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HISTORY
MAJOR TRADITIONS METAPHYSICAL AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS
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Everything must be placed into the context of the One" A Collaborative Project of The Global Resonance Network
Politics: The process by which groups of people make
decisions. - Wikipedia Integral
Politics – The Matrix
November 10, 2007 Filegroup 100969 Leave this document defined in
Word 2007 .docx format, and save in compatibility mode when necessary This is a draft document, in
progress, changing and growing and assimilating new factors and ideas. CONTENTS 1. Introduction…………………………..……..1 2. Overview and content of this outline…..….4 3. Integral politics
outline…………………......6 1. Introduction This
document is a framework that is intended to grow over time, adding new content
as ideas find their place within it. The outline moves from an abstract
philosophic review of basic concepts, towards an activist proposal for direct
political action. It begins with a brief
overview of the basic content, and then expands that overview into detailed
specifics. A
primary objective is to provide a comprehensive holistic context for all
factors and aspects that are pertinent to integral politics as it is defined
here, and which might otherwise be overlooked.
There are so many facets to this work that the development of a
comprehensive perspective requires a careful and thoroughly systematic
approach, that can expand over time. WHAT IS INTEGRAL
POLITICS? For
purposes of this discussion, “politics” is defined as it is currently defined
on Wikipedia, as “the process by which groups of people make decisions.” We
are proposing a concept and master-design that can move the human community
through its current evolutionary stage, involving a transition from independent
localities and regions and nations, tending to interact and clash in
competitive and destructive ways, into a single holistic interconnected matrix of creative relationships, that is
held together in unity through a profound ontological/spiritual connection, and
which fully supports the “diversity” of the human community without compromise
or injury to its harmony. Integral
world view – what is it? Some say that
this world view is simply “more holistic, more interconnected, more
comprehensive, more whole”. We are
proposing a more ambitious and “absolute” definition of the integral view,
affirming that within this framework, everything is absolutely recognized as
interconnected and part of a single context, every facet of which is linked to
and in relationship with every other facet. An
“integral politics” as it is conceived in this framework is a politics that is
framed and conceptualized within the context of “The One”, and which bases it
primary tenets and principles of the interconnectivity of all facets and
aspects of our environment and collective social life. THE GUIDING ROLE
OF SPIRIT We
are seeking a way to bring the illuminating energies of spirit and ethics into the
our public life, in ways that can be shared across all borders and boundaries
of culture and ideology and national identity.
In the past, attempts to introduce spiritual or religious ideas into
politics have resulted in “theocracies”, which tend to be highly ideological,
and throughout history have not been successful. VISION OF THE
IDEAL We
are suggesting that a universal form of
natural spiritual guidance emerges out of the context of The One, that this
guidance and sense of balance exists in every human being, and that groups of
human beings can be connected to one another through this energy, and their
collective/shared decisions influenced and guided by it. INTEGRAL
POLITICS IN ACTION We
are envisioning a politics of direct, intimate, and “resonant” interconnection
– driven by an emerging new spirit of trust and listening and co-creativity,
that is motivated and inspired by the shared and collective discovery that the
human community can achieve wonderful things when people come together in a spirit
of listening, co-creation, and collaboration.
We are suggesting that there is a simple and profound universal
spiritual connection between people (and indeed, between all things) that
exists today, and has always existed, and that the conscious and explicit
discovery of tis connection, in a way that can be trusted, can fuel an
explosive transformation of our collective social dialogue, at all levels of
social organization. The
spirit of trust and listening and teamwork can drive an explosion of creativity
that can fuel a renaissance. The
diversity inherent in a global democracy, often seen today as a weakness and a
source of fragmentation and injury, can become a source of power and fertility. When contending and diverse elements are held
in a stable and mutually respectful and creative relationship, the creative
tension in the situation drives creative new solutions. If the people in that context maintain their
relationships with one another, staying open, humble, listening and
accommodating, the collective group dynamic fuels a creative process. On the other hand, when people choose to turn
away from the relationship and close themselves off, they fragment the context,
the creative tension is lost in the situation, the parties come apart into separate
and antagonistic positions, and disruption and destruction results. This principle needs powerful advocates
throughout society, who can teach the power of these ideas to the human
community at large. When we stay in
creative relationship with one another, our collective genius is released. This is one of the most powerful positive
forces in the world, and we can (and must) learn to harness it. GUIDING
PERSPECTIVE AND MOTIVATION Challenge and Potential (this
“fragmentation” is a perspective – it might be natural to say that of course it
is fragmented – Babel – so, maybe what we should be saying is that there is a
positive opportunity emerging now, and that we are working to recognize it and
respond to it. This fragmentation Evolutionary Opportunity This
project is guided and polarized by a broad and inclusive sense that the world
is injured and fragmented, in ways that are increasingly dangerous, and which
can be addressed and “healed” through well-guided and inspired collective
action. This assertion “polarizes” this
discussion, in the sense that it determines what should be included and
why. The fragmentation of the world is a
consequence of many things, including traditional facets of every local culture
that has ever existed, and which have their source in the limited capacities of
individual human minds, and the general tendencies of human beings to be drawn
into fragmented and partial perspectives, in a way consistent with the Hindu
concept of “maya” (illusion – or “measure”).
In this sense, this project can be seen as a grand spiritual/religious
project intended to lead human beings out of maya and illusion, and towards a
promised land of true wisdom and grace. This
outline reviews this situation and proposes a way forward. 1. The guiding lights of history 2. The great voices of political
history 3. The great spirits and prophets
who have shaped and guided the most successful cultures in history THE
TELOLOGICAL/EVOLUTIONARY VISION We
are taking an evolutionary view, suggesting that the history of civilization is
a progressive evolutionary process that moves from less organized and
unconscious to highly organized and very conscious, with many consequences and implications along the way. As civilization becomes more complex,
individual human awareness becomes more complex. We set this evolutionary process within the
context of a divine ontology, which suggests that human evolution is moving
towards a kind of collective spiritual realization, as millions of people, in a
loosely interconnected and psychologically-entrained way, interconnected with
one another through affinity and resonant energies, mutually influence one
another in benign and enlightening and constructive ways. FROM BROAD
DESIGN TO CIRCLE/MATRIX ONTOLOGY Just
a note: this may be the key to the power of this project. The outline is like a funnel, that draws a
broad array of diverse content into a common framework. That framework is refined and structured, and
then is given exacting detail and definition through the epistemology and
ontology sections. The ontology section
could be the absolute knot and integration of the entire thing, showing how the
full spectrum of understanding that is brought together through this framework
is tied together through a single integral theorem – the
circle/matrix/ouroboros ontology…. 1. Overview and Content of this Outline 1.
Development
strategy a.
HOLISTIC
CONTEXT: Create an expandable holistic
context (this outline), for drawing together and organizing all factors that
are relevant to an integral politics.
Continue to research this subject, and insert relevant dimensions into
this framework. b.
DEFINITION
OF BASIC TERMS: Create broad and inclusive definitions of basic terms
(“integral”, “politics”, “integral philosophy”), taken from a review of the
existing work. Confirm and validate that
this information is solid, authoritative, and well-documented c.
PRIMARY
LITERATURE: Review basic literature – especially the books by Ken Wilber, and
issues of What is Enlightenment magazine, looking for themes and aspects that
should be included – and could easily be omitted without a systematic and
thorough approach d.
NEW
DEFINITION BASED ON “THE ONE”: Offer fundamental new definition of the integral
perspective, as based on “The One” e.
INCLUDED
THEME FIT WITHIN THE ONE: Show how all these included themes “fit perfectly”
into this new integral framework f.
TECHNICAL
FACETS – INTEGRAL EMPISTEMOLOGY AND ONTOLOGY: Review further aspects of an
integral epistemology and ontology, providing precise supporting documentation,
and correlation with various aspects of the information sciences (computer
science and engineering, cognitive science). g.
NETWORK
SCIENCE: The role of computers, networks, electronic interconnectivity and the
Internet, all providing conscious and explicit ways to directly connect human
beings to one another. h.
POLITICAL
ACTION PROPOSAL BASED ON THIS MODEL: Generally grow the project into an
activist proposal, based on a comprehensive and systematic foundation. 2.
Definition
of “politics” from various sources a.
Core
definition from Wikipedia, which I personally find succinct and excellent:
“Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions 3.
Definition
of “integral” from various sources 4.
Definition
of “integral politics” from various sources 5.
Our
emerging new definition of Integral Politics
– based on “The One”. How is this
approach a natural extension of the idea as found in the sources we are
reviewing, and how it is an original and “new” concept? a.
We
include a series of new elements, but the essential new concept is that
“integral politics” (or “integral philosophy”), for us, is given an exact and
precise definition, asserting that something that is “integral” is grounded and
framed in “the One”. This is
fundamentally different from the definitions offered by traditional integral
philosophers, who are generally talking about bringing related diverse elements
together into an integrated context --
though the case can be made that this “One” idea is generally consistent
with their intent and vision, and perhaps can be seen as a distilled and
essential interpretation of their core ideas 6.
New
themes to be included, that we have not detected in the existing models and
concepts 7.
Integral
politics in the real world today – exemplars, the movement as it is today, what
has to happen, proposals for action (development of a “network of circles”) 8.
Integral
democracy – what is the ideal form of democracy? 9.
Integral
epistemology – what is included and why? 10. Integral ontology – the law of
the circle, the ouroboros, the circle and the matrix 11. Links and references (Ken Wilber,
WIE, Maps of the Mind, etc. ******************
i.
essential
for completion; necessary to the whole; constituent
ii.
whole,
entire, intact
iii.
mathematics 1.
expressed
or expressible as or in terms of integers. 2.
expressed
as or involving integrals. 3.
complete unit, a whole.
i.
see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_%28philosophy%29
ii.
Integral
thought (also called the integral paradigm, the integral movement, integral
philosophy, the integral worldview, or the integral approach) is a New Age
movement that seeks a comprehensive understanding of humans and the universe by
combining scientific and spiritual insights. The movement originates with the
California Institute of Integral Studies founded in 1968 by Haridas Chaudhuri,
a disciple of Sri Aurobindo.
iii.
A
notable current proponent is Ken Wilber.
Integral thought is claimed to provide "a new understanding of how
evolution affects the development of consciousness and culture".[1]
According to the Integral Transformative Practice website, integral means
"dealing with the body, mind, heart, and soul." Integral thought is seen by proponents as
going beyond rationalism and materialism. It attempts to introduce a more
universal and holistic perspective or approach.
iv.
Proponents
view rationalism as subordinating, ignoring, and/or denying spirituality.
Wilber begins by acknowledging and validating mystical experience, rather than
denying its reality. As these experiences have occurred to humans in all
cultures in all eras, integral theorists accept them as valuable and not
pathological.
i.
Web
site: http://www.ciis.edu/
ii.
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Institute_of_Integral_Studies
The "Integral" of the school's name originally reflected the
mission of the school to synthesize the ideals of East and West. Over time,
this concept has expanded to include a global perspective as well as the
adoption of a holistic approach to education, encompassing "the
intellectual, the experiential, and the applied" where "the interplay
of mind, body, and spirit… connects the spiritual and practical dimensions of
intellectual life."
iii.
This
concept is reflected in the writings of Sri Aurobindo regarding "Integral
Yoga" (purnayoga). Aurobindo intends to harmonize the paths of karma-,
jnana-, and bhakti-yoga as described in the Bhagavad-Gita—roughly speaking,
body, mind, and spirit. The word "integral" in this wider sense has
recently been adopted by various figures in transpersonal psychology, notably
Ken Wilber (who has no connection with CIIS, and has in fact criticized it for
not being integral enough). Within this outlook, spiritual or mystical
experiences are seen as an important aspect of human existence.
i.
What's
"Integral"? It simply means more balanced, comprehensive,
interconnected, and whole. By using
ii.
an
Integral approach—whether it's in business, personal development, art,
education, or spirituality (or any of dozens of other fields)—we can include
more aspects of reality, and more of our humanity, in order to become more
fully awake and effective in anything we do.
iii.
As
you click around, we think you'll see that "Integral" is not only a
"theory of everything," but involves new ways of working, loving,
creating, playing, and interacting in a complex and evolving world—it's a
worldview for the 21st Century.
i.
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_yoga
ii.
Integral
yoga or purna yoga (Sanskrit for full or complete yoga), sometimes also called
supramental yoga, refers in Sri Aurobindo's teachings to the union of all the
parts of one's being with the Divine, and the transmutation of all of their
jarring elements into a harmonious state of higher divine consciousness and
existence.
iii.
Sri
Aurobindo initiated and defined ‘in the early 1900's as ‘a path of integral seeking
of the Divine by which all that we are is in the end liberated out of the
Ignorance and its undivine formations into a truth beyond the Mind, a truth not
only of highest spiritual status but of a dynamic spiritual self-manifestation
in the universe.' [1]
iv.
He
describes the nature and practice of integral yoga in his opus The Synthesis of
Yoga. As the title of that work indicates, his integral yoga is a yoga of
synthesis, intended to harmonize the paths of karma, jnana, and bhakti yoga as
described in the Bhagavad Gita. It can also be considered a synthesis between
Vedanta and Tantra, and even between Eastern and Western approaches to
spirituality.
i.
Steve
McIntosh, p. 66: “McIntosh began to recognize that the integral worldview was
more than just a series of fascinating ideas or interesting trends in
culture. It was, he realized, a
historically new stage of culture, or as he puts it, “a real, authentic social
movement that transcended and included all the problems of the postmodern
worldview and the countercultural scene.
A new kind of cultural organism was beginning to emerge, one that had a
life of its own, and I was beginning to see it with more clarity than ever.”
ii.
In
order to better understand the perspective of integral politics, however, it is
necessary to say a few words about integral philosophy itself. As the name suggests, the integral movement
is attempting to reverse the trend towards fragmentation and specialization
that has gripped so many fields of knowledge in the last century and to pursue
new, integrated, inclusive frameworks that can provide powerful insights into
the evolution of consciousness and culture. In a sense, integral philosophy is
not new, but has been slowly emerging through the thoughts and words of a
number of leading thinkers and researchers….
iii.
And
though it has yet to capture the attention of most professional academic
philosophers, integral theory has
continued to forge ahead through the insights and efforts of brilliant maverick
thinks, most notably theorist Ken Wilber.
Indeed, it is Wilber who is the central organizing force of integralism
today, and his work has helped cohere the many various streams of thought that
make up integral philosophy’s synthesis.
i.
Politics
is the process by which groups of people make decisions. Although the term is
generally applied to behavior within civil governments, politics is observed in
all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious
institutions.
ii.
Politics
consists of "social relations involving authority or power" and
refers to the regulation of a political unit,
and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.
iii.
Political
science (also political studies) is the study of political behavior and
examines the acquisition and application of power. Related areas of study
include political philosophy, which seeks a rationale for politics and an ethic
of public behavior, and public administration, which examines the practices of
governance.
i.
The
art or science of political government; political science
ii.
The
policies, goals, or affairs of a government or of the groups or parties within
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