The Dream of the Earth

Revolutionary advances in physics during the first three decades of this century shattered the view of reality that has prevailed in the Western mind since the seventeenth century. In place of the static, mechanical world that was hypothesized by Descartes and Newton, twentieth century researchers are discovering a universe that is dynamically alive: a whole system, fluid and interconnected. The implications are profound. The insights of particle physics are beginning to resonate through other branches of science. In fact, science is discovering a new version of the "enchanted" world that was part of the natural mind for most of human history. Since the loss of this world view in the last three hundred years is arguably at the heart of our current environmental crisis, its rediscovery may be the key to an eventual solution. But we are just beginning to explore what it means to be part of a universe that is alive. For most people, the emerging view of nature remains in a real separate from the emotions and textures of daily experiences. This missing link between scientific breakthroughs and the general consciousness is the focus of the Sierra Club Nature and Natural Philosophy Library.