Restoring the Soul of the World

For millennia the world was seen as a creative, interconnected web of life, constantly growing, developing and restoring itself. But with the arrival of the Scientific Revolution in the 16th and 17th centuries, the world was viewed as a lifeless, clock like mechanism, bound by the laws of classical physics. Intelligence was a trait ascribed solely to human beings and, thus, humanity was viewed as superior to and separate from nature. Today new scientific discoveries are reviving the ancient philosophy of a living, interconnected cosmos and humanity is learning from and collaborating with nature's intelligence in new, life-enhancing ways, from ecological design to biomimicry. Drawing upon the most important scientific discoveries of recent times, David Fideler explores the self-organising intelligence at the heart of nature and humanity's place in the cosmic pattern. He examines the ancient vision of the living cosmos from its roots in the "world soul" of the Greeks and the alchemical tradition, to its eclipse during the Scientific Revolution, to its return today. He explains how the mechanistic worldview led to humanity's profound sense of alienation, for if the universe only functioned as a machine, there was no longer any room for genuine creativity or spontaneity. He shows how this isn't the case and how, even at the molecular level, natural systems engage in self-organisation, self-preservation and creative problem solving, mirroring the ancient idea of a creative intelligence that exists deep within the heart of nature. Revealing new connections between science, religion and culture, Fideler explores how to reengage our creative partnership with nature and new ways to collaborate with nature's intelligence. · Explores important scientific discoveries that reveal the self-organising intelligence at the heart of nature · Examines the idea of a living cosmos from its roots in the earliest cultures, to its eclipse during the Scientific Revolution, to its return today · Reveals ways to reengage our creative partnership with nature and collaborate with nature's intelligence