Summary: Provides the foundations of a genuine unified field theory. Ervin Laszlo, widely regarded as the founder of systems philosophy and general evolution theory, introduces the foundations of a genuine unified theory of the world in this pioneering treatise on the new sciences. In contrast to other unified theories that center mainly on physics, Laszlo's embraces quantum, cosmos, life, as well as consciousness. He delineates the principles of a new physics of universal connectivity and puts forth the corresponding metaphysics, discussing the implications for such philosophical issues as the nature of matter and mind, freedom and morality, and design versus evolution. This landmark book lays the groundwork for the non-materialist and non-reductionist yet rigorous paradigm that is likely to signal the next revolution in science: the "paradigm of universal connectivity." “Ervin [Laszlo] has performed a singular service by formulating his ideas into a consistent whole and calling for the primacy of fields and information as the root metaphors of 21st century science.” — The Scientific & Medical Network "This is a brilliant summary of the major conceptual challenges for the Cartesian-Newtonian paradigm, which has dominated Western scientific thinking for the last three centuries. Laszlo outlines the areas in quantum physics, astrophysics, biology, and psychology where these disciplines encountered observations that they could not account for. But he does not stop there; he offers an elegant interdisciplinary model that could help to reconcile the existing paradoxes. Ervin Laszlo is a world-class scientist and his contributions are groundbreaking. This is an outstanding book." — Stanislav Grof, author of Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Modern Consciousness Research "The more I read, the less I wanted to put this book down. Laszlo has put together a remarkable summary of some of the latest findings in sciences such as quantum mechanics, cosmology, neuroscience, and consciousness studies, along with his renowned expertise in systems and complexity theory. He has woven together key elements from each of these sciences to make one of the most coherent cases yet for a radically different worldview based on the subquantum domain of the zero-point energy field, or what he calls 'the psi field.'" — Christian de Quincey, author of Radical Nature: Rediscovering the Soul of Matter

Table of Contents: Foreword Introduction PART 1. Coherence in Nature and Mind 1. Coherence in the Physical World 2. Coherence in the Living World 3. Coherence in the Sphere of Mind 4. Understanding Coherence: The Elements of an Explanation PART 2. The Connectivity Hypothesis 5. Premises 6. Postulates 7. The Hypothesis 8. Coherence Explained: Testing the Power of the Hypothesis 9. The Advent of Integral Quantum Science Postscript The Metaphysics of Connectivity Philosophical Implications Appendix 1. General Relativity and the Physical Vacuum Reconsidering Einstein's Equations in Relation to Connectivity Hypothesis Laszlo Gazdag Appendix 2. Healing through the Y Field: Two Experiments Maria Sagi References Index