FEATURING
Dr. Ervin Laszlo (Renown author and a foremost expert on systems theory and
general evolution theory, Founder/President of the Club of Budapest, Founder/Director
of the General Evolution Research Group)
The Connectivity Hypothesis- Foundations of Integral Science
of Quantum, Cosmos, Life and Consciousness
T. Irene Sanders (Author: Strategic Thinking and the New Science:
Planning in the Midst of Chaos, Complexity and Change, Executive
Director/Founder of the Washington Center for Complexity & Public
Policy)
"Strategic Thinking & The New Science of Wholeness"
Coffee Break
Dr. Ralph Abraham (Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, University of
California at Santa Cruz)
"Chaos, Fractals and the New Mathematical Mysticism"
Each presentation will be about 45 minutes, followed by brief discussion.
After all three presentations, there will be a more extended dialogue between
the panelists that will open up to involve the audience.
This Event is free and open to the public. Audience participation in the dialogue
is encouraged.THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA PHILOSOPHY CONSORTIUM
A DIALOGUE ON SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY II
In the past two decades there have been exciting developments at the frontiers
of Science and Spirituality. Frontier scientists have been in quest of the fundamental
laws and patterns of the universe, and this quest has led them to an emerging
Integral Science and explorations in the Unified Field of Nature. At the same
time trends in global spirituality have sought to uncover the ultimate patterns
of consciousness and common ground across religious and spiritual worldviews.
This fundamental quest for Unifying Forces, Common Ground and the Unified Field
that links all realities together has opened profound issues in the convergence
ofScience and Spirituality as we enter the 21st Century:
Is there a fundamental common ground between science and spirituality?
Are there fundamental patterns of the universe that connect nature and consciousness?
Is Nature an "Integral" or "Holistic" field or "system"?
Is the Unified Field of Physics and Nature the very same Unified Field of Reason and Consciousness? What is "New Science"?
What is Integral Intelligence?
Are the diverse disciplines of the Liberal Arts linked in any coherent way?
Is there a fundamental connection between Mathematics and Consciousness?
Is there a common deep structure between Mathematics and the structures of awareness?
Can Mathematics link Nature and Rational awareness?
What does it mean to say that Nature is a Living Integrative and Learning System?
Does Consciousness pervade Nature? What is Chaos and Complexity?
Can Evolutionary Biology make significant links between the patterns of Nature,
human consciousness, and structures of Life?
Is there an integral narrative/story here?
What is the link between mind, body and religious experience? Can new knowledge
of the functioning of the brain illuminate spiritual life and
religious experience? Can mind and consciousness play a role in healing?
These are some the leading questions that will be explored in this exciting
dialogue that brings together certain leading figures in the
frontiers of Science and Spirituality (See attached flyer for details)
Ashok Gangadean, Forum Coordinator and Chair Professor of Philosophy (Haverford
College)
Co-Founder-Director of Global Dialogue Institute
BIO NOTES ON FORUM PRESENTERS
Dr. Ervin Laszlo - Considered the foremost exponent of systems philosophy and
general evolution theory, Ervin Laszlo is likewise noted for
his work in the futures and management fields. He has a PhD from the Sorbonne
and is the recipient of four honorary PhD's, the Japan Peace
Prize (Goi Prize) and other distinctions. Formerly Professor of Philosophy,
Systems Science, and Futures Studies in various universities in the
US, Europe, and the Far East, Laszlo is the author or co-author of thirty-six
books translated into as many as sixteen languages, and the editor of
another thirty volumes including a four-volume encyclopedia. Laszlo is Founder
and President of The Club of Budapest, Founder and Director of
the General Evolution Research Group, Administrator of the Interdisciplinary
University of Paris, Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences,
Member of the International Academy of Philosophy of Science, Senator of the
International Medici Academy, and Editor of the international
quarterly World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution.
T. Irene Sanders - Executive Director and Founder of the Washington Center
for Complexity & Public Policy http://www.complexsys.org/
Author of Strategic Thinking and the New Science: Planning in the Midst of Chaos,
Complexityand Change (The Free Press, 1998), pioneered the
application of chaos theory and complexity science to the much-needed skill
of strategic thinking.A great deal of hercurrent work is focused on
promoting complexity science literacy throughthe integration of art and science,and
the use of complexity science and nonlinear thinking as it
applies to the war on terrorism and national security. She has provided strategic
thinking and planning services to committees and individual
members of the U.S. Congress as well as toa wide-range of businesses and nonprofit
organizations.Her work has been featured in a numberof
publications including, Art Education, Continental, Investor's Business Daily,
Management Review, The InnerEdge,The Rocky Mountain News,
UrbanLand and The Washington Post.She is a graduate of Duke University andthe
Medical College of Georgia and she completed a fellowship in
organizational change at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Ralph H. Abraham has been Professor of Mathematics at the University of
California at Santa Cruz since 1968. Ralph has been active on the
research frontier of dynamics in Mathematics since 1960, and in applications
and experiments since l973. He has been a consultant on chaos theory and
itsapplication in numerous fields (medical physiology, ecology,mathematical
economics, psychotherapy, etc) and is an active editor for the
technicaleeen Mathematics and the structures of journals World Futures, and
the International Journal of BifurcationsandChaos. He has held visiting positions
in Amsterdam, Paris, Warwick,Barcelona, Basel, and Florence, and is the author
of more than 20texts.
In 1975 he founded the Visual Mathematics Project at the University of California
at Santa Cruz, which became the Visual Math Institute in l990.
Dr. Abraham has been concerned about the loss of Soul and Spirit in modern science
and is passionate about the recovery of Spirit in contemporary science. Some
of his published titles include- The Evolutionary Mind (l998, with Terrence
McKenna and Rupert Sheldrake) and Chaos, Gaia, Eros (l992)
The Greater Philadelphia Philosophy Consortium:
Bryn Mawr College Drexel University Haverford College LaSalleUniversity Rosemont
College Pennsylvania State University St.
Joseph's University Swarthmore College Temple University University of Delaware
University of Pennsylvania Villanova University West Chester University