Table of Contents
Notation
Numbers in Powers of Ten xiv
Larger Numbers in Powers of Ten xv
Prologue 1
Part 1 The Story of Philosophy
1 The Origins of Western Philosophy
The Presocratic Greek Philosophers 11
The Philosophies of Early Religions 17
Philosophical Summary 21
2 The Decline of Western Philosophy and the Way Forward
Plato and Aristotle: Metaphysical and Scientific Emphases 23
The Fragmentation of Modern Philosophy 32
The Way Forward: Reunification 49
Philosophical Summary 53
Part 2 The Scientific view of the Universe and the order principle
3 Cosmology and Astrophysics: The Big Bang and the Origin of the Universe 56
The Big Bang and Infinite Singularity 57
The Shaping of the Universe 63
Acceleration, the Surfer and the Infinite 68
Overview of the Big-Bang Model 72
Philosophical Summary 78
4 Physics: The Quantum Vacuum and the Expanding Force of Light 80
Newton's Ordering Light 81
Hidden Variables and Order 84
The Quantum Vacuum and Infinite Order 86
Philosophical Summary 95
5 Biocosmology: The Bio-Friendly Universe and Order 97
Six Models for the Structure of the Universe 98
The Bio-friendly Model 99
Philosophical Summary 125
6 Biology and Geology: The Origin of Life and Evolution
The Origin of Life 127
Plate Tectonics 133
Ice Ages 136
Evolution by Natural Selection 143
Apes and Humans 149
DNA and the Oneness of all Living Things 156
Darwinism: Evidence and Doubts 161
Intelligent Design? 165
Expansionism: "Mechanism" of Order 170
Philosophical Summary 176
7 Ecology: Nature's Self-Running, Self-Organising System 178
Instinct: Inherited Reflex or Transmitted Order? 181
FoodChains, Food Webs and Order in Nature's Ecosystems 192
Co-operation and Symbiosis in "The Great Chain of Being" 197
Ailments and Co-operative Healing Plants 211
Philosophical Summary 217
8 Physiology: The Self-Regulating Body, Brain and Consciousness
The Body's Homeostasis 218
The Brain's Homeostasis 231
How Photons Control Body and Brain 241
Interaction of Brain and Levels of Consciousness 246
Philosophical Summary 253
Part 3 The Metaphysical view of the Universe in the New Philosophy
9 The Rational Approach to Reality and the System of the Universe 258
Rational Ontology: The Concept and Structure of "What Is" 263
Form from Movement Theory: The Origin and Creation of the Universe 269
The Rational Universe as a System of Light 273
The Law of Order and the Law of Randomness 277
Rational Approach to Metaphysics 280
Possibility of Survival after Death 284
Rational Solutions to Philosophical Problems 288
Philosophical Summary 290
10 The Intuitional Approach to Reality and the System of the Universe 292
Intuitional Ontology and the Experience of What Is 293
Intuitional Epistemology and the Intellect 294
Intuitional Psychology and the Multi-Levelled Self 299
The Intuitional Universe as a System of Light 307
Intuitional Approach to Metaphysics 319
Philosophical Summary 322
Reunification of Rational and Intuitional Universalism 324
Reunification of Science and Metaphysics 327
Metaphysical Revolution: Five Reunifications 329
A New Discipline 331
Part 4 Order in Human Affairs: Applications of Universalist Thinking
11 New Understanding of the Past
Historical Universalism 334
Cultural Universalism 337
Literary Universalism 344
12 Shaping the Future
Environmental Universalism 347
Political (World-Government) Universalism 355
Religious Universalism 357
Epilogue
Summary 361
Closing Vision 365
Postscript 368
Appendices
Appendix 1 Constants and Ratios
A 326 Fundamental Physical Constants-complete listing in alphabetical order 372
B 152 Fundamental Physical Constants-grouped under fields 388
C 75 Ratios - extracted from table A. 394
Appendix 2 Biology's Big Bang: the Cambrian Explosion 396
Appendix 3 Natural Light's Effect on Growth 398
The electromagnetic spectrum 400
Appendix 4 The Human Brain
General view of the human brain 401
The pineal gland or pineal body or epiphysis 401
The human brain showing the claustrum and amygdala 402
Francis Crick's illustration of the claustrum 402
Appendix 5 The Human Eye and Reception of Light
General view of the human eye 403
How photons are conveyed to the brain 403
Light-brain transfer in close-up 404
Richard Dawkins' illustration of the reception of light 405
Appendix 6 The Spread of Philosophy from Ionia to Italy and Greece 406
Notes and References to Sources 407
Bibliography 443
Index 449
