Fritjof Capra (born February 1, 1939) is an Austrian-born American author,

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

, systems theorist and deep ecologist. In 1995, he became a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

. He was on the faculty of Schumacher College which was disestablished in 2024. Capra is the author of several books, including '' The Tao of Physics'' (1975), '' The Turning Point'' (1982), ''Uncommon Wisdom'' (1988), ''The Web of Life'' (1996), and '' The Hidden Connections'' (2002), and co-author of ''The Systems View of Life'' (2014).

Life and work

Born in Vienna, Austria, Capra attended the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, where he earned his PhD in

theoretical physics Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict List of natural phenomena, natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental p ...

in 1966. He conducted research in

particle physics Particle physics or high-energy physics is the study of Elementary particle, fundamental particles and fundamental interaction, forces that constitute matter and radiation. The field also studies combinations of elementary particles up to the s ...

and

systems theory Systems theory is the Transdisciplinarity, transdisciplinary study of systems, i.e. cohesive groups of interrelated, interdependent components that can be natural or artificial. Every system has causal boundaries, is influenced by its context, de ...

at the

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

(1966–1968), the

University of California, Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of C ...

(1968–1970), the

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in Menlo Park, California, Menlo Park, Ca ...

(1970), Imperial College, London (1971–1974) and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (1975–1988). While at Berkeley, he was a member of the Fundamental Fysiks Group, founded in May 1975 by Elizabeth Rauscher and George Weissmann, which met weekly to discuss

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and

quantum physics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...

. He also taught at U.C. Santa Cruz, U.C. Berkeley, and San Francisco State University. He has written popular books on the implications of science, notably ''The Tao of Physics'' (1975), subtitled ''An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism''. ''The Tao of Physics'' asserts that both

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...

lead inexorably to the same knowledge. After touring Germany in the early 1980s, Capra co-wrote ''Green Politics'' with author Charlene Spretnak in 1984. He is fluent in German, English, French and Italian. Capra contributed to the screenplay for the 1990 movie '' Mindwalk'', starring

Liv Ullmann Liv Johanne Ullmann (born 16 December 1938) is a Norwegian actress and filmmaker. Recognised as one of the greatest European actresses of all time, Ullmann is known as the muse and frequent collaborator of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, whom she date ...

, Sam Waterston and John Heard. The film is loosely based on his book, ''The Turning Point''. In 1991 Capra co-authored '' Belonging to the Universe'' with David Steindl-Rast, a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

. Using Thomas Kuhn's ''

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions ''The Structure of Scientific Revolutions'' is a 1962 book about the history of science by the philosopher Thomas S. Kuhn. Its publication was a landmark event in the History of science, history, Philosophy of science, philosophy, and sociology ...

'' as a stepping stone, the book explores parallels between new paradigm thinking in science and in religion; the authors posit that, together, these new paradigms offer remarkably compatible views about the universe. Capra advocates that

Western culture Western culture, also known as Western civilization, European civilization, Occidental culture, Western society, or simply the West, refers to the Cultural heritage, internally diverse culture of the Western world. The term "Western" encompas ...

abandon conventional linear thought and the mechanistic views of Descartes. Critiquing the reductionistic Cartesian view that everything can be studied in parts to understand the whole, he encourages a holistic approach. In ''The Web of Life'', Capra focuses on systemic information generated by the ''relationships'' among all parts as a significant additional factor in understanding the character of the whole, emphasizing the web-like structure of all systems and the interconnectedness of all parts. He is a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy located in Berkeley, California, which promotes ecology and

systems thinking Systems thinking is a way of making sense of the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships rather than by splitting it down into its parts.Anderson, Virginia, & Johnson, Lauren (1997). ''Systems Thinking Ba ...

in primary and secondary education. Capra is an Earth Charter International Council member.

Bibliography

* '' The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism'' (1975), Capra's first book, draws parallels between Vedic and Oriental mystical traditions and the discoveries of 20th century physics. Originally published by a small publisher with no budget for promotion, the book became a bestseller by word of mouth until it was picked up by a major American publishing house. It has now been published in 43 editions in 23 languages. It is credited as a major influence for the rise of

quantum mysticism Quantum mysticism, sometimes referred to pejoratively as quantum quackery or quantum woo, is a set of Metaphysics, metaphysical beliefs and associated practices that seek to relate spirituality or mystical worldviews to the ideas of quantum mech ...

. * '' The Turning Point: Science, Society, and the Rising Culture'' (1982) explains perceived scientific and economic crises. It begins by outlining and tracing the history of science and economics, and criticizing Cartesian, Newtonian, and reductionist paradigms. It argues that such viewpoints have grown inadequate for modern technology and ecology needs, and that science needs to develop the concepts and insights of holism and systems theory to solve society's complex problems.Capra, Fritjof (1982). ''The Turning Point'', Bantam Books, New York. * ''Green Politics'' (1984), co-authored with Charlene Spretnak, analyzes the rise of the Green Party in Germany and similar ecology-oriented political parties in other European countries. It has been published in 7 editions in 4 languages. * ''Uncommon Wisdom'' (1988) describes dialogues and personal encounters between himself and the thinkers who helped to shape the theme of ''The Turning Point''. It has been published in 16 editions and 12 languages. * ''Belonging to the Universe: Explorations on the Frontiers of Science and Spirituality'' (1993) was coauthored with David Steindl-Rast and Thomas Matus. The book explores parallels between ways of thinking in science and

Christian theology Christian theology is the theology – the systematic study of the divine and religion – of Christianity, Christian belief and practice. It concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Ch ...

. It has been published in 10 editions in 7 languages. * ''The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems'' (1996) starts from the conceptual framework presented in ''The Turning Point'', summarizes the mathematics of

complexity Complexity characterizes the behavior of a system or model whose components interact in multiple ways and follow local rules, leading to non-linearity, randomness, collective dynamics, hierarchy, and emergence. The term is generally used to c ...

, and offers a synthesis of recent nonlinear theories of living systems that have dramatically increased our understanding of the key characteristics of life. Capra makes extensive reference to the work of Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela,

Ilya Prigogine Viscount Ilya Romanovich Prigogine (; ; 28 May 2003) was a Belgian physical chemist of Russian-Jewish origin, noted for his work on dissipative structures, complex systems, and irreversibility. Prigogine's work most notably earned him the 19 ...

, Gregory Bateson and others in proposing a new, systems-based scientific approach for describing the interrelationships and interdependence of psychological, biological, physical, social, and cultural phenomena. The book has been published in 14 editions in 10 languages. * '' The Hidden Connections'' (2002) extends the framework of systems and complexity theory to the social domain and uses the extended framework to discuss some of the critical issues of our time. * ''The Science of Leonardo: Inside the Mind of the Great Genius of the Renaissance'' (2007). Its central idea is that Leonardo da Vinci's science is a science of living forms, of quality, which can be seen as a distant forerunner of today's complexity and systems theories. The book has been published in 7 editions in 5 languages. * ''Learning from Leonardo: Decoding the Notebooks of a Genius'' (2013), offers a glimpse into the works of the prescient thinker,

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

, whose pioneering genius contributed to many scientific fields. * '' The Systems View of Life'' (2014), co-authored with Pier Luigi Luisi, offers radical solutions to twenty-first century challenges by focusing on the connected world and examining life through its inextricably linked systems. * ''Patterns of Connection: Essential Essays from Five Decades'' (2021) is a personal account of the author's intellectual journey, documented by a series of essays together with extensive commentaries that interweave the essays and provide historical and philosophical context.

References

External links

Official websiteHome on the web
for the Center for Ecoliteracy
Interview with Fritjof Capra by Francis Pisani
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Capra, Fritjof 20th-century American physicists 21st-century American physicists Austrian physicists American particle physicists American systems scientists Deep ecologists New Age writers Writers about religion and science American science writers American spiritual writers Leonardo da Vinci scholars Writers from the San Francisco Bay Area American Book Award winners Scientists from Vienna 1939 births Living people Quantum mysticism advocates

Life and work

Bibliography

See also

References

External links