less)

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May 31, 2010 Suhrob rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm bit torn on this one. The author is clearly not a complete nut. He offers a decent description of the big ideas in physics of the first half of the 20th century (albeit if you already know the story, there is nothing new here). He also gives a crash course on different flavors of buddhism (not so much taoism actually). He ties them together by: idea from physics "... which is very similar to..." idea from buddhism. My problem is three folds: 1. If you want an popular level intro to quantum t...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Sebastian rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book at showing the parallels between mystical and scientific research.

It also does a great job of stimulating visual imagination in the realm of the 4th dimension. This is the first book I have read that has managed to really explain the paradox of quantum-reality more clearly and I can now finally how the paradox of time and location are fundamental issues relating to the fabric of particles rather than with measuring techniques. It also gives a very good visual description of...more

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Jan 24, 2008 Erik rated it 5 of 5 stars

A book that fundamentally changed the way I felt and thought deep down inside at a time of my life when I needed some sort of metaphysical path.

When you strip away the mathematics from the concepts of quantum mechanics and strong theory, etc., you get a bewildering array of thought-provking images that conjure up those posed by the best koans that Zen has to offer. Eastern mysticism meets modern physics.

You will understand that everything is connected.

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Jan 11, 2013 Edward rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was quite good, one that I'd recommend. It's not a new book (first published in 1975). But like Joseph Campbell's books, its subject matter remains fresh. The author's goal is to draw a parallel between the world views of quantum physics and Eastern mysticism, showing how new physics and ancient philosophy both advance a world view of unity or oneness. In the course of doing so, the author presents many excellent summaries of the development of philosophy, science, and religion. And he...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Cassandra Silva rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, religion

Hmmm what to say about this. In some ways I agree that there are a number of parallels at least in the modality of viewing the world through the eyes of the eastern believer and the modern day physicist. But whether or not these parallels are entirely the ones drawn by the author or further expounded on in this book I have some reservations in either regard. Perhaps it was because I did not enjoy being told by the author where these parallels were or being lead around in such a manner. Some of h...more Hmmm what to say about this. In some ways I agree that there are a number of parallels at least in the modality of viewing the world through the eyes of the eastern believer and the modern day physicist. But whether or not these parallels are entirely the ones drawn by the author or further expounded on in this book I have some reservations in either regard. Perhaps it was because I did not enjoy being told by the author where these parallels were or being lead around in such a manner. Some of his views of physics seem to be very "outsidist" if there is such a term and some of his views of eastern belief seem to be a bit mixed up. Perhaps because he chose all of eastern philosophy which is so wide ranging and so varied instead of focusing on Taoism or Buddhism for example. Though I do think that there are a lot of similarities in different eastern traditions and ways of thought I don't know if it strengthens the authors case to be flitting about between different philosophies in some cases which contradict each other, when there is often left to be much in terms of personal interpretation of these individual philosophies.

I think what the author is trying to get at is the overall perspective of modern day physics is somehow aligning with what is already "known" in eastern religions. I don't know if that is an important or productive view of the whole matter. I mean what did these religions give us in terms of scientific understanding? And what does science give us in way of spiritual awareness of knowledge? Are these two expected to be married to a happy union? You cannot in my mind marry two ideals that serve different functions. I don't think I would pick this book up as a scientist and say I am now enlightened and turn to the eastern path. Nor do I think that as a believer in any of these eastern paths would I find more grounds for the validity of modern physics. They serve different functions. The parallels drawn did not in my mind make any relation here more concrete. (less)

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Oct 21, 2010 Ranga Kamaladasa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Is a great intro on modern physics. Covers both relativity and Quantum Physics with great precision and candor, and is recommended for the laymen and beginners of physics. What it does not do however is understand eastern mysticism. The history of Buddhism and taoism is accurate, but the book takes religious literature literally, and not in the metaphoric sense that it should've been taken. With a title like this the book could've easily captured the essence of taoist philosophy rather than goin...more

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Jun 17, 2007 Eli rated it 2 of 5 stars

interesting read, but a bit boring at times. i thought also that it had an absurd amount of typos for a book in its 5th edition. maybe this shows that i dont know the publishing world. there is alot of interesting information about eastern religions. a interesting read for engineering geeks such as myself.

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Apr 18, 2013 Hugo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

O autor traça paralelos entre o misticismo oriental e algumas interpretações de resultados da física moderna que fazem crer que o entendimento mais atual da estrutura do universo é muito similar ao apresentado por místicos de mais de dois milênios atrás e continuado, principalmente, pelas tradições do Hinduísmo, Taoísmo e do Zen-Budismo.

A ilusão do que se pode explicar com palavras, derivada da limitação do entendimento do universo ao nosso modelo mental de percepção, é traduzida tanto em koans...more

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Oct 15, 2011 joey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

As an interdisciplinary comparative study, Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics perhaps inevitably remains quite superficial; as a quick introduction to Eastern philosophy, it is quite good, albeit focused mostly on Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism; and as a layperson's introduction to modern physics and particle physics, wow!, it is exceptional. The comparison of modern physics and Eastern mysticism is compelling and ambitious, but perhaps words, spoken or written, on mysticism are inevitably ill-f...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Saroya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who enjoy Esoteric Sciences & Philosopy

"Tao, noun. 1)(in Chinese philosophy) The absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order." ~WIKI

There are plenty of reviews found here that describe the details of this book so I will make my observations short and sweet.

Mr. Capra's discourse exemplifies the meaning of 'Tao' at its existential best. He exposes this collective projection for what it is: an ev...more

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Jan 26, 2010 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars

No, it's not what I typically read, but I thought this was really enlightening. So much better than the hokey magic crystal new age books out there. I generally feel far more spirituality coming out of new scientific discoveries than mythical "truths", so this was really a refreshing read for me, even if it was originally written in the 70s. Capra dives deep into the physics portion of this, and provides a detailed summary of the Eastern philosophies he's drawing parallels to. In fact, the physi...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Scott rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hate to say it, but this book is kind of a waste of time. It doesn't go into much detail about either Physics or Taoism. The spiritual discussion is around sects of Buddhism and it is superficial. The Quantum physics explanations are also not that informative. The writing style kind of dry, like the author is slowly building up to an amazing insightful climax that never comes close to happening. It is a light introduction to the topics, but basically a huge letdown.

Spoiler alert: Nothing exists...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Alan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a phenomenal book.

I have little formal education in physics, having passed 101 in college and never looked back, and still Dr. Capra managed to present a lot of the theoretical physics that pertained to his thesis in a digestible format. His overview of the various Eastern religions was matter-of-fact without taking anything away from them.

If you feel as though the pursuit of reason to the exclusion of cultivating intuition isn't healthy, or if you have a nagging feeling like Western sci...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Daniel Toker rated it 2 of 5 stars

The connections between Eastern philosophy and modern physics are superficial at best. The treatment of each - separately - is engaging. Surprisingly so. And I like the general statements about how physics and spirituality arrive at somewhat similar *worldviews* - which I suppose they do, kind of. THAT is interesting (but then again, I'm pretty sure some of the pre-Socratics arrived at the very same worldview). But when he started to argue that the minutiae of physics agree with spiritual concep...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Chiara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ok so I have a small confession to make. I think I might be overrating books. Or at least it looks like it from other reviews I recently read. I usually read them after rating the books myself but sometimes I go the other way around. Today is one of those days.
I must say I find it harder to criticize a bad non–fiction book than a bad novel. And that could be because, first of all, with non–fiction books it's hardly a matter of writing style (unless it's a really good book or a really bad one) a...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Purujeet rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book starts with traditions of rationality and science in major religious philosophies of the east.It gives excerpts from books - religious and scientific, ancient and modern - which sound similar even though they are separated by faith, reason, time and subject. The point which the author takes a little time to focus on is that higher physics after a point becomes indistinguishable from spiritual discourse - this is the premise which the rest of the book systematically and categorically sug...more The book starts with traditions of rationality and science in major religious philosophies of the east.It gives excerpts from books - religious and scientific, ancient and modern - which sound similar even though they are separated by faith, reason, time and subject. The point which the author takes a little time to focus on is that higher physics after a point becomes indistinguishable from spiritual discourse - this is the premise which the rest of the book systematically and categorically suggests and tries to prove.So much is hinted in the title as well.

Spoilers alert! It goes on to speak about the western approach towards science which has developed slowly into the world of classical physics as we know it. Classical physics is shown to explain everything that is visible and measurable and therefore withstands our tests of common sense (which are trained no doubt to recognise objects, forces, environment and the like as separate from each other and the observer, us)Then the book reveals the scientific dilemma of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which required the genius of einstein to come up with relativity as a means of explaining some features of matter as we know it and we realised that energy and matter are intricately linked. The story then goes into overdrive, delving deeper and deeper into higher physics, through general relativity, quantum relativity and finally into the least understood, exotic world of quarks and s-matrices.It is at this point, at the very edge of our scientific understanding of the universe that the book seamlessly transits into the metaphysical. sentences which were only circumstantially alike (being from scientific and spiritual origins) are now slowly and deductively revealed as a higher understanding of not only the world we live in, but also who we are and how we look at things. In the search for holy grail of science, the ultimate particle (so to say) or theory, the last chapters of the book lead the reader through a paradigm shift in terms of treating subject, object, surrounding and observer - the very basis of scientific enquiry. And the world that is revealed, is necessarily beyond description in words or concepts - not because we have not yet discovered the truth of it all, but because we cannot discover something we are a part of. Sounds confusing? wait till you read the book and the truth of this statement will be disclosed - he who knows doesn't speak; he who speaks doesn't know.(less)

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Jul 06, 2012 Michael Fogleman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, mysticism, science

A good book; too long; frustrating at times; a like it or hate it book. I liked it.

"We see that the ways of the modern physicist and the Eastern mystic, which seem at first totally unrelated, have, in fact, much in common. It should not be too surprising, therefore, that there are striking parallels in their descriptions of the world. Once these parallels between Western science and Eastern mysticism are accepted, a number of questions will arise concerning their implications. Is modern science,...more A good book; too long; frustrating at times; a like it or hate it book. I liked it.

"We see that the ways of the modern physicist and the Eastern mystic, which seem at first totally unrelated, have, in fact, much in common. It should not be too surprising, therefore, that there are striking parallels in their descriptions of the world. Once these parallels between Western science and Eastern mysticism are accepted, a number of questions will arise concerning their implications. Is modern science, with all its sophisticated machinery, merely rediscovering ancient wisdom, known to the Eastern sages for thousands of years? Should physicists, therefore, abandon the scientific method and begin to meditate? Or can there be a mutual influence between science and mysticism; perhaps even a synthesis?

I think all these questions have to be answered in the negative. I see science and mysticism as two complementary manifestations of the human mind; of its rational and intuitive faculties. The modern physicist experiences the world through an extreme specialization of the rational mind; the mystic
through an extreme specialization of the intuitive mind. The two approaches are entirely different and involve far more than a certain view of the physical world. However, they are complementary, as we have learned to say in physics. Neither is comprehended in the other, nor can either of them be reduced
to the other, but both of them are necessary, supplementing one another for a fuller understanding of the world. To paraphrase an old Chinese saying, mystics understand the roots of the Tao but not its branches; scientists understand its branches but not its roots. Science does not need mysticism and mysticism
does not need science; but man needs both. Mystical experience is necessary to understand the deepest nature of things, and science is essential for modern life. What we need, therefore, is not a synthesis but a dynamic interplay between mystical intuition and scientific analysis.

So far, this has not been achieved in our society. At present, our attitude is too yang—to use again Chinese phraseology—too rational, male and aggressive. Scientists themselves are a typical example. Although their theories are leading to a world view which is similar to that of the mystics, it is striking how little this has affected the attitudesof most scientists. In mysticism, knowledge cannot be separated from a certain way of life which becomes its living manifestation. To acquire mystical knowledge means to undergo a transformation; one could even say that the knowledge is the transformation. Scientific knowledge, on the other hand, can often stay abstract and theoretical. Thus most of today’s physicists do not seem to realize the philosophical, cultural and spiritual implications of their theories. Many of them actively support a society which is still based on the mechanistic, fragmented world view, without seeing that science points beyond such a view, towards a oneness of the universe which includes not only our natural environment but also our fellow human beings. I believe that the world view implied by modern physics is inconsistent with our present society, which does not reflect the harmonious interrelatedness we observe in nature. To achieve such a state of dynamic balance, a radically different social and economic structure will be needed: a cultural revolution in the true sense of the word. The survival of our whole civilization may depend on whether we can bring about such a change. It will depend, ultimately, on our ability to adopt some of the yin attitudes of Eastern mysticism; to experience the wholeness of nature and the art of living with it in harmony."(less)

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May 08, 2011 Donatella rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: essay, philosophy, religions, scienze, spirituality, taoism, hinduism, buddhism

E' difficile dare un quadro esaustivo di questo libro. Molto complesso, non ha nulla a che vedere con la religione come viene comunemente intesa. Capra ci porta attraverso una strada fatta di collegamenti inusuali (soprattutto per l'epoca in cui è stato scritto). Da un lato la fisica quantistica moderna, in particolare tutte le implicazioni legate al Principio di indeterminazione di Heisenberg e tutto ciò che da lì è derivato, dall'altra le scoperte sulla natura della realtà (e sulla realtà dell...more

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Mar 30, 2010 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book; but I admit it had flaws, mainly due to the actual content in relation to the title. First, this book reads more like a review of quantum physics (a subject I'm not qualified to give a critique on in terms of the book's accuracy) than religion. In many cases, the author goes on for pages about quantum physics, in technical detail, and then at the very end sticks in a throw away line about how this is similar to Buddhism or Hinduism because they both believe we are all c...more I really liked this book; but I admit it had flaws, mainly due to the actual content in relation to the title. First, this book reads more like a review of quantum physics (a subject I'm not qualified to give a critique on in terms of the book's accuracy) than religion. In many cases, the author goes on for pages about quantum physics, in technical detail, and then at the very end sticks in a throw away line about how this is similar to Buddhism or Hinduism because they both believe we are all connected, just like on the quantum level. I thought the way the two were tied together was in all reality, weak.

However, having said this, I liked the book for two main reasons: 1- I'm fascinated by quantum physics (even though I have no formal education) and I'm always looking for books that explain it in simpler terms to me. There was probably nothing new in the book, but for me, he explained things in ways that enabled me to make better connections. I don't have the book in front of me to give examples, but for one, I finally understood why there aren't really any fundamentally basic particles and the importance of the role of the observer to the experiment. I also gained a better understanding of the basics of protons, quarks, neutrinos, etc. This knowledge by itself enriched me from a spiritual point of view, which brings me to my next reason for liking the book:

2- The well laid out explanation of physics allowed me to make the connection to spirituality on my own. In truth, he didn't really need to spell out the similarities and connections to any religion, because on my own, I was able to reach outside the world of quantum physics to postulate a bigger meaning in all aspects of life.

I understand that most scientists, whose jobs require them to be very rigid in their theories, experiments and conclusions, probably cringe at taking science into the spiritual realm, but in the realities of everyday life, we don't live on such a rigid scale. I can't separate my feelings, thoughts, physical reactions, spirituality etc. into neat little boxes like a science experiment- they all blend together to form my life. So to me, it seems inevitable that the more we learn about the world and what it is made of from a scientific viewpoint, the more we are going to ask, what does it all mean in the bigger picture of life?

That is what this book did for me; it made me think about the overall implications of what we are learning scientifically about the world and wonder what it means to us on a human level. I believe from both a scientific and spiritual side that we are all connected and, without getting all new age-y, the implications of this can be profound because we are able to see that what we do to ourselves, each other and the planet are not done in isolation- there is a rippling effect across the universe.

I'll stop here as I don't want to preach; I'll just say I recommend this book to people like me, who are spiritual, but also appreciate the rational science behind the 'mystique.' I like the balance between the two.

Those who are not spiritual in any way; who only believe in that which can be proven with rigid scientific experiments probably need to stay away from this book.(less)

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Feb 06, 2010 Braxton Lewis rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Direct excerpts from the text:

The influence of modern physics goes beyond technology. It extends to the realm of thought and culture where it has led to a deep revision in man's conception of the universe and his relation to it.

Rational knowledge is thus a system of abstract concepts and symbols, characterized by the linear, sequential structure which is typical of our thinking and speaking.

Zen Buddhists say that a finger is needed to point at the moon, but that we should not trouble ourselves w...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Andrew Breslin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book back when I was a teenage nerd and I think it had a great deal of influence on me, shaping my character and making me what I am today: a middle-aged nerd.

This was one of my earliest exposures to both modern physics and ancient mysticism, and from what I have observed, whatever source first introduces one to these ideas is always held in special esteem. Though highly recommended by others, I didn't enjoy The Dancing Wu-Li Masters, nor the film What the Do We Know nearly as much

(A...more

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Oct 01, 2009 Víctor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hace tiempo que mi tocayo Víctor H. me había recomendado leer a Fritjof Capra, y como ya saben, el universo conspira en estas cosas, hace cosa de más de un mes que Edu M. me prestó su copia de El Tao de la Física.

[ Nota al margen: Ahora creo que a eso del universo conspirante, Carl G. Jung le llamó sincronismo. El significado de los hechos los plantea el individuo... pero el individuo es parte de un universo altamente interconectado... ]

El libro me gustó, mucho, y por varias razones. La primera,...more Hace tiempo que mi tocayo Víctor H. me había recomendado leer a Fritjof Capra, y como ya saben, el universo conspira en estas cosas, hace cosa de más de un mes que Edu M. me prestó su copia de El Tao de la Física.

[ Nota al margen: Ahora creo que a eso del universo conspirante, Carl G. Jung le llamó sincronismo. El significado de los hechos los plantea el individuo... pero el individuo es parte de un universo altamente interconectado... ]

El libro me gustó, mucho, y por varias razones. La primera, y menos relevante —tal vez—, es una bonita introducción a las ideas místicas orientales, tales como el budismo, el taoísmo, el zen y diversas variantes del hinduismo como el brahmanismo.

La segunda razón, y la que más me impactó, fue el subrayar la importancia de la interpretación (hasta la especulación posiblemente) de las teorías científicas. Penetrar en el significado de una relación matemática abstracta, ver su impacto en nuestra representación del universo. Dicho de una manera más snob: Distinguir las propiedades cualitativas a partir de las relaciones cuantitativas. Pongamos un ejemplo clásico: ¿Qué significa E=mc2? Significa que la materia es una forma más de la energía, que ésta es el único compuesto del universo sólo que en distintos estados, que la condensación de la energía en masa implica inmensas cantidades de la primera, etc.

La tercera razón es el énfasis en la epistemología en la ciencia, con una frase francamente lapidaria: "El mapa no es el territorio." Es decir, que nuestra representación del universo no es el universo. Volviendo a nuestro ejemplo, E=mc2, no significa que el universo fue creado por un dios y le puso esa regla. Significa que nosotros hemos creado una abstracción de nuestras observaciones y hemos desmembrado la realidad y hemos aislado elementos (no propiamente existentes realmente) y hemos propuesto relaciones entre esos elementos. Es decir, hemos creado un mapa, una representación, un modelo. Lo lamentable es que hemos llegado a creer que la naturaleza debe de responder a ese modelo, cuando precisamente lo contrario es lo que debe ocurrir.

Finalmente la poderosa idea de una teoría unificada fundamentada en un universo altamente interconectado, autocongruente, autodefinido, autocontenido, que no se puede descomponer en sus partes, porque cada parte está definida por el resto. Y nuestra consciencia, nuestro papel como observador, es parte de ese gran entramado. Y al final descubrir, como lo descubrieron los místicos en profunda meditación, que la realidad no se puede expresar, sólo experimentar.(less)

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“Quantum theory thus reveals a basic oneness of the universe. It shows that we cannot decompose the world into independently existing smallest units. As we penetrate into matter, nature does not show us any isolated "building blocks," but rather appears as a complicated web of relations between the various parts of the whole. These relations always include the observer in an essential way. The human observer constitute the final link in the chain of observational processes, and the properties of any atomic object can be understood only in terms of the object's interaction with the observer.” — 8 people liked it

“Subatomic particles do not exist but rather show 'tendencies to exist', and atomic events do not occur with certainty at definite times and in definite ways, but rather show 'tendencies to occur'.” — 6 people liked it

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