Contemporary holistic movements
In the past 50 years or so, there has been a growing cultural movement advocating “holistic” thinking, that challenges the dualist ontologies of naturalist science as well as of conventional Western understandings of religion. This holistic turn is especially evident in the fields of health, environmentalism and spirituality. It often draws on Asian religious traditions such as Daoism, Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as scientific theories such as quantum physics and ecology. In this session, we will consider to what extent this trend generates a new type of dialogue between science and religion, and to what extent it legitimates pseudo-scientific discourses.
PPT
Required reading
Capra, Fritjof. The Dao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2000 [1975]. Chapter 1 and 2.