Fritjof Capra.

He introduce me to the world of sciences, especially physics. I first read his book "The Tao of Physics" when I was in 8th grade, it was a intellectual pilgrim to me. It expands my reasoning and the scope of the method that I've looked at the world. It guided me through the world of Newtonian physics, relativity and quantum mechanics. He is among the first who point out to me that we can integrate modern physics and ancient eastern philosophy like Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism. In a sense, it has built a very strong abstract scientific foundation in the way I think.

This foundation is very liberal as it is a direct result from the philosophy based upon modern physics rather than the Newtonian one. With modern physics, possibilities are almost limitless while the Newtonian is rather a close system of static equilibrium. He applied his holistic insight into other areas of natural and social sciences as well. Because of this liberal scientific mind-set, I've become even more critical to all things that seemed to be under the spell of deterministic Newtonian physics.

From social sciences, especially neoclassical economist, to the view normal people look at the world with so limited possibility due to their influence of Newtonian physics. There are so much systematic possibilities wide open in this new sciences that I think the possibility of something beyond 4 dimentional reality and to go beyond mind-physical problem. When people say that they are scientific in disproving something controversial, they generally talk of Newton rather than modern sciences. That ennoys me a lot, even though there is nothing wrong with Newtonian scientific method but rather the interpretation of the world that is being misunderstood. Capra is, of course, biased towards how other branches of social sciences and sciencs are under the domination of Newtonian physics.

What Capra has discussed about neoclassical economics is too naive and based on too old an information. But the important fact is still valid, that we are mainly under the spell of Newtonian determinism and objective positivism. The last point related to Capra I wanted to make about Capra is that I am very sick and tired of intellectual fashion among the Thai intellectual and academics. They always talk about Capra and taking it too far, although there is nothing wrong with talking, but they often make non-sense comment such as in one conference on rural education, some really good academic was saying that we should try to make rural people discuss about Capra book in order to make "holistic thinking' possible in rural Thai education. I couldn't believe my ears..

Although it might be interesting to let the people in the rural area to learn about Capra, but most of rural Thais are very used to holistic and sustainable thinking already as they are not borned into the reductionist society like people in modern city, especially those academics themselves.These academics always look at education per se without the realization that it is not applicable in the rural context which is origianlly no separation between living and education in the first place.

And, more disturbing, perhaps, is the trend of over apply the idea that there is a problem with reductionism outlined by Capra. There is a problem but it is very useful as long as we realized its limit, there is an academic fashion of trying to argue that we must included everything when we think about things so that we could be holistic, that perhaps chaotic dynamic will take care of the systems, I see people that take idea into tackle socioeconomic problem and even manage organization with this idea, with hazardous result ensured.

I really think it's too far, although it is intellectually very interesting but it has pass the point of being useful in practical reality. The academic fashions arises from the popularity of Capra has turned many things out of balance. I'm really frustrated to talk to people that attacking me all the time of being too structured and reductionistic, of course they never really go reading anything beyond Capra, they are always under the spell of mystical holistic universe.

Again, I believe that holistic approach is fundamentally important but one have to look of proper tools in doing thing effective and effienciently. Capra would sure agreed that if we want to calculate the movement of normal object in everyday life, we can use simple Newtonian equation to do that instead of going to do it with highly complex theories such as quantum mechanics and relativity. Of course, as long as we are conscious of the limit of the tools we've employed.

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