This article describes the life and writing of Gregory Bateson, whose centennial is being celebrated in 2004 and who Fritjof Capra has described as ‘One of the most influential thinkers of our time’. The article then describes the influence of Bateson’s work on the fields of organization development and action research, with particular reference to: organizational culture, organizational learning and knowledge management, systemic thinking and the importance of an environmental perspective. The article ends by showing how Bateson was setting out a new paradigm for our times that transcends the differently blinkered approaches of science and religion.
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