The Web of Meaning

by Jeremy Lent

Jeremy Lent is an author having penned several books and ex-CEO of the company NetCard.

With a title like The Web of Meaning, one does not expect an easy read. Expect a philosophical exploration delving into science, religion, civilisation, the environment and many more areas to ask the questions of what has happened to our worldview. Who am I? What really matters? Does anything matter? There is a modern, pervasive sense of pessimism in the West, with the damage being done to the environment, economic downturn and philosophical listlessness. This book posits that the problem driving part of this general malaise is the feeling of disconnection. It uses philosophy, science and real-world examples to illustrate how and why disconnection – or connection – is important, and, although it does not neglect the more pessimistic elements, it retains a rather positive but realistic set of conclusions.

I don’t believe that some aspects of this book are revelatory. It’s often been acknowledged that many western commentators neglect the important of Eastern philosophy – the Tao Te Ching, the Buddhist scriptures, Neo-Confucianism, the Bodhisattva and more. These often form the bases of the emphases that Lent uses to convey the messages ignored by the West: the importance of nature, connection, and the I and self being a quasi-illusory form that isn’t what you should worry about. As one native tribe is referenced, someone is considered sick if they focus on ‘I’ even if healthy of body – so is all Western society sick?

What Lent contributes though to this ongoing discussion, is his mastery of taking complex and diverse subjects and integrating them. A bit like the message of the book. For example, I frequently loved the way that Lent illustrated his arguments. One explores how group consciousness is somewhat embedded in us. Stanley Milgram’s experiment, analysing how people react when different numbers of people in a busy New York Street are staring up at the sky, reflects the ant-like group consciousness. (pp.193) Elsewhere, he speaks of the uncertain phenomenon of placebo effects, which have been shown to truly make a person physically heal – even if they know it might be a placebo effect!

Lent is cognisant of the western philosophical and religious arguments and trends. He takes on the modern western rationalists, arguing that the views such as in Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene are too reductionist, as were the mind-body duality of Descartes and Bacon. Although some of these ideas have led to great progression in science, Lent argues that it has also weakened it’s position by neglecting many of the spiritual or more connected aspects, and that this is even observable in nature itself.

He points to examples such as how in nature things are often self-organized in nature. Systems scientists studying the fractal patterns find that often systems tend to show many small fluctuations in patterns, fewer moderate ones and only rarely large ones. (pp.111). This principle applies to a vast array of phenomena across disciplines – Lent cites environmental aspects to the stock market.

These system analyses do not render science irrelevant – quite the opposite. Instead, it argues that actually there are systems at work in some of the aspects that need investigation, and that the forced separation, by culture and other aspects, lead to flawed approaches. Connecting those things (unsurprisingly) is the message of this book.

Some people, viewing consciousness as something sacred, might object to the idea that it could theoretically be measured through scientific instruments. My personal opinion is that, rather than diminishing the sacred quality of consciousness, it opens a pathway that bridges the sacred and the scientific. In modern gewu, as in Neo-Confucianism – and in contrast to Western dualism – there is no inherent distinction between the spiritual and the material. It’s the miraculous ways in which the material world self-organizes that create the conditions for all that is sacred and meaningful in the universe. (pp.186)

Lent’s exploration of these arguments is masterful. There are fifty examples I could have picked to mention, from Erwin Schrödinger’s negentropy, Mencius, to Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics, to social media, and psilocybin. This book may include some aspects that people interested in philosophy will be well-familiar with, but the way he inter-weaves science, psychology, the environment and modern day life is truly superb and worth reading for his particular take.

Practical or personal?

So what’s wrong with the book? Around page 265 the book does deteriorate into the personal arguments about the environment, and Lent acknowledges the section being pessimistic, but also intelligently argues that pessimism and optimism are both bad for progress, as the pessimists think they can’t make a difference and the optimists think things will sort themselves out in the end. But it seems the progression of argument for the importance of inter-connectedness in all things, that western society has been missing the point somewhat then translates into a message that the environment is the current problem that needs to be urgently addressed. Although I acknowledge that the book needed to apply itself (as philosophy tends to need to do) to the real world, this section of the book felt a bit one-dimensional and more personal in many regards. It felt at odds with other parts of the book, even though it makes reasoned arguments and does back it up, it still felt discordant.

Despite this, this book is truly important. Even if you subscribe to the opposing arguments to those Lent lays out, he takes you on such a compelling journey it’s worth a read. You are bound to learn from this book, reflect on the world and even perhaps be a little more positive. Maybe it’s because I do agree with much of what he says, even before reading this book, but I found it hard to disagree, and hard to not enjoy the diverse examples. It opened my eyes to ways of thinking I’m not well versed in – such as physics or particular aspects of Eastern philosophy. It really does everything a non-fiction book should do – engage, illuminate, debate and explore.

Final score

This is not a perfect book. I don’t always agree with the arguments. I think the environment section got a little tedious and jarred slightly with other areas of the book, despite nature being intrinsic to many of the arguments. But this book truly was gripping. It has an important message, explains and explores it superbly and will point you in directions you’ve never even encountered. So far, this year, it’s the best book I’ve read, and will take some beating. A 10/10 doesn’t mean it’s perfect, but it means it stands out and excels, and that is certainly the case here. It’s well worth your time.

10/10