Stuart Kauffman "Beyond Reductionism"

complex systems biologist talks about his new book about the need for science to recognize novelty in nature. he suggests that this admission makes reductionism inadequate for understanding reality and opens the door to a new scientifically aware spirituality

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• spirituality
• biology
• philosophy
• religion
• atheist
• theism
• science

[vkpillay]

I have contrinuted to an integrated water resources developmement in 1977 for a world conference based on my experience on complex river basin development. i am ahead of Stuart Kaufman in terms of emergence and complexity more than 3 decades ago.

[TheFallibleFiend]

... namely, he recommends holding the creativity in the universe sacred instead of the creator (which he does not believe in, as he is an atheist).

[TheFallibleFiend]

One of my mentors was a student of Stuart's. We went to a Smithsonian symposium where we listened to him present the main ideas of his book - and I got to talk to him a little afterward. He's not arguing for spiritualism in any mystical sense. He's an atheist by any reasonable definition of the term - and his main thrust is diametrically opposed to what many religious people maintain....

[cruelfate45]

the fact that nothing obeys laws completely destroys any idea that this is all just a beautiful mishap, so it leaves me the question of who or what is the imposer of these laws and through what perception is it acceptible to dismiss this undeniable structuring as an illusion?

[fr3thinker]

What intrigues me a lot is that an observer affects the experiment even though the observer takes no part in the experiment other than being there. But the affect the observer has is only due to the experimental subjects / objects being aware that the observer is there. Take away life subjects / objects in an experiment then the observer has no affect I think.

[9macrina9]

You can stand on the shore writing "water, water, water" with a stick in the sand for days.....that will not get you wet!

[jogayot]

yeah, problem is if you mention god like that you become bomb strapped terrorist to both sides of the a/theist issue ;(

[9macrina9]

"Scientific views end in awe and mystery, lost at the edge of uncertainty, but they appear to be so deep and so impressive that the theory that it is all arranged for God to watch man's struggle for good and evil seems inadequate" ....Richard Feynman

[9macrina9]

The world stopped at my birth

and laid itself at my feet

and i shall swallow the earth whole

when i die....show me the Sacredness of my days.........from an Ojibwa prayer

[9macrina9]

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

Through the unknown, unremembered gate

When the last of earth left to discover

Is that which was the beginning...

...from Four Quartets...TS Eliot