This book follows a 10-lecture course given at U3AC, Cambridge UK. It examines the physical facts of physics, psychology, biology and community (ecology and sociology) along with the metaphysical fact of information. But is this, information, really immaterial and separate in character from material phenomena? Is it, like non-conscious things, a basic element of nature? If so, then a fresh perspective, cosmic in extent, emerges. This perspective is called holism; and holism is here systematically aligned with materialism by means of a simple philosophical structure called Natural Dialectic. By such comparison which one of these two world-views will it turn out as you logically prefer?