The Patterning Instinct
A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning
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The Patterning Instinct
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Narrated by:
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Derek Perkins
About this listen
This fresh perspective on crucial questions of history identifies the root metaphors that cultures have used to construct meaning in their world. It offers a glimpse into the minds of a vast range of different peoples: early hunter-gatherers and farmers, ancient Egyptians, traditional Chinese sages, the founders of Christianity, trailblazers of the Scientific Revolution, and those who constructed our modern consumer society.
Taking the listener on an archaeological exploration of the mind, the author, an entrepreneur and sustainability leader, uses recent findings in cognitive science and systems theory to reveal the hidden layers of values that form today's cultural norms. Uprooting the tired clichés of the science-religion debate, he shows how medieval Christian rationalism acted as an incubator for scientific thought, which, in turn, shaped our modern vision of the conquest of nature. The author probes our current crisis of unsustainability and argues that it is not an inevitable result of human nature, but is culturally driven: a product of particular mental patterns that could conceivably be reshaped. By shining a light on our possible futures, the book foresees a coming struggle between two contrasting views of humanity: one driving to a technological endgame of artificially enhanced humans, the other enabling a sustainable future arising from our intrinsic connectedness with each other and the natural world. This struggle, it concludes, is one in which each of us will play a role through the meaning we choose to forge from the lives we lead.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2017 Jeremy Lent and Fritjof Capra (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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- Anonymous User
- 27-04-21
options and understanding for the future
loved it so much truth in this book its hard to put down a real winner
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- MR A I LEWANDOWSKI
- 05-06-19
amazing book
I loved this book from the beginning til the end.
Let's do the job of today's!
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- Anonymous User
- 05-11-20
Wide-ranging and thought-provoking
incredibly well researched, the book pulls together a multitude of strands from across all human history, cultures, religions and geographies to shine a light on the human psyche and explain the role it has played in how humanity got into its current parlous state, addicted to consumption and seemingly unwilling to respond meaningfully to the climate crisis that threatens the future of us all.
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- Smee
- 28-01-20
Essential book
This is a deep-laid examination of the ideas humanity has come up with in response to development from prehistoric times through to the modern age (and beyond), ideas which have in turn fostered change.
Are we on a path where the destruction of the climate and familiar life is inevitable or do we still have the ability to change course?
There is no bigger question and this book extends some hope.
I very much valued reading it as an audiobook. The human voice helps you through the hard stuff. Ultimately that in a way is its message. The more we connect with each other, with ourselves, and with the natural world, the better our chance of saving things.
Who do I recommend it to? Everyone. No exceptions. One key fact presented in the book is that once 3.5% of the population engages actively in a protest movement, change is unstoppable. So I recommend this book to at least 3.5% of you.
I found it through an article by George Monbiot in the Guardian. Thank you to him if he ever reads this review.
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1 person found this helpful
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- clay
- 01-10-20
comprehensive alternative take on global history.
accessible and easy read, well researched and fascinating at times. perfectly narrated.
word word word
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-04-21
Incredibly interesting, well written and wonderfully narrated
This book was brilliant and is a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of human thought. Packed with information and interesting insights into portions of history we often hear little about. He makes it easy to understand why we’ve ended up here, why our society is structured as it is, what possible futures might look like, and how we could build on the principles of systems thinking to reimagine a better future.
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- Lena Götz
- 20-01-22
Phenomenal
Take it as a marathon rather than a sprint and you won't regret having tackled it
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- AWENOWL
- 14-01-20
Fantastic book
!!! One listen / read is not enough...very inspiring and thought provoking - Much thought went into this book - a great torch to bring light into the dark... Greatly recommended
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- Catherine
- 18-02-22
Essential thinking for anyone interested in the future of our planet
Brilliant exploration of human thought and action since hunter-gatherers to our current global community and problems. Anyone who thinks they have ‘the answer’ should listen to this.
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- piccipanni
- 23-04-23
Inspiring and enlightening
This compelling book, the winner of two Nautilus 2022 awards in the categories of “World Cultures, transformational growth and development” and “Science and Cosmology”, addresses with profound clarity how humanity’s loss of balance within ourselves and with the natural world has brought civilization to the brink of collapse. It also suggests a way out – a path of integration, recognizing our deep interconnectedness, that could lead toward a new ecological civilization. The Web of Meaning is a call for acknowledging what both our newest science and our oldest spiritual traditions (including Buddhist, Neo-Confucian and Indigenous philosophies) tell us: that we are all inextricably interconnected with one another and with nature. Development students, practitioners and scholars engaging with this book will recognise strong connections between their personal efforts to contribute to “positive changes” in the world and the reflections from the book, which might ultimately reinforce their deepest convictions and motivation.
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