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On Monday the Washington DC-based Nation Journal published an extensive article on the “polarization movement” entitled: The War On Partisanship, How fighting polarization became its own cause. The article describes the efforts of a wide variety of nonprofits who are working to overcome hyper-partisan polarization and gives special attention to the work of The Institute […]
In our campaign to ameliorate political polarization, we have found our best leverage on this issue by working to evolve the Right and the Left independently on their own terms. This has led to our current efforts to advance a vision of both the “Future of the Right” and the “Future of the Left.” And […]
According to some people, humankind’s current influence on the biosphere has become so extensive that we have entered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. This incipient temporal frame is said to displace the Holocene, the epoch that commenced after the end of the last Ice Age almost 12,000 years ago. Although the idea of the […]
Introduction Political gridlock in Washington is negatively impacting all Americans, and sending a message to the rest of the world that they shouldn’t try to emulate or strive for a democratic system such as ours. Indeed, according to a recent Gallup poll, Americans see “dysfunctional government” as the country’s biggest challenge.1 Polarization, however, has shown […]
As many of the readers of this blog know, the work of the Institute for Cultural Evolution think tank is based on a new way of seeing and understanding known as the “integral” or “evolutionary” perspective. And now ICE directors Steve McIntosh and Jeff Salzman are offering a small in-depth seminar that will help you […]
The ongoing rise of radical Islamism in the twenty-first century is a difficult and dire problem, for which cultural evolution is really the only viable permanent solution. But to overcome this growing threat to world peace and security, not only will Muslims themselves need to evolve, the developed world as a whole will need to grow and mature into a more […]
Hyper-partisan political polarization in America has been described as a “wicked problem” because there are many causes and no straightforward solutions. Although much has been written about the problem, the literature can be loosely divided into four categories: (1) Descriptions of the problem (typically backed by political science research), (2) Structural solutions to the problem […]
On April 23, 2015 the University of Colorado, together with The Institute for Cultural Evolution think tank (ICE), are co-hosting a discussion on the cultural challenges raised by the Islamic world’s relationship with modernity. The event includes two afternoon public lectures on campus, and an evening panel discussion off-campus at Boulder’s Integral Center. Our distinguished […]
The story of how gay marriage has gone from a political impossibility to a cultural reality offers America a practical way forward on the seemingly impossible issue of political gridlock. In his State of the Union address, the president drew a connection between the success of gay marriage and the possibility of ending gridlock in […]
According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans see “dysfunctional government” as the country’s biggest challenge.1 And there is wide agreement that our government has become dysfunctional as a result of hyper-partisan political polarization. While polarization has many causes, the root of the problem is found in our country’s simmering cultural values war that is enmeshed […]
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I’m excited to announce my new 9-week online course on post-progressive politics. It’s being produced in partnership with The Aligned Center: https://thealignedcenter.com/institute/becoming-part-of-the-solution/
At last we turn the page on an ugly chapter in our history. While Biden faces difficult challenges, and while his presidency will inevitably have shortcomings, I’m rooting for his success. Biden is poised to take the first steps toward the higher cultural ground our nation needs.
https://www.dailyevolver.com/2021/01/leading-leaders-to-higher-ground/ If you are interested in executive leader development or leadership in general, here's a great episode just for that! Enjoy!
My article just published in Integral Leadership Review: "Why Centrism Fails and How to Overcome Hyperpolarization"
http://integralleadershipreview.com/17747-12-21-why-centrism-fails-and-how-to-overcome-hyperpolarization/?fbclid=IwAR03NT_o57_1aK71EhK7OPy0q0rMv_-C4GtpbCmZeC9eMxHqPZujO58PzaY
This is the first episode of our new series: Post-Progressive Inquires
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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.
For more on virtues and their relationship with transcendence, see the book Developmental Politics, by this exercise’s author, Steve McIntosh.