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A New Phase of Integral Theory?
Impressions of the 2nd Biannual Integral Theory Conference at JFK University, July 29 - August, 1 2010
Frank Visser
I attended the 2nd Biannual Integral Theory Conference at JFK University in Pleasant Hill, near San Francisco, with the intent to connect with the integral community as it had grown up around this academic milieu. I also wanted to transcend the polarized culture of Wilber/Integral versus his online critics, that had culminated/escalated in the infamous Wyatt Earp episode in the summer of 2006. And I looked forward to meeting in person some of the Integral World authors who had contributed essays to that website (Meyerhoff, DiPerna, Wallis, Augustine, Ross, Piacenza, Murray, Martin et al.), as well as make new integral contacts. Besides, I love to be in San Francisco. It's the epicenter of much of my interests, both in psychology/spirituality and in the Internet.
I was scheduled to give one presentation ("The 'Spirit of Evolution' Reconsidered", now available on Integral World—which received an honorary mention in the Constructive Criticism category) and participate in two panels (on "Key Criticisms of Wilber's Work: The Achilles Heel of Integral Theory" and "Is Integral a Mass Movement or an Elitist Pursuit?"). Further, I attended sessions on global warming (Zimmerman), ethics (Roger Walsh), spiritual development (Dustin DiPerna), progress in evolution (Steve McIntosh), states and stages (Terri O'Fallon) and the meta-theory panel (moderated by Tom Murray).
As mentioned, the polarization between the integral establishment and Integral World seemed to have run its course. At the time of Wyatt Earp, the academic initiatives headed by Sean Esbjörn-Hargens and Mark Forman were getting underway (leading to an online integral university program, an academic journal and the integral theory conferences). By actively inviting critical voices to these conferences, it's organizers intended to build bridges burnt in the past. I welcomed this gesture, and meeting these two guys in person only strengthened my confidence that much could be accomplished in the future.
In their opening speech they outlined a trajectory of integral discourse, that went beyond what they saw as the "Wilber-dominated" or "Wilber-centric" phase of 2000-2005 (as part of Wilber-V). Refering to the first Integral Theory Conference of 2008, they stressed that at that time the panel discussing the vexed question "Does Wilber Equal Integral?" unanimously answered this question with a resounding NO. Wilber and integral should be decoupled, was the general feeling at the time. My own feeling at that time was (perhaps surprisingly to many), that even if many past and present models and views could be called "integral", to me Ken Wilber was still the biggest star in the integral universe. To all practical intents and purposes, integral theory is very much Wilberian theory. So a focus on Ken Wilber would still be highly relevant to me. How would we have to characterize that focus?
Integral Theory Report
Jeff Meyerhoff
I attended the 2010 Integral Theory Conference, presented a paper and was a panelist on the “Key Criticisms of Wilber's Work” panel. Here are some off-the-cuff (hopefully not to “pop”) sociological observations of the proceedings and the integral community. The analysis is oriented toward the questions of where integralism, and specifically Wilberian integralism, finds itself and what the inclusion of previously excluded critics means.
Was the inclusion of critical voices a form of critical tokenism—a cosmetic gesture—or was it a real attempt to include strong criticism into the fold? Strong criticism is criticism of the kind integral theory would face if evaluated by academic scholars. My sense is that there is ambivalence about criticism; both a real desire for criticism and some tokenism are occurring, but the real desire for criticism is the stronger.
The real desire for criticism of Wilber's integral theory is evident in a number of ways: Sean Esbjorn-Hargens recent call for papers for a book of integral criticism; the openness to Frank Visser, other critics and I at the conference; Frank's presentation of his conclusive critique of Wilber's strange aversion to the reigning Neo-Darwinian Synthesis (certainly by Wilber's standards one of the dominant methodologies and theories of human knowledge); Frank being given an honorable mention at the awards and, what seemed to me, a sincere appreciation from Hargens; and, on the panel entitled “Is Integral a Mass Movement or Elitist Pursuit?,” Mark Forman's gritty level-headedness and desire to confront the realities of integral theory in facing the real world, in contrast to Marc Gafni's impressively articulate, passionate and rhetorically effective, but unconvincing advocacy of Wilberian integralism (the audience had to restrain itself from breaking out in applause after each of Gafni's inspirational mini-oratories).
All of these actions show a real desire for the critical inquiry that integral theory needs to have a chance to become a part of academia.
On the other hand—the other side of the ambivalence—my sense was there was a desire to mitigate the impact of the criticism by interpreting it curiously as an affirmation of Wilber's position. During the panel of critics of Wilber on which I participated I countered comments that seemed inaccurate whether they were critical or supportive of Wilber. But asserting that Wilber has a response to a criticism is not that same as saying that that response is the last word. It's simply to play the game of rational argumentation in the way it should be played, which is to try to formulate argument and counter-argument as strongly as possible. The goal is not to have your side win, the goal is to have the best argument prevail. During the awards ceremony Hargens, perhaps half-jokingly, exulted in the fact that even the critics of Wilber panel were supportive of Wilber and mentioned me by name. But that wasn't the case. This, similar comments, and the still yawning divide between integralworld.net criticism and the Wilberian integralists are evidence of the aversion to engaging strong criticism.
There's good reason to be concerned about strong criticism.
Read the whole article.
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