The Patterning Instinct

A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning

By: Jeremy Lent, Fritjof Capra - foreword

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 19 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2017 Jeremy Lent and Fritjof Capra (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Delightfully thought provoking

A different "version" of "a short history of everything, looking at reality, culture and history, from some unexpected and insightful point of views

A Masterpiece

I am incredibly grateful to have such intellectual masterpiece at the click of a finger. Many thanks to the author for the depth of this integrated wisdom, extracting patterns of meaning across thousands of years, to tell the our meta-story. From detailed, macro vision to a vast, universal understanding. This book brought many insights. I recommend to read the book; The Invention of Yesterday by Tamim Ansary if you enjoyed this read. Also, it reminded me a talk between Jonathan Pageau and Jordan Peterson. I wish the authors could eventually jump on a podcast with him, it would be incredible to witness the conversation that would come out of it.

astounding scope, depth, and insight!

if everyone in the world read this book, out troubles would be over. just fantastic.

learning to see

great review of world history and the history of religions. it's helpful in sorting out the different threads that have brought us to this moment of Truth.

A must read

Essential reading for everyone who wants to learn about our past and cares about the future of humanity.

contains a varied perspective

Struggled a little to read it in couple of points, but supper interesting, very deep approach, enthusiastic in connecting view points of history, social, philosophical, religious, industrial, economic fields .If you have interest in any of those field you will be intertained by the interwoven plot of meaning in between them!

Wow, this is a great book, i learned so much!

i love how there a story for every point, i also felt there was a steady flow of thought that lead to the point. i learned the growth of philosophy from different global regions and how they influence the philosophy of today's world. i would like to thank the author for putting the time and effort into creating this book!

Perfect Combo of History & Philosophy

Really well done, this was a perfect combo of history & philosophy. Very education on a wide range of topics, but was still very well organized.

A must read

My only gripe with this book is that you have to sit through a zillion hours before we get to some of the ideas that might actually save this little blue green marble we live on. One of the most interesting books I’ve ever listened to!

Essential

This is the guidebook for our time, or at least one of the most important ones.
A comprehensive view of the trajectory of humanity throughout history and into the present day, as well as the alternate futures that lie before us based upon the choices we make, both individually and collectively. This book offers a clear examination of how our values and culture are shaped, and how we might engage with that process creatively in order to integrate more fully with the planet and help direct us into greater thriving and a more sustainable world.