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ICE » About Us: Overview » Steve McIntosh

Steve McIntosh

Steve McIntosh

ICE President,
Director, and Senior Fellow

McIntosh is president and cofounder of the ICE think tank. He is a leader in the integral philosophy movement and author of the book: Developmental Politics—How America Can Grow Into a Better Version of Itself, which provides a definitive description of ICE’s unique political perspective. McIntosh’s innovative political thinking has been featured on NPR, USA Today, The Daily Beast, Real Clear Politics, The National Journal, The Hill, and in a wide variety of other media. He has also written numerous influential articles on political evolution. In addition to Developmental Politics, McIntosh has  authored three previous books on integral philosophy, as shown on the right.

McIntosh is also coauthor of Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business, with John Mackey and Carter Phipps.

Prior to cofounding ICE in 2013, McIntosh had a variety of other successful careers, including founding the consumer products company Now & Zen, practicing law with one of America’s largest firms, working as a corporate executive, and Olympic-class bicycle racing. He is an honors graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and the University of Southern California Business School.

Integral Philosophy
McIntosh became a dedicated scholar of philosophy and religion in his teens. He was especially drawn to the evolutionary philosophy of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and later to the work of Alfred North Whitehead, Ken Wilber, and Holmes Rolston. In 2000 he joined Wilber’s Integral Institute think tank, but left on good terms in 2003 in order to make an independent contribution to integral philosophy. His first book, Integral Consciousness, was published in 2007, followed by Evolution’s Purpose in 2012, The Presence of the Infinite in 2015, and Developmental Politics in 2020.

Business Experience
Upon graduating from UVA law school in 1987, McIntosh became a member of the California bar and began practicing corporate law with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, the state’s largest law firm. In 1990, after three years of law practice he was recruited to become Vice President of a start-up environmental products company in Boulder, Colorado called Earth Wise, Inc. Then in 1991, Earth Wise was acquired by Celestial Seasonings tea company where he served as Director of Corporate Development and General Counsel. In 1995, he left his position at Celestial Seasonings to found Now & Zen, Inc., a brand of “natural lifestyle products,” featuring the famous line of Zen Alarm Clocks, which McIntosh conceived, designed, and patented. In 2012, McIntosh stepped down from his position as CEO of Now & Zen to cofound ICE.

Education
After graduating from high school in Los Angeles where he grew up, McIntosh received a bachelor of science in business administration from USC in 1984. His major emphasis was in USC’s Entrepreneur Program, where he received the program’s highest honor: The Best Business Plan Award. Then in 1987 he graduated among the top of his class from the University of Virginia Law School where he served as Articles Editor of the school’s prestigious law review. Since the completion of his formal education he has continued to educate himself through voracious reading and extensive travel.

Other Life Experiences
In the 1970s McIntosh was active in the counter culture, and traveled extensively in Europe. Beginning in 1979 he dedicated himself to bicycle road racing, winning major races throughout North America in 1980 and 1981. Then in 1982 he became a member of the world’s first factory sponsored mountain bike racing team. After finishing law school, he traveled throughout Asia and spent a month in Tibet, reaching the 20,000 foot level on Mt. Everest. McIntosh married in 1989, and had a son, Ian McIntosh, in 1992. He was divorced in 1994, after which he became the sole custodian and primary parent of his son. In 1999 McIntosh met the love of his life, Tehya, whom he married in 2003. In 2005 Tehya gave birth to Peter McIntosh, the couple’s first child and Steve’s second son. Since 2008, the McIntosh’s have divided their time between their Victorian home in downtown Boulder, Colorado, and their desert retreat—an off-the-grid yurt on 5 acres in Castle Valley, near Moab, Utah.

For more on McIntosh’s work visit: www.stevemcintosh.com

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  • Books By Steve McIntosh

    Conscious LeadershipConscious Leadership
    Exploring the vision, virtues, and mindset needed for innovative, value-based leadership in business and society.

    Developmental PoliticsDevelopmental Politics
    This groundbreaking book presents a new “politics of culture” that can overcome hyper-partisan political polarization.

    Evolution's PurposeThe Presence of the Infinite
    brings new light to the important subject of spiritual experience, and the cultural leadership potential of evolutionary spirituality.

    Evolution's PurposeEvolutionʼs Purpose
    presents a fresh and compelling view of the scientific facts of evolution, and shows how a deeper understanding of evolution itself can lead directly to a more evolved world.

    Integral ConsciousnessIntegral Consciousness
    provides an accessible introduction to the power of the integral perspective, while also making a variety of original contributions in the application of integral philosophy to politics and spirituality.

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  • Steve McIntoshFollow

    Steve McIntosh J.D. is a leader in the integral philosophy movement and author of 3 books.

    Steve McIntosh

    Hooray to CA firefighters helping Australia battle fires: “... it takes a village, where it takes all types to make a successful hand crew,” Gude said. “Me, I’m the strong guy [girl],” #goGude #femalefirefighers https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-01-21/us-firefighters-australia-wildfires-adapt

    In connection with the March 1 publication of my book, Developmental Politics, I'm launching a new Twitter account: @developolitics. Follow me to consider how America can overcome hyperpolarization and grow into a better version of itself. #PolticalPolarization #CultureWars

    In order to overcome our divisions, we need to grow further. https://www.culturalevolution.org/docs/ICE-Growing-Out-of-Americas-Divided-Culture.pdf

    Globalism and nationalism are ultimately interdependent http://www.culturalevolution.org/political-campaigns/appreciating-upside-nationalism/

    We need to expand our conception of American political opinion, adding a vertical dimension of development to our idea of political progress

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  • Recent Posts

    • Our Course on Post-Progressive Politics is Making Great Progress
    • Come Join ICE at IEC 2021
    • New Post-Progressive Inquiries on the Daily Evolver Podcast
    • Turning the Page on a New Chapter in American History
    • My New Article: WHY CENTRISM FAILS
  • Recent Tweets

    More of this, please: Very smart people, representing the best of the Modern and Progressive worldviews, respectfully debating the nuances of a primary front in the culture war.

    http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-gets-to-say-with-john-mcwhorter/id1382983397?i=1000514986883

    Most issues, like gun control, push directly against the values of one worldview or another, but it is interesting to find a stuck issue, like campaign finance reform, that is supported by all three major worldviews:

    https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/inside-the-koch-backed-effort-to-block-the-largest-election-reform-bill-in-half-a-century

    We’re now on week 7 of my 9-week course on Post-Progressive Politics. I’m pleased to say our 50 person group has gelled nicely—they’re asking tough questions and making great progress. It’s an honor to be with these fine folks every Wednesday night!

    Wicked problems are so complex, they can’t be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. Regulating social media is a wicked problem that is begging for a post-progressive solution that can see & balance all the conflicting values involved.
    https://www.vox.com/recode/2021/3/24/22349186/facebook-zuckerberg-testimony-section-230-reform-proposal

    Steve McIntosh & Jeff Salzman visit with two young leaders, Gary Sheng & Zoë Jenkins, who are activating higher consciousness in Generation Z through their organization Civics Unplugged.#CivicsUnplugged #GarySheng #ZoëJenkins #JeffSalzman #SteveMcIntosh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q0gFqJ6vFY

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Three specific examples of completed Portraits of the Good

Portraits of the Good Example 1

Example 1 of 3

Portraits of the Good Example 2

Example 2 of 3

Portraits of the Good Example 3

Example 3 of 3

Character Development Exercise


What Does “Transcendence” Mean?

“Transcendence” or “the transcendent” generally refers to the people and things that are ultimately more important than yourself or your perceived self-interest. For example, that which is transcendent for you could include: Your family, humanity, your deepest convictions, the environment, God, Oneness, your country, animals, freedom, adventure, art, science, a better world, or anything you consider authentically “higher.” Your personal ideals of transcendence are grounded in the people and things that you’re dedicated to, and might even lay down your life for, if it became necessary. Your ideals of transcendence therefore help define your life’s higher purposes.

The word transcendence is used in this exercise as an umbrella term that is friendly to both spiritual and secular notions of transcendent higher purposes. In other words, you don’t have to be religious to recognize the significance of transcendent ideals. Our attraction to a greater good that lies beyond ourselves—our ceaseless striving to serve something higher and create something better—is a fundamental part of what makes us human.

The connection between your ideals of transcendence, your virtues, and your basic moral obligations—to self, to others, and to the transcendent—is illustrated by the graphic below. The specific virtues shown in this graphic are the 7 fundamental virtues, but the specific 7 virtues you choose in this exercise may differ from these classical 7.

Virtues Obligations

For more on virtues and their relationship with transcendence, see the book Developmental Politics, by this exercise’s author, Steve McIntosh.