Book Review The Tao of Physics

The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra reviewed by David E. Cohen

Anyone interested in both quantum physics and eastern philosophy, like myself, should feel very at home reading this book. Equally lucid in sharing the ins-and-outs of particle physics and basic tenets of Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and Chinese religions, Capra can appeal to theologians and physicists alike. Chapter one begins with the question, "is physics a path with a heart?" or in other words, is the pursuit of the knowledge that physics has to offer worthy? He offers some ideas into how we've split mind and body, beginning with the ancient greek "atomist" philosophers who were the first to finally declare that there is a separation between "alive" and "dead" matter. He believes this lead to a rift between man and god. He said that this led to an attainment of important rational knowledge, but the more "organic" views of the east are ultimately better suited for understanding the strange dynamics of particle interactions. While some of the western philosophy in the book is considerably lacking in depth, I found his insights to be useful.

In chapter 3, he begins to elucidate how light can not be viewed as one thing; it is a particle and a wave simultaneously. In this way, it defies language, and is similar to the paradoxes contemplated in Zen koans. Later, Capra reveals some of the perplexities brought upon by E=mc2 - the famous special relativity equation - and how it relates to speed of electrons whizzing and so forth.

Next, he treats Buddhism, Zen, Taoism, Hinduism, and Chinese religions in separate chapters, showing how alike, different, and rich these ideologies are. The book is worth a read just for the comparative religious study alone.

The rest of the book is devoted to drawing parallels between physics and the aforementioned religions. The parallels which stuck out to me most were drawn in chapter 14, "Emptiness and Form." Particles can be created and destroyed suddenly, as if from nothingness. This is akin to the void found in Buddhist thought. It's as if we are only perceiving a "macro" reality of concentrated energies. Capra believes that everything conceivable is happening and the void is where everything truly is interconnected. Ultimately, he argues for the "bootstrap" approach of Geoffrey Chew, which seems enticing, but I'm not sure how it holds up today. Finally, Capra calls for a cultural revolution where we adopt a practice of non-violence and becoming one with nature, rather than dominating it.

For me, this book was quite an eye-opener. It's a relief that there are others who believe that there is religious truth in the pursuits of the sciences. I am a fan of books that are a survey of one or two topics, and this one fits that genre perfectly. I had about 20 "aha" moments and ultimately agree with the authors claims. As for the negatives, there seems to be plenty of controversy surrounding this book. In retrospect, after reading a survey of western philosophy, I agree with some of the criticisms of how the ideas are presented in the greater context of the logic in his book. Sometimes, I believe the author doesn't draw enough parallels, but I can see the difficulty in doing this. The core controversy seems to be reducing science or mysticism, but I don't think the author at any point does this. He maintains that physicists don't need mysticism, nor do mystics need physics; but the common man needs both to better understand the world we live in. I believe the book is positive and tries to bridge gaps that many have not dared to attempt.

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