Capra F., Luisi P.L. The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision

Cambridge University Press, 2014. — 498 p.Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organization, leading to a novel kind of systemic thinking.
This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as autopoiesis, dissipative structures, social networks, and a systemic understanding of evolution. The implications of the systems view of life for healthcare, management, and our global ecological and economic crises are also discussed.
Written primarily for undergraduates, it is also essential reading for graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the new systemic conception of life and its implications for a broad range of professions – from economics and politics to medicine, psychology, and law.Introduction: paradigms in science and society.
The mechanistic worldview
The Newtonian world-machine.
The mechanistic view of life.
Mechanistic social thought.
The rise of systems thinking
From the parts to the whole.
Classical systems theories.
Complexity theory.
A new conception of life
What is life?
Order and complexity in the living world.
Darwin and biological evolution.
The quest for the origin of life on Earth.
The human adventure.
Mind and consciousness.
Science and spirituality.
Life, mind, and society.
The systems view of health.
Sustaining the web of life
The ecological dimension of life.
Connecting the dots: systems thinking and the state of the world.
Systemic solutions.