Wilber's Integral Philosophy: A Summary and Critique

An integral philosophy, such as that promoted by Ken Wilber, can be very useful in providing an individual with a wide-scope theory to serve as an orienting worldview and container enabling them to develop their spiritual practices. Wilber's view is particularly useful in that it covers objecti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of humanistic psychology 2008-07, Vol.48 (3), p.364-388
Main Author: Paulson, Daryl S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Humanism
Philosophy
Pragmatism
Spirituality
Worldview
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Summary:An integral philosophy, such as that promoted by Ken Wilber, can be very useful in providing an individual with a wide-scope theory to serve as an orienting worldview and container enabling them to develop their spiritual practices. Wilber's view is particularly useful in that it covers objective, intersubjective, and subjective world spaces at once. Used too rigidly, it can become an overly mechanical process of merely downloading a canned integral program into one's internal operating system. Authentic spirituality, although using theory, argues for developing one's own spiritual practice. In developing one's own practice, the pragmatic writings of Dewey, Peirce, and James can serve as a guide, in that the practice is practiced, is pluralistic, requires participation with others, and is provisional.
ISSN:0022-1678
1552-650X
DOI:10.1177/0022167807309748