The Tao of Physics — Fritjof Capra
Two Forms of Knowledge
- Rational knowledge (science): measuring and quantifying to classify and analyze material reality
- Intuitive knowledge (Eastern mysticism): nonintellectual experience of reality obtained through meditative states of consciousness — goes beyond intellectual positions or sensory perceptions
Both appear in Western science and Eastern mysticism, but they’re usually treated as opposed.
Western vs. Eastern Philosophy
Western philosophy is grounded in the separation between body and mind (Democritus’s atomist school). This dualism became core to the Western intellectual tradition. Eastern traditions do not make this split — mind and matter are one continuous reality.
Classical vs. Modern Physics
Classical physics (Newton):
- Absolute space and time
- Elementary solid particles as the foundation of matter
- Behavior of physical objects is fully determinable
- Nature can be described objectively, independent of the observer
Modern physics (Einstein, Quantum):
- Relativity (1905): space and time are relative — inseparable from each other and from the observer
- E=mc²: mass is a form of energy, not a fixed thing
- Quantum theory: subatomic particles show “tendencies to occur” rather than determined behaviors — they cannot be pinned down with certainty
- Objective description of nature is impossible: the act of observation affects what is observed
The shift from classical to modern physics is a shift from a mechanical, deterministic universe to a probabilistic, relational one — which maps onto Eastern cosmology in striking ways.
Note: revisit the E=mc² section — explanation was unclear on first read.
See also: 4B-mental-models | 13-spirituality