‘The Fractal Self’ Book Reading at VAC

Join the authors of the book, The Fractal Self: Science, Philosophy, and the Evolution of Human Cooperation on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Volcano Art Center (VAC) Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village for a lively book reading and discussion.

In The Fractal Self, John Culliney and David Jones uncover surprising intersections between science and philosophy. Connecting evidence from evolutionary science with early insights of Daoist and Buddhist thinkers, they maintain that sagely behavior, envisioned in these ancient traditions, represents a pinnacle of human achievement emerging out of our evolutionary heritage.

“John Culliney and David Jones have managed something very unusual: a collaboration between experts, one in biology and one in philosophy, said Professorial Research Fellow Graham Parkes of the University of Vienna. “They initiate a dialogue between the natural sciences and the humanities—from chemistry to astrophysics, from ancient myth to East Asian thought—that reveals a prevalence of cooperation over competition. They tell compelling stories ranging over vast times and spaces, from ‘primal emergence’ to evolution in the present, narratives that show the fractal self operating on all levels: from the subatomic, through the animal and human realms, to distant galaxies. And the wonder of it all is—it works!”

Copies of the book will be available for purchase. This event is free, although a $5 donation is appreciated.

VAC Ni‘aulani Campus is located at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road in Volcano Village.

VAC is a nonprofit educational organization created in 1974 to promote, develop, and perpetuate the artistic and cultural heritage of Hawai‘i’s people and environment through activities in the visual, literary and performing arts. For more information visit Volcano Art Center.