Not sure how to ask this, but one thing I notice is that it is difficult to find what I would call current “intetral thinking” in the intellectual marketplace. I know there are people who are writing in the vicinity of integral–Jonathan Haidt and Irshad Manji are two authors whose books are nearby in my book case. But they are not mentioning integral and I don’t see dialogue going on that generates the rich thinking I see on Integral Life and in Wilber’s books beyond this community.
If there are ways to find good writing related to Integral–maybe I’m not using the right search terms–I’d love to know.
Can’t help you with search terms, but I totally resonate with the difficulty finding “integral thinking” in wider circles of the intellectual marketplace – including and especially academia.
IMAO, what are calling “integral thinking” is so far ahead of the curve that the larger community (including and especially academia) hasn’t caught up with it yet.
What an interesting problem? Maybe the winds of integral has died in its irrelevancy in the crisis. The ship left awhile ago. These are the people I see holding the flame that no longer uses the word integral for endless of reasons.
Zak Stein
Daniel Schmachtenberger
Mathew Segall
Bruce Alderman
Ian McGilchrist
John Vervaeke
Marc Gafni
Yeah also there is a series of books about the convergence of the metatheories of Integral with Critical Realism. The first is “Metatheory for the Twenty First Century”, the second is “Big Picture Perspectives on Planetary Flourishing”. The third book is under development and should be published this year and it is probably going to be called “Integrative Approaches to the Global Metacrisis”. I am currently in the process of writing an academic paper that might somehow get incorporated into this new volume. Perhaps just snippets will be incorporated into the introductory chapter. I’m working with the lead editor, Dr. Nicholas Hedlund (who is also my professor at CIHS and one of Roy Bhaskar’s proteges) and Dr. Sean Esbjorn-Hargens (one of Ken’s most notable proteges). Basically the whole idea is to build on top of Integral Theory and further synthesize it with other metatheories and then use this synthesis to address the greatest problems and crises in the world. It is pretty seriously academic and some of the people that Bria mentioned in that comment above are contributors to this series. Here is a link to the book series so far: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nicholas-Hedlund/author/B0143SNFKG
Hi Karen. Too bad we’re interested in things so few others are. I wonder what it would be like to be a student today. I did not feel overly constrained to follow my curiosity during my stints in higher ed.
Gary
Generally its a bad idea to use terms in ones works that others could possibly lay claim to.
The cost -benefits of using the term “Integral” in a work lies higher on the cost / risk side and lower on the benefit / opportinities side of the scale.
As a result, as mentioned above many integral (lower case) projects just simply dont use the term Integral (upper case).
Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory has influenced various fields, including psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and organizational studies. While it may not have as extensive a citation record as some other theories, there are still academic works that engage with Integral Theory. Here are a few examples:
Psychology and Psychotherapy: Some researchers have explored how Integral Theory can be applied in psychotherapy and counseling. For instance, there are studies discussing the use of Integral Theory in understanding the stages of psychological development and in integrating various therapeutic approaches. A search through databases like PsycINFO or Google Scholar with keywords like “Integral Theory” and “psychotherapy” might yield relevant studies.
Education: Scholars in the field of education have examined the potential applications of Integral Theory in educational settings. They may explore how Integral Theory can inform teaching methods, curriculum design, and educational leadership. For example, research might discuss how Integral Theory’s emphasis on multiple perspectives can enrich educational practices.
Leadership and Organizational Studies: Integral Theory has also been considered in discussions about leadership and organizational development. Researchers might investigate how Integral Theory’s holistic perspective can enhance understanding of leadership dynamics or inform organizational change strategies.
Spirituality and Philosophy: Given Ken Wilber’s background in spirituality and philosophy, there are academic works that engage with Integral Theory in these domains. Scholars might explore how Integral Theory intersects with various spiritual traditions or how it contributes to philosophical debates about consciousness and reality.
Interdisciplinary Studies: Some academic works take an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on Integral Theory to address complex issues that span multiple disciplines. These studies might examine topics such as sustainability, social justice, or healthcare from an integral perspective.
Keep in mind that while Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory has gained some recognition in academic circles, it may not be as widely cited as more established theories. However, its interdisciplinary nature means that it can be applied in diverse contexts, leading to a range of academic engagements across different fields.
Daniel Schmachtenberger is definitely an Integral thinker and his work through The Consilience Project is very Integral. He interviewed Ken many years ago and has been influenced by his work.