The Art, Science & Morality of Power: Part 1

Guided by centuries of advice like Machiavelli's and Robert Greene's, we tend to believe that attaining power requires force, deception, manipulation, and coercion. Indeed, we might even assume that positions of power demand this kind of conduct that to run smoothly, society needs leaders who are willing and able to use power this way. As seductive as these notions are, they are dead wrong.

Instead, a new science of power has revealed that power is wielded most effectively when it's used responsibly, by people who are attuned to and engaged with the needs and interests of others. Years of research suggests that empathy and social intelligence are vastly more important to acquiring and exercising power than are force, deception, or terror. In this article, Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, examines three myths about power.

READ MORE: HERE

“The final piece of reaching for authentic power is releasing your own to a higher form of wisdom.” -Gary Zukav

For inspiration on unlocking your own personal power check out this brief essay: "The Seat of Power".

Contemplation in Self & Society

The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society is a non-profit organization that works to integrate contemplative awareness and contemporary life, and to help create a more just, compassionate, and reflective society.

The Center acknowledges that while personal transformation is important, it does not guarantee the transformation of social institutions. The Center is grounded in the belief that contemplative awareness can assist individuals and groups in identifying the root causes of social problems and finding creative approaches to eliminating them.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR INNOVATIVE APPROACH IN THESE TWO VIDEOS:

PART 1


Part two elegantly describes the character of what we might call 'integral consciousness'.

PART 2

Not By Genes Alone

Humans often seem to be a striking anomaly in the natural world. While we are similar to other mammals in many ways, our behavior sets us apart. Our unparalleled ability for adaptation has allowed us to occupy virtually every habitat on earth using an incredible variety of tools and subsistence techniques. Our societies are larger, more complex, and more cooperative than any other mammal's.

In Not By Genes Alone: How Culture Transformed Human Evolution (2005), Peter J. Richerson and Robert Boyd offer a stunning exploration of human adaptation arguing that a non-reductionist Darwinian theory of cultural evolution can further our scientific understanding of the rich diversity of human life.

Drawing on work in the fields of anthropology, political science, sociology, and economics—and building their case with such fascinating examples as kayaks, corporations, clever knots, and yams that require twelve men to carry them—Richerson and Boyd convincingly demonstrate that culture and biology are inextricably linked, and they show us how to think about their interaction in a way that yields a richer understanding of human nature.

In abandoning the nature-versus-nurture debate as fundamentally misconceived, Not by Genes Alone is a truly original and groundbreaking theory of the role of culture in evolution and a book to be reckoned with for generations to come.

READ CHAPTER ONE HERE: 'Culture Is Essential'

“Not by Genes Alone is a valuable and very readable synthesis of a still embryonic but very important subject straddling the sciences and humanities.” —E. O. Wilson, Harvard University

Ecology, Perspective & Development: Understanding Environmental Problems

Not long ago, environmentalists usually interpreted an environmental problem primarily from the point of view of their own particular interests, research strengths, or organizational perspective. More recently, however, people concerned about environmental problems have recognized that their own particular perspectives need to be supplemented by insights drawn from other perspectives.

According to philosopher Michael E. Zimmerman, Integral Ecology attempts to develop effective solutions to environmental problems by identifying and coordinating interpretations of those problems, interpretations that are generated according to the best practices at work in the most inclusive set of perspectives.

READ MORE: HERE

The Diversity of Being - Wade Davis on Vanishing Cultures

With stunning photos and stories, Anthropologist Wade Davis celebrates the diversity of the world's indigenous cultures, now disappearing from the planet at an alarming rate. He argues passionately that we should be concerned not only for preserving the biosphere, but also the "ethnosphere" -- "the sum total of all thoughts and dreams, myths, ideas, inspirations, intuitions brought into being by the human imagination."

Living on the Edge: The Evolution of Integral Society

By Sally Goerner

“A subtle, but significant shift is underway in western civilization. Academics might call this a paradigm shift, while historians would describe it as a sea change or a great turning. It is a time when all aspects of a civilization undergo simultaneously a change of head, heart and soul.”

READ THE FULL ESSAY: HERE

Dr. Sally Goerner is based in North Carolina, has advanced degrees in computer science, psychology and non-linear dynamics. She is also the director and co-founder of the Integral Science Institute, a non-profit research and educational center dedicated to developing the applications of Integral Science for human systems fields such as education, business, medicine, economics, and sustainability. Her most recent book is called After the Clockwork Universe: The Emerging Science and Culture of Integral Society. Dr. Goerner lectures, writes and provides consultancy advice to international organizations.

The Evolution of Consciousness as a Planetary Imperative: An Integration of Integral Views

By Jennifer Gidley

In this large manuscript Gidley aims to broaden and deepen the evolution of consciousness discourse by integrating the integral theoretic narratives of Rudolf Steiner, Jean Gebser, and Ken Wilber, who each point to the emergence of new ways of thinking that could address the complex, critical challenges of our planetary moment.

Gidley undertakes a wide scan of the evolution discourse, noting it is dominantly limited to biology-based notions of human origins that are grounded in scientific materialism. The key focus of this monograph is to introduce integral evolutionary theories using a transdisciplinary epistemology and work between, across and beyond diverse disciplines.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE FROM THE INTEGRAL REVIEW (PDF): HERE

Dramatic Play and Brain Function: An Applied Study

by Chris Chatham

“A new educational system called "Tools of the Mind" teaches not facts and figures, but rather focuses on cognitive skills in structured play. In the largest and most compelling study yet, exposure to this curriculum in the classroom drastically improves performance on a variety of psychometric and neuropsychological tests.

Vygotskian theory posits that children need to "learn to learn" - by mastering a set of mental tools which bootstrap their mental abilities, the same way that physical tools can extend physical abilities. The consequent "mental exercise" may strengthen the mind just like physical exercise strengthens the body. Thus, maximally-effective education may be explicitly cognitively-focused - i.e., teaching children to use their minds - rather than focused on skills like word learning and multiplication.”

LEARN MORE: HERE

Of course, a more critical and holistic approach would include a consideration of how personal experience, culture (with socially circulated expectations of learning and 'skill'), and environmental context influence the development of our bodymind capacities. Yet, rigorous neuroscience remains an important piece of the puzzle of better understanding the complexities of human behavior and development.

An Interview with Steve McIntosh

In this wide-ranging interview Enlightenment.com founder Jordan Gruber and author Steve McIntosh discuss how the integral worldview is transforming our world. Instructive, impassioned, and articulate, Steve McIntosh provides a provocative summary of integral philosophy and its relevance for our contemporary context.

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW: HERE

McIntosh's new book, Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution, is both historical retrospective and moral-evolutionary prognosis. His efforts challenge us to test what we already know against what we hope may one day be possible.

A 5-Level Model of Youth Organizing

It is commonly know that human development and justice are limited by social divides. This is especially the case among economically disadvantaged children and youth. In order to address the complex issues and life conditions of youth everywhere a wide spectrum of non-profit and charitable organizations have emerged to try and address inequality and social deprivation.

Yet, of the tens of thousands of youth organizations that exist worldwide most are disconnected from each other, seemingly incapable of creating strategic partnerships or sharing innovative practices.

In order to combat fragmentation and maximize impact, youth movements need integration. A comprehensive strategy is needed to fully mobilize young people towards critical mass in order to leverage their collective potential and ensure their continued engagement as active citizens.

In response to this need, Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) has developed a 5-level Model of Effective Youth Organizing. The framework is based on 9 years of research on organizational effectiveness in youth development - and is inspired by Ken Wilber's Integral Theory.

PLEASE WATCH THEIR HEARTBREAKING & INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO: HERE

"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven." ~Henry Ward Beecher

LEARN MORE: HERE

The Future of Urban Planning

What would you call a skyscraper that works like a tree, makes oxygen, distills water, produces energy, and changes with the seasons? How about a "treescraper"?

Designed by William McDonough, the green architect par excellence, and the man who built the first solar-powered house in Ireland in 1977, the Treescraper is based on the principles of biomimicry - and exemplifies healthy and high-tech design for the future. McDonough’s latest proposal focuses on the possibilities of today, for a future context, integrating green and arboreally-inspired systems in a super efficient, forward-thinking architectural marvel.

Such innovations are essential for building a more just and sustainable world - where all individuals are encouraged to develop our various capacities to their fullest potential. The simultaneous inclusion of natural design principles, with a deeper understanding of human development, and an appreciation of sociocultural complexity is an integral step towards a more healthy and ethical civilization.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS DESIGN: HERE

(See Also: BIOMIMICRY INSTITUTE)

WATCH AN EXCITED LECTURE BY McDONOUGH HERE: "THE WISDOM OF NATURAL DESIGN"

An Integral Recovery Model for Drug and Alcohol Addiction

by John Dupuy (with Marco Morelli)

This article describes the Integral Recovery model in some detail, including an overview of the AQAL framework. It shows how the AQAL (“all quadrants, all stages, all lines, all states, and all types”) approach offers a refreshingly new way of looking at addiction, opening the possibility of a much more integrated and effective treatment modality.

READ THE PDF: HERE