The evolution of the universe - ranging from cosmic and
biological to sociocultural evolution - is viewed in terms of the
unifying paradigm of self-organization. The contours of this paradigm
emerge from the synthesis of a number of important, recently developed
concepts, and provide a scientific foundation to a new world-view which
emphasizes process over structure, nonequilibrium over equilibrium,
evolution over permanency, and individual creativity over collective
stabilization. The book, with its emphasis on the interaction of
microstructures with the entire biosphere, ecosystems etc., and on how
micro- and macrocosmos mutually create the conditions for their further
evolution, provides a comprehensive framework for a deeper understanding
of human creativity in a time of transition.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
I don't know how this book has escaped WER review for so long. Its
main theme is an exploration of how most natural systems seem to behave;
they make things up as they go along. Author Erich Jantsch shows the
commonalities in the way in which seemingly different systems organize
themselves and change over time, and the picture which emerges is
entrancing. Whether discussing simple inorganic chemical processes or
the complexities of cultural revolution, Jantsch's unifying vision
restores to nature the self-directedness and spontaneity which science
has denied it since the seventeenth century. While the book is, of
necessity, a reconnaissance, it paints the most expansive and generous
view of nature I have come across. I have a friend who set aside a
winter to read this book properly.
Whole Earth Review
Whole Earth Review
Language Notes
Text: English, German (translation)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first encountered this book while researching my dissertation on
chaos/complexity/systems theories and their implications for clinical
psychology (It was only due to the marvelous holdings of the University
of Pennsylvania library that I was able to find it at all...I'll get
back to that). It wasn't long before I realized that I had stumbled
across a staggeringly important volume. The scope of the late Professor
Jantsch's vision on subjects ranging from biology and chemistry to
cosmology and earth science was (IS!) breathtaking. Long before anyone
outside of circumscribed and as-yet unconnected circles had ever
mentioned the words "Chaos" or "Dynamical Systems" theory, Jantsch was
lucidly and adroitly anticipating some of the most advanced
implications of this unborn paradigm. As a friend and colleague of the
great Ilya Prigogine, this is perhaps not so surprising in retrospect.
However, his encapsulation of self-organization and self-similarity is
still, in my opinion, one of the more mature and comprehensive
treatments on the subjects to date! His incorporation of the theories
of evolution (seen as both a "micro" and a "macro-" level process)
brought it all together in a way which joins and integrates disciplines
like neurons link brain and body. All the more reason why I am
appalled that this book is so completely out of circulation that my
last out-of-print search turned up one volume (after several months),
at a cost of over $200US! It is unconscionable that this pivotal work
is inaccessible to students, scientists, and instructors, at a time
when Jantsch's ideas are so relevant to this increasingly
interconnected, evolving global civilization. The closest thing we have
is Teillhard de Chardin...and Jantsch does it without the
teleological, eschatological baggage which Chardin could not, in the
end, escape. It is true that many of the specific ideas in this book are
out-of-date (hence 4 stars rather than 5). However, he hits far more
often than he misses, and we are all the poorer for inaccessibility of
his work. A note to any publishers out there: I personally photocopied
the entire book, a move of dubious legality but lamentable necessity. I
would VERY gladly replace my yellowing stack of Xeroxes with a duly
purchased copy, if given the chance. If your interests lie anywhere in
the realms which I have (woefully superficially) mentioned, then it is
worth your while to go WAY out of your way to read this book. Pardon
the hyperbole and the soap-box.
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book and Chaitin's "The Limits of Mathematics" should be printed
in softcover and distributed at supermarkets. This is perhaps one of
the most important books of the 20th century, simply because Jantsch has
managed to finally put a very large amount of information (just the
reading list is worth the price of the book) in one place.
Thermodynamics, cybernetics, mathematics, computing, physics...they've
all been saying the same thing for years now and for some reason we
irrationally ignore the message: the TRUTH is not to be found in a
formal system based on anything resembling the Aristotelian logic we of
the Western world love so dearly...And the deeper we wallow in our
mythical constructions the more likely we won't be around for very long.
This is not a "lite" book; perhaps that is why the copy I have (an inspection copy from a major university) has only been taken out seven times since 1980! Pathetic considering the current hand-waving taking place in AI (particularly the work of Dennett and the Churchlands) and the philosophy of mind. The only other place to find the overview is in Leduc's IEEE paper "Human Knowledge: can the planet survive human rationality?". Perlovsky's work in cybernetics is also an excellent place to see similar results.
It is unfortunate this is out of print; perhaps you can find a copy in a library. Better yet, start bugging the publisher to reprint it.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
For me, this book is the thing that changed my view upon the universe.
Before this book, I was a critical reductionist with a mechanistic
view. I am too short of English to express what this book was for me :)
but the only thing I can tell you is that if there were only one book
that I could have in my life, this book would be that one.. I can't
estimate the value of this, surely one of the most important
achievements of 20th century..
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A great book.
A cornucopia of ideas. Major challenges to run-of-the-mill science.
For example, solid flaws are pointed out in one of the biggest
assumptions of modern science- the law of large... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Scott Goode
Brilliant beyond belief
This will change your view of everything. I can't possibly recommend it enough to anyone with any curiosity about anything.
Published on June 9, 2009 by B. Tandy
Darwinism (nor Creationism) will Never be the Same after this Book
Following on the heels of Ilya Prigogine, and of course those of
Charles Darwin, but also in the same vein as that of Ludwig von
Bertalanffy, Norbert Wiener, Ervin Laszlo, and my... Read more
Published on February 15, 2008 by Herbert L Calhoun
Genuine Wonderment
This book is unlike any other publication I have ever looked at.
Jantsch synthesizes scientific facts from numerous fields of study, and
does so in a surprisingly coherent manner. Read more
Published on June 4, 2005 by Payman Saghafi
Erich Jantsch, The Self-Organizing Universe
I just want to agree with the four earlier reviewers. I think I found
Jantsch's book in 1985, and to me life has never been the same
afterwards. Read more
Published on November 15, 2003 by Erland.Lagerroth
The self-organizing reviewer
It's a shame this book is out of print. No longer up-to-date on every
detail, but still ahead of the curve on the big picture. Read more
Published on August 11, 2003 by taijiredlion
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