The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture

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The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 544 ratings · 41 reviews

This splendid and thoughtful book is an essential guide for anyone inquiring about the place of science and metascience in our contemporary culture. - James Lovelock, New Scientist

Until recently, our view of the physical universe had been formed, for centuries, by the mechanistic thinking of Descartes and Newton. New scientific concepts have overturned this world view, rep...more

Paperback, 464 pages

Published August 1st 1984 by Bantam

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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn

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Mar 01, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Little sections of this book get four stars. Chapter 2, The Newtonian World Machine is a nice fairly clear statement about how Descartes' vision led to a Cartesian split in cognition. There is just enuf au jus in the explanation to make you think of the mechanisitc way a cogition is attached to a structure of method, yet it is an unadorned address.

Chapter 7, The Impasse of Economics, is worthy of a look. Capra gives a little acounting of the word origin of the word property, 'privare', as in me...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Andy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: worldview, life-spirituality, education

One of the best writer / thinker of our time, I think. It thoroughly explained the roots of the problems of the society, which are getting worse and worse unless we become aware of what is happening and what is causing them.

It guides me into understanding what holistic vision is all about. It really complemented what I am learning at the moment : holistic education.

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Dec 22, 2010 Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-top-50-sustainability-books

One of Cambridge Sustainability's Top 50 Books for Sustainability, as voted for by our alumni network of over 3,000 senior leaders from around the world. To find out more, click here.

The Turning Point, drawing on diverse disciplines but written in a very accessible style, begins by considering the scale and urgency of social, ecological and economic crises faced by the world. While these are very diverse challenges, the underlying dynamics are the same. This is because the problems are systemic,...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Diana Kendall rated it 5 of 5 stars

Outstanding book! Though published in the mid-80's Dr. Capra's concepts about our then-current societal problems still hold true today and in many ways are even more relevant and apparent. His insight on the Newtonian World-Machine and the Cartesian, mechanistic views of life are still steadfastly held onto by the dominating ruling minority. Many of the disastrous economic and academic problems and the conventional practices in Western medicine/healthcare are in many ways even worse today (my ow...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Robert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, undergraduate, science, nonfiction, favorites, own, muhlenberg, box-4

This was a book we used in an interdisciplinary course I had as an undergraduate. It was a science-philosophy-political science course. It was highly interesting.

I still quote Capra some 20-some years later. He successfully explained to me learning. His explanation is that each time we are presented with something new, we have to categorize it. We slot new information within our own paradigm based on how it fits with what we already understand. Those items that we struggle to slot cause us disso...more

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Aug 03, 2011 The Capital Institute rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: capital-institute, environment, economics, climate-change, information-age

The Turning Point details current scientific and economic crises, discussing the way in which our previous methods of explaining science and economy are insufficient for our present environmental needs. Capra writes that science must further explore the fields of organic systems theory in order to solve these problems.
The University of Cambridge’s Programme for Sustainability Leadership named this one of their “Top 50 Books for Sustainability,” called it “accessible,” writing that The Turning P...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Ariadna73 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: self-help

"Objetivo del libro
â€¢ Presentar una estructura conceptual coherente que les ayude a los emergentes movimientos sociales de nuevo paradigma a reconocer los puntos en común de sus objetivos.
â€¢ Proponer una nueva visión de la realidad comprendiendo las relaciones y las dependencias reciprocas esenciales de todos los fenómenos físicos, biológicos, psicológicos, sociales y culturales

A. En el Momento actual vivimos una triple amenaza
1. Consuncion de los recursos energéticos
2. Inflación
3. Desempleo

Lo...more

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Nov 02, 2009 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like the current era, the United States of the mid-70’s and early 80’s were tinged with a new batch of thinkers making strong cases for the reorganization of society. Interestingly, this period corresponds to the time when the United States peaked in domestic oil production. Economic growth slowed to a crawl and people were considering social alternatives before the aggressive economic policies and financial deregulation of the 80’s and 90’s led to the creation of financial accumulation instead...more Like the current era, the United States of the mid-70’s and early 80’s were tinged with a new batch of thinkers making strong cases for the reorganization of society. Interestingly, this period corresponds to the time when the United States peaked in domestic oil production. Economic growth slowed to a crawl and people were considering social alternatives before the aggressive economic policies and financial deregulation of the 80’s and 90’s led to the creation of financial accumulation instead of growth in wealth, distracting those seriously considering alternatives to economic growth and the industrial production/consumer infrastructure that had defined modernism in the period after World War II. Fritjof Capra’s The Turning Point falls into the aforementioned category of ideas that were ripe at the time they were published and then pushed by the wayside when rampant domestic economic growth supported by global tolerance of the US Dollar allowed massive trade deficits to accumulate, creating the illusion of prosperity.

Now that the economic illusion of the last three decades has started to fade, The Turning Point was an eerie read. Capra’s commentary on a number of trends for a future where humanity adhered to the outdated paradigm of prosperity only from growth, a biomedical paradigm centered on eradicating microorganisms and a science based on specialization and determinism are revealing themselves in the headlines. Dr. Capra, a theoretical physicist by training and practice, was wise to integrate a holistic view of humanity and to offer an alternative for society that perhaps we’ve only now wizened enough to appreciate. Key to his thesis is the idea that our world, our governments and our scientists operate as if the deterministic paradigm of the Enlightenment period hasn’t changed. Ignoring the reality of relativity, quantum mechanics, chaos theory, biology and modern science has crippled society from the truth of the natural world. We’ve forgotten that nature does not guarantee our existence! In providing an all encompassing critique of society, Capra does not seek to denigrate the colleagues in other fields but merely to offer a well reasoned and referenced approach to modernizing the way we choose to organize our species.

Starting by providing the background of why we need to change, essentially the problem statement, Capra states the crises of society and defines the importance of the Chinese concept of wu wei, the idea that we must refrain from action contrary to nature. As Chuang Tzu says, “Nonaction does not mean doing nothing and keeping silent. Let everything be allowed to do what it naturally does, so that its nature will be satisfied.”

“In all these fields the limitations of the classical, Cartesian world view are now becoming apparent. To transcend the classical models, scientists will have to go beyond the mechanistic and reductionist approach as we have done in physics, and develop holistic and ecological views. Although their theories will need to be consistent with those of modern physics, the concepts of physics will generally not be appropriate as a model for the other sciences… Scientists will not need to be reluctant to adopt a holistic framework for fear of being unscientific. Modern physics can show them that such a framework is not only scientific but is in agreement with the most advanced scientific theories of physical reality.” (p. 49)

Capra continues by describing a history of the old world view, the mechanistic reductionist approach that has led to our current predicament. The history of our materialistic success and the limits to our knowledge of the world is retraced through Copernicus, Descartes, Bacon and Newton. This approach has led to a world where, in the words of R.D. Laing as quoted by Capra, “Out go sight, sound, taste, touch and smell and along with them has since gone aesthetics and ethical sensibility, values, quality, form; all feelings, motives, intentions, soul, consciousness, spirit. Experience as such is cast out of the realm of scientific discourse.” (p.55)

The Turning Point then follows the development of the new physics that started in 1905 when Einstein published his papers on the photoelectric effect and the theory of General Relativity. The photoelectric effect winning the 1921 Nobel Prize and laying the groundwork for quantum mechanics, leading to Heisenberg’s discovery of the Uncertainty Principle, an actual physical concept that there are limits to knowledge. Later, Schrodinger’s work in demonstrating the electrons and protons that we visualize as balls on a pool table are actually probability clouds, that the foundation of reality is a probability. This work led to John Bell’s discovery that our physical reality is subject to non-local phenomena… that the measurement of the spin of a particle in one location will change the spin of a particle in another location, the “spooky action at a distance” that is beginning to make our world look more like one envisioned by the alchemists (well… maybe alchemists like Isaac Newton). And now we’ve discovered that these non-local connections may be responsible for many basic actions in biology like memory and even consciousness.

While physicists were busy revolutionizing our outlook on the fundamentals of the universe, the mechanistic paradigm of the past had already taken hold on the methods of every other field. Our biologists had taken a mechanistic view of life. From a biology textbook quoted by Capra, “One of the acid tests of understanding an object is the ability to put it together from its component parts. ” (Capra p. 102) An approach that ironically is quite opposed to the study of life. We’ve now realized that the mapping of the human genome has yielded many beautiful computer models but little else. The biomedical model which concentrates on the mechanisms of smaller and smaller fragments of the body has yielded an approach that views disease as, “the malfunctioning of biological organisms which are studied from the point of view of cellular and molecular biology; the doctor’s role is to intervene, either physically or chemically, to correct the malfunctioning of a specific mechanism.” (p.123) The ingestion of many chemicals and execution of complicated surgeries has resulted in ever rising health care costs, and while saving many lives has primarily served as an excuse for lifestyles that run counter to human nature. “We prefer to talk about our children’s hyperactivity or learning disability rather than examine the inadequacy of our schools; we prefer to be told that we suffer from hypertension rather than change our over-competitive business world; we accept ever increasing rates of cancer rather than investigate how the chemical industry poisons our food to increase its profits.” (p.163)

In psychology, Capra advocated that the rational approach of Freudian analysis would need to be transcended to explore the subtler aspects of the human psyche. The incorporation of altered states of consciousness into mainstream psychological studies could yield insights into our human predicament. I’d like to summarize more here but this is a dense critique of many psychologists.

Capra’s exception to economics is that we’ve mechanistically reduced people into rational actors, using our education systems to produce a standardized robot class with predictable consumer society that ignores collective values and the psychological need for community. Key to this chapter is the point that the advantages won by the worker in the modern world is generally to the detriment of workers and citizens in the developing world… the great sleight of hand trick made possible by technology and economy. The automation of daily life through complex technologies reduces employment and centers on a capital based approach which is highly inflationary, an economic reality that can be seen by looking at charts of US Dollar inflation over the last hundred years. This section is the most important of the entire book and highly relevant to our current situation.

Capra then follows these critiques with answers for each field through a systems view of life that incorporates feedbacks and recognition of evolution through cooperation. A health model that acknowledges holistic principles and a psychology grown from Jung can provide a basis for this new society. Tackling energy, Capra explains the physics and the economics behind our immediate need for a solar economy.

I’ve tried to summarize all 419 pages but so much has slipped through the cracks. While it is easy to view the predicaments of the current global situation, Capra’s writings aren’t the least bit outdated and a specifically resonant with its solutions. If you are disheartened by the problems of overpopulation, energy crises, etc… (the list can go on forever) do yourself a favor and read the solutions Capra advocates in The Turning Point.(less)

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Jan 10, 2009 Ari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

Tiga macam krisis dunia: yaitu krisis lingkungan, krisis sosial, dan krisis ekonomi sebenarnya adalah suatu krisis yang sistemik. Yang saling berhubungan. Keresahan masyarakat yang berpaling kepada para akademik untuk solusi menghasilkan kekeringan ide. Ini diakibatkan oleh kecenderungan berpikir yang rasionalistis. Pemikiran rasional adalah pemikiran yang cenderung linier, dan terkotak kotak. Sedangkan pemikiran intuitif adalah pemikiran yang cenderung padu dan non linier. Penekanan ini menyeba...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars

If I had to pick only one book to recommend for all the world leaders to read cover-to-cover, it would be this book.

Still extremely pertinent to today even having been written in the eighties, this book manages to get to the root of why there are so many problems in our culture, our academics, our health, psychology, philosophy, economy. And then goes on to propose solutions based on a holistic system theory.

I'm tempted to mail Obama a copy.

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Dec 30, 2012 Penandinkpot Uzma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Overall very good however again like many books so often an entire history of the Islamic world about its true impact, change it brought to thought and its ignition of the Renaissance and enlightenment age in the Western World of Europe and its history is neglected. However, I would still recommend its reading as long as you are aware there is a missing link.

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Dec 07, 2009 Polly Petersen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy

An expansive book that points towards the end of cartesian outlook and encourages a move to a systems view of the universe where everything is inter-related rather than a reductive view of the universe. Lots of good ideas on how to integrate the biological and phsycological aspects of health care. Also new ways to look at the environment.

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Apr 06, 2009 Andreasphelps rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amazing book. Very insightful and prophetic considering that it was written 25 years ago and describes the major world shift in consciousness that is happening today. Ties together environmentalaism, feminism, holistic systems thinking, and the rise of intuition.

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Aug 11, 2011 Sharad Kumar rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Hindu culture provides the solution to integrate mind,body and spirit with larger goals of self.God is yoga of all seen and unseen.Take actions after seeing the seen and anticipating the unseen.

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Aug 25, 2007 Nash rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Graduate Students/ Professors

Shelves: already-read

I must admit I wouldn't get to know this if I didn't sign up for my graduate study! What a big, thick, and intimidating book! This one is for my Philosophy of Science course and this guy used to write the bestselling the Tao of Physics before. Well, although he wrote this book way back in the 80s already and I read his book 20 years after its original conception, I must say it is still pretty much relevant and he has predicted what would be happening very well. Basically, he has predicted that p...more

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Apr 17, 2013 lincoln rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book over a decade ago and it changed my perspective on things. I have always loved when a book makes me see the world in a different way.

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May 22, 2009 John Towery rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book really changed the way I look at life, politics, and religion in a big way. And change my thinking about things.

This is one of my best books.

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Dec 16, 2008 David is currently reading it

stunningly brilliant so far, no need to even read his first work of staggering brilliance 'the tao of physics'

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Oct 30, 2010 Michael Haupt added it

Shelves: business-enlightened, futurology

One of the early explorations into the quantum world. Still more than relevant and fascinating stuff.

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Nov 19, 2012 Henrique Cassol rated it 5 of 5 stars

Este livro foi especialmente importante para minha vida. Li este livro durante a graduação e não somente me deixou fascinado pelas suas ideias como me fez mudar a visão que tinha sobre o mundo, desde então. É um daqueles livros, assim como filmes, que tu terminas de ler ou ver, que o deixam "nossa, incrível!"
Trata-se exclusivamente do colapso do mundo conteporâneo cartesiano, reducionista, mecanicista nas mais diversas áreas de pesquisa, da medicina à física quantica, ao tentar avançar no pensam...more

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Jun 07, 2008 Thomas Yount rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mostly, I liked the first half of the book that overviews the history of scientific thought.

An interesting argument Capra makes:
"It was Descartes' method that made it possible for NASA to put a moan on the moon. On the other hand, overemphasis on the Cartesian method has led to the fragmentation that is characteristic of both our general thinking and our academic disciplines, and to the widespread attitude of reductionism in science--the belief that all aspects of complex phenomena can be under...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Doug rated it 4 of 5 stars

Capra writes very accessible books about physics - if a bit hippie-ish...

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Sep 18, 2009 Drupadi rated it 4 of 5 stars

these steps should we look to maintain the continuity of this earth

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Apr 14, 2013 Nidi Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Impressive and intellectual read!

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Dec 20, 2008 Arya rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is very interesting book.

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Jun 05, 2013 Altair Pereira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Clear and very impressive!

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Dec 10, 2007 Martha rated it 2 of 5 stars

i borrowed this from a friends, almost two years later i still have it. i need to read it and give it back.

fast forward 200 pages. why do i feel like that kid reading the celestine prophecy? i don't feel awfully compelled to continue. Since the friend i borrowed it from now lives 2 blocks away i can give it back. no no...i should finish it.

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Sep 06, 2007 Dottie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy-religion-science, theclosetshelf, own, 1967-1997, favorites

Saw the film MINDWALK -- -- not once but three times in three weeks; hunted desultorily for the book for nearly 6 years and finally read it -- that took me a full year and half a dozen 5X7 legal pads of notes -- but it was worth it. This is/was a life-changing encounter with a book for me.

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May 30, 2011 Lcpatricio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Após o sucesso do "Tao da Física", Capra apresenta uma crítica à medicina, economia e ciência baseando-se em argumentos da filosofia oriental. Mostra pontos onde uma abordagem menos simplista e mais sintética seria útil. Bem escrito e acessível ao leitor leigo, vale a pena ser lido.

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Jul 28, 2010 Anne Humphrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not yet finished. . .but I get the idea. . . I'm all for a major paradigm shift . . .I'm ready for the United States of America, Incorporated to go through some major changes, I'm ready for our Empire to be less Empirical!

Bring on the new order!

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“Scientists, therefore, are responsible for their research, not only intellectually but also morally. This responsibility has become an important issue in many of today's sciences, but especially so in physics, in which the results of quantum mechanics and relativity theory have opened up two very different paths for physicists to pursue. They may lead us - to put it in extreme terms - to the Buddha or to the Bomb, and it is up to each of us to decide which path to take. ” — 13 people liked it

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