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The Chaos Point: The World at the Crossroads by Ervin Laszlo
"Breakdown or Breakthrough?We are at a critical juncture in history, a ""decision-window"" where we face the danger of global collapse--or the opportunity for global renewal. Written by Ervin Laszlo, the founder of systems philosophy and general evolution theory, The Chaos Point provides a concise overview of the present world situation, showing where we are and how we got here.According to Laszlo, for the next six to seven years--roughly until the end of 2012--we have the opportunity to head off trends that would lead to a critical tipping point. Beyond this ""chaos point,"" we either evolve to a safer, more sustainable world, or the social, economic, and ecological systems that frame our life become overstressed and break down.The 2012 chaos point need not be the end of the world, but it will certainly be the end of the kind of world we have created. In today’s decision-window, we have a unique chance to break through to a new world. This pioneering book tells us what this new world can look like and how each of us can help to achieve it.The Chaos Point is a healing book. It not only identifies the nature of the malady every person and every society now suffers from, but offers a cure."
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First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Ervin Laszlo
232 books226 followersErvin Laszlo is a systems philosopher, integral theorist, and classical pianist. Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, he has authored more than 70 books, which have been translated into nineteen languages, and has published in excess of four hundred articles and research papers, including six volumes of piano recordings.
Dr. Laszlo is generally recognized as the founder of systems philosophy and general evolution theory, and serves as the founder-director of the General Evolution Research Group and as past president of the International Society for the Systems Sciences. He is also the recipient of the highest degree in philosophy and human sciences from the Sorbonne, the University of Paris, as well as of the coveted Artist Diploma of the Franz Liszt Academy of Budapest. Additional prizes and awards include four honorary doctorates.
His appointments have included research grants at Yale and Princeton Universities, professorships for philosophy, systems sciences, and future sciences at the Universities of Houston, Portland State, and Indiana, as well as Northwestern University and the State University of New York. His career also included guest professorships at various universities in Europe and the Far East. In addition, he worked as program director for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). In 1999 he was was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Canadian International Institute of Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics.
For many years he has served as president of the Club of Budapest, which he founded. He is an advisor to the UNESCO Director General, ambassador of the International Delphic Council, member of both the International Academy of Science, World Academy of Arts and Science, and the International Academy of Philosophy.
Dr. Laszlo is generally recognized as the founder of systems philosophy and general evolution theory, and serves as the founder-director of the General Evolution Research Group and as past president of the International Society for the Systems Sciences. He is also the recipient of the highest degree in philosophy and human sciences from the Sorbonne, the University of Paris, as well as of the coveted Artist Diploma of the Franz Liszt Academy of Budapest. Additional prizes and awards include four honorary doctorates.
His appointments have included research grants at Yale and Princeton Universities, professorships for philosophy, systems sciences, and future sciences at the Universities of Houston, Portland State, and Indiana, as well as Northwestern University and the State University of New York. His career also included guest professorships at various universities in Europe and the Far East. In addition, he worked as program director for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). In 1999 he was was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Canadian International Institute of Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics.
For many years he has served as president of the Club of Budapest, which he founded. He is an advisor to the UNESCO Director General, ambassador of the International Delphic Council, member of both the International Academy of Science, World Academy of Arts and Science, and the International Academy of Philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 10, 2011
One of Cambridge Sustainability's Top 50 Books for Sustainability, as voted for by our alumni network of over 3,000 senior leaders from around the world. To find out more, click here.
The Chaos Point starts with the warning that society is headed for Breakdown, a scenario in which: the 'haves' and the'have-nots' become more polarised; violence and organised crime increase, as does military conflict and expenditure at the expense of investments in health and environmental care; dramatic famines and disease lead to death and mass migration; governments close off their borders, 'cleanse' unwanted populations and adopt a bunker mentality, leading to escalating conflict bewtewen nations, potentially with nuclear consequences. In short, the global system breaks down.
Despite this bleak picture, Laszlo is not a doomsayer. Drawing on complexity and chaos theory, he points out that humanity, like nature, is a dynamic system that is capable of 'abrupt change': that is, of ultra-rapid transformation. When such a system nears the point where the existing structures and feedbacks can no longer maintain the system's integrity, it becomes super-sensitive and repsonds even to a small impetus for change. Hence, 'butterfly effects' become possible, where the thinking, values, ethics and consciousness of a critical mass in socie5ty can cause rapid and fundamental change.
The Chaos Point starts with the warning that society is headed for Breakdown, a scenario in which: the 'haves' and the'have-nots' become more polarised; violence and organised crime increase, as does military conflict and expenditure at the expense of investments in health and environmental care; dramatic famines and disease lead to death and mass migration; governments close off their borders, 'cleanse' unwanted populations and adopt a bunker mentality, leading to escalating conflict bewtewen nations, potentially with nuclear consequences. In short, the global system breaks down.
Despite this bleak picture, Laszlo is not a doomsayer. Drawing on complexity and chaos theory, he points out that humanity, like nature, is a dynamic system that is capable of 'abrupt change': that is, of ultra-rapid transformation. When such a system nears the point where the existing structures and feedbacks can no longer maintain the system's integrity, it becomes super-sensitive and repsonds even to a small impetus for change. Hence, 'butterfly effects' become possible, where the thinking, values, ethics and consciousness of a critical mass in socie5ty can cause rapid and fundamental change.
July 28, 2011
This book examines the the fundamental questions of "whats next and where do we go from here" from his point that we are just now exiting the iron age and a "universal butterfly effect". Compiling surveys trends,with systems philosophy and general evolution theory he show how we got here and ambitiously lays out a plan to avoid total economic collapse by offering global strategic solutions for continued renewal.
May 28, 2007
good state-of-the-world analysis...scary and hopeful
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April 24, 2008simply a must read
November 17, 2011
Excellent book. Please check out the reviews on amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Chaos-Point-Wor...).
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews