Radical Nature: Rediscovering the Soul of Matter [Paperback]

Christian de Quincey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

This groundbreaking book proposes that the universe around us is literally alive and conscious. This worldview restores a sense of the sacred to modern lives that have too long insisted that mind, spirit, and consciousness must be divorced from body, nature, and matter. Going back to the earliest days of Western philosophy, this book illustrates how the notion of intrinsically sentient matter is thousands of years old and has only recently been challenged by the currently dominant paradigm of materialism. By recognizing that matter feels, one can more closely relate to our bodies, planet, and cosmic environment as magnificent creations brimming with spirit and meaning.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"So energetic and accessible it definitely needs to be read. The writing sparkles and the ideas sing." -- Charlene Spretnak, author of States of Grace

About the Author

Christian de Quincey is a professor of philosophy at John F. Kennedy University and is the coauthor of The Scientific Exploration of Consciousness. He lives in Sausalito, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Invisible Cities Press Llc; 1 edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931229155
• ISBN-13: 978-1931229159
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,141,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christian de Quincey, Ph.D., author and international speaker, is Professor of Philosophy and Consciousness Studies at John F. Kennedy University; Dean of Consciousness Studies at the University of Philosophical Research; adjunct faculty with Wisdom University. He is also founder of The Wisdom Academy, offering private mentorships in consciousness.

Dr. de Quincey is author of the award-winning book "Radical Nature: The Soul of Matter" and "Radical Knowing: Understanding Consciousness through Relationship." His latest books are "Consciousness from Zombies to Angels" and "Deep Spirit: Cracking the Noetic Code."

Samples of his writings on consciousness and cosmology are available at:

www.TheWisdomAcademy.org

www.TheWisdomBlog.wordpress.com

www.deepspirit.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nature Has a Mind of Its Own, May 29, 2002

By 

Trish Foster (Meath, Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radical Nature: Rediscovering the Soul of Matter (Paperback)

As a lover of animals (I run Ireland's newest, state-of-the-art boarding kennels...), I have always believed that animals have consciousness, and I've been amazed at the narrow-mindedness of scientists who want us to believe otherwise. In this book, Christian de Quincey takes those blinkered scientists to task and shows how absurd it is to believe that humans are so special. What I wasn't prepared for was how much further Dr. de Quincey takes us. Using the power of philosophy he lays out a convincing case that "consciousness goes all the way down"--that not only do animals and plants have consciousness or souls, but that all matter does (perhaps even rocks). I've never read a book that has so deeply challenged my view of things. And it's so rewarding to be taken to new levels of understanding. I was also surprised at how easy he makes it to read deep philosophy. Read this book and be prepared to be swept away into regions of your mind you never knew you had. He makes nature come alive. He saysit just right: "Nature has a mind of its own." Bravo!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Both a scientific and a spiritual treatise, June 5, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radical Nature: Rediscovering the Soul of Matter (Paperback)

Radical Nature: Rediscovering The Soul Of Matter by Christian de Quincey (Professor of Philosophy and Consciousness Studies, John F. Kennedy University) is both a scientific and a spiritual treatise that meditates upon the essence of the soul and the spiritual existence of all life forms, including trees, animals, and of course humans. Presenting Professor de Quincy's conviction that consciousness exists down to the level of single-cell animals and beyond, Radical Nature is a intriguing study offering a transcendental viewpoint of living things. Radical Nature is very highly recommended reading for students of philosophy, metaphysics, spirituality, the nature of nature, and how the phenomena of consciousness is present in the physical world around us.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind-Body in a Conscious Universe, May 7, 2002

By 

Mike Denney, M.D., Ph.D. (sausalito, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radical Nature: Rediscovering the Soul of Matter (Paperback)

Finally, an explanation of mind-body phenomena that is understandable and applicable to any field of endeavor --physics, psychology, medicine, ecology and beyond. I read this book cover-to-cover and was enthralled start to finish. de Quincey takes on all the great thinkers in the mind-body field, historical and contemporary, and then blends in his careful definitions of terms and unique ideas of sentient matter to formlulate his theory of radical naturalism, which posits that matter is not just "dead stuff" but is ensouled. The result is a blessing for anyone interested in the convergence of mind and body, matter and consciousness, and of the concrete with the spiritual.

This book offers a new and essential foundation stone for my own work in soul-body healing, and I have already recommended it to friends and colleagues in medicine, psychology and philosophy. It is a "must-read" addition to the ongoing literature on consciousness and mind-body phenomena.