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