Integral Theory is an area of discourse emerging from the theoretical psychology and philosophy of Ken Wilber, a body of work that has evolved in phases from a transpersonal psychology [1] synthesizing Western and non-Western understandings of consciousness with notions of cosmic, biological, human, and divine evolution [2] into an emerging field of scholarly research focused on the complex interactions of ontology, epistemology, and methodology [3]. It has been claimed to offer a "Theory of Everything" [4] described as a "post-metaphysical" [5] worldview and a "trans-path path" [6] for holistic development; however, the discourse has received limited acceptance in mainstream academia [7] and has been sharply criticized by some for insularity and lack of rigor [8].
Integral Theory (or integral approach [9] [10], consciousness [11], paradigm [12], philosophy [11], society [13], or worldview [11]) has been applied in a variety of different domains: Integral Art, Integral Ecology, Integral Economics, Integral Politics, Integral Psychology, Integral Spirituality, and others. The first interdisciplinary academic conference on Integral Theory took place in 2008 [14]. Integral Theory is said to be situated within Integral studies, described as an emerging interdisciplinary field of discourse [3]. Researchers have also developed applications in areas such as leadership, coaching, and organizational development. [15]
The Integral Institute was co-founded as a non-profit "think-and-practice tank" [16] by Ken Wilber and others in 2001, [17] to promote the theory and its practice. While there is no single organization defining the nature of Integral Theory, some have claimed that a loosely-defined "Integral movement" has appeared, expressed in a variety of conferences, workshops, publications, and blogs focused on themes in integral thought, such as spiritual evolution, and in academic developmental studies programs. [18] Others, however, have denied the existence of a single Integral movement, arguing that such claims conflate radically different phenomena [19].
References
- ^ Grof, Stanislav. "A Brief History of Transpersonal Psychology", StanislavGrof.com, p. 11. Retrieved via StanislavGrof.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Zimmerman, Michael E. (2005). "Ken Wilber (1949 -)", The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, p. 1743. London: Continuum.
- ^ a b Esbjörn-Hargens, Sean (2006). "Editor’s Inaugural Welcome," AQAL: Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, p. v. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "eborn-hargens1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Macdonald, Copthorne. "(Review of) A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality by Ken Wilber," Integralis: Journal of Integral Consciousness, Culture, and Science, Vol. 1, No. 0. Retrieved via WisdomPage.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Editors. "God's Playing a New Game: The Guru & The Pandit: Andrew Cohen & Ken Wilber in dialogue," What Is Enlightenment?, Issue 33. Retrieved via AndrewCohen.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Integral Institute. "Integral Spiritual Center: A Trans-Path Path to Tomorrow,". Retrieved via IntegralInstitute.org on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Forman, Mark D. and Esbjörn-Hargens, Sean. "The Academic Emergence of Integral Theory," Integral World. Retrieved via IntegralWorld.net on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Visser, Frank. "Assessing Integral Theory: Opportunities and Impediments," Integral World. Retrieved via IntegralWorld.net on Jan. 7, 2010
- ^ Fuhs, Clint. "An Essential Introduction to the Integral Approach" Integral Life. Retrieved via IntegralLife.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Floyd, Josh, Burns, Alex, and Ramos, Jose (2008). A Challenging Conversation on Integral Futures: Embodied Foresight & Trialogues, Journal of Futures Studies, November 2008, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 69. Retrieved via ForesightInternational.com.au on January 10, 2010.
- ^ a b c McIntosh, Steve (2007). Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution, St. Paul, Minn.: Paragon House, p. 2-3. ISBN 978-1-55778-867-2 pp.2-3 and Chapter 7.
- ^ Ross, Sara, Fuhr, Reinhard, et. al. (2005). "Integral Review and its Editors," Integral Review, Issue 1, 2005. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Goerner, Sally J. (2007). After the Clockwork Universe: The Emerging Science and Culture of Integral Society, Chapel Hill, NC: Triangle Center for Complex Systems.
- ^ JFK University and Integral Institute. "Integral Theory in Action: Serving Self, Other & Kosmos," Retrieved via IntegralTheoryConference.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Editors. "About Integral Leadership Review (ILR),". Retrieved via IntegralLeadershipReview.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ JFK University and Integral Institute. "IntegralTheoryConference.com," IntegralTheoryConference.com. Retrieved via IntegralTheoryConference.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Asian Foresight Institute. "Ken Wilber & Integral Thinking," AsianForesightInstitute.org. Retrieved Jan. 13, 2010
- ^ Patten, Terry. "Integral Heart Newsletter #1: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World," Integral Heart Newsletter. Retrieved via IntegralHeart.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Kazlev, Alan. "Redefining Integral," Integral World. Retrieved via IntegralWorld.net on Jan. 13, 2010.
Integral Theory is an area of discourse emerging from the theoretical psychology and philosophy of Ken Wilber, a body of work that has evolved in phases from a transpersonal psychology [1] synthesizing Western and non-Western understandings of consciousness with notions of cosmic, biological, human, and divine evolution [2] into an emerging field of scholarly research focused on the complex interactions of ontology, epistemology, and methodology [3]. It has been claimed to offer a "Theory of Everything" [4] described as a "post-metaphysical" [5] worldview and a "trans-path path" [6] for holistic development; however, the discourse has received limited acceptance in mainstream academia [7] and has been sharply criticized by some for insularity and lack of rigor [8].
Integral Theory (or integral approach [9] [10], consciousness [11], paradigm [12], philosophy [11], society [13], or worldview [11]) has been applied in a variety of different domains: Integral Art, Integral Ecology, Integral Economics, Integral Politics, Integral Psychology, Integral Spirituality, and others. The first interdisciplinary academic conference on Integral Theory took place in 2008 [14]. Integral Theory is said to be situated within Integral studies, described as an emerging interdisciplinary field of discourse [3]. Researchers have also developed applications in areas such as leadership, coaching, and organizational development. [15]
The Integral Institute was co-founded as a non-profit "think-and-practice tank" [16] by Ken Wilber and others in 2001, [17] to promote the theory and its practice. While there is no single organization defining the nature of Integral Theory, some have claimed that a loosely-defined "Integral movement" has appeared, expressed in a variety of conferences, workshops, publications, and blogs focused on themes in integral thought, such as spiritual evolution, and in academic developmental studies programs. [18] Others, however, have denied the existence of a single Integral movement, arguing that such claims conflate radically different phenomena [19].
References
- ^ Grof, Stanislav. "A Brief History of Transpersonal Psychology", StanislavGrof.com, p. 11. Retrieved via StanislavGrof.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Zimmerman, Michael E. (2005). "Ken Wilber (1949 -)", The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, p. 1743. London: Continuum.
- ^ a b Esbjörn-Hargens, Sean (2006). "Editor’s Inaugural Welcome," AQAL: Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, p. v. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2010. Cite error: The named reference "eborn-hargens1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Macdonald, Copthorne. "(Review of) A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality by Ken Wilber," Integralis: Journal of Integral Consciousness, Culture, and Science, Vol. 1, No. 0. Retrieved via WisdomPage.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Editors. "God's Playing a New Game: The Guru & The Pandit: Andrew Cohen & Ken Wilber in dialogue," What Is Enlightenment?, Issue 33. Retrieved via AndrewCohen.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Integral Institute. "Integral Spiritual Center: A Trans-Path Path to Tomorrow,". Retrieved via IntegralInstitute.org on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Forman, Mark D. and Esbjörn-Hargens, Sean. "The Academic Emergence of Integral Theory," Integral World. Retrieved via IntegralWorld.net on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Visser, Frank. "Assessing Integral Theory: Opportunities and Impediments," Integral World. Retrieved via IntegralWorld.net on Jan. 7, 2010
- ^ Fuhs, Clint. "An Essential Introduction to the Integral Approach" Integral Life. Retrieved via IntegralLife.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Floyd, Josh, Burns, Alex, and Ramos, Jose (2008). A Challenging Conversation on Integral Futures: Embodied Foresight & Trialogues, Journal of Futures Studies, November 2008, Vol. 13, No. 2, p. 69. Retrieved via ForesightInternational.com.au on January 10, 2010.
- ^ a b c McIntosh, Steve (2007). Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution, St. Paul, Minn.: Paragon House, p. 2-3. ISBN 978-1-55778-867-2 pp.2-3 and Chapter 7.
- ^ Ross, Sara, Fuhr, Reinhard, et. al. (2005). "Integral Review and its Editors," Integral Review, Issue 1, 2005. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Goerner, Sally J. (2007). After the Clockwork Universe: The Emerging Science and Culture of Integral Society, Chapel Hill, NC: Triangle Center for Complex Systems.
- ^ JFK University and Integral Institute. "Integral Theory in Action: Serving Self, Other & Kosmos," Retrieved via IntegralTheoryConference.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ Editors. "About Integral Leadership Review (ILR),". Retrieved via IntegralLeadershipReview.com on Jan. 7, 2010.
- ^ JFK University and Integral Institute. "IntegralTheoryConference.com," IntegralTheoryConference.com. Retrieved via IntegralTheoryConference.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Asian Foresight Institute. "Ken Wilber & Integral Thinking," AsianForesightInstitute.org. Retrieved Jan. 13, 2010
- ^ Patten, Terry. "Integral Heart Newsletter #1: Exploring Big Questions in the Integral World," Integral Heart Newsletter. Retrieved via IntegralHeart.com on Jan. 13, 2010.
- ^ Kazlev, Alan. "Redefining Integral," Integral World. Retrieved via IntegralWorld.net on Jan. 13, 2010.