Wilber's Integral Philosophy: A Summary and Critique

• Published in: The Journal of humanistic psychology Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 364 - 388
• Main Author: Paulson, Daryl S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-07-2008; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Attitudes; Humanism; Philosophy; Pragmatism; Spirituality; Worldview; existential; transpersonal; practice; humanistic; philosophy; integral
• ISSN: 0022-1678; 1552-650X
• DOI: 10.1177/0022167807309748

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.