View Posts by Author
Recently, I fulfilled a long-held dream and launched a podcast, Thinking Ahead. The weekly show explores the movements, trends, people, and ideas that are shaping our evolving world–a description that’s broad enough to encompass my many eclectic interests. As an unapologetic generalist, I love having the opportunity to interview a diverse range of thinkers, from business and politics to science and technology to consciousness and spirituality. I also love having a new justification for my insatiable book-buying habit.
The podcast is also a critical forum for advancing and exploring the ideas and political approaches that this Institute was founded to pursue. To this end, it has given me the chance to reprise the series of dialogues that began my friendship and collaboration with my ICE cofounder Steve McIntosh, more than a decade ago. After I read the manuscript for Steve’s first book back in 2007, I invited him to discuss the ideas it contained, and one conversation quickly turned into two, and into ten. In those dialogues, the seeds of this Institute were sown, and I’m delighted to have a new platform to continue this evolving conversation. I interviewed Steve for my two most recent episodes, on the topics of politics, polarization, and ICE’s “post-progressive project.” If you’re interested in the work of this Institute, and the essential work of developing cultural intelligence, listen to the episodes at the links below. Enjoy!
Steve McIntosh Part 1: Cultural Intelligence and the Roots of Polarization
Steve McIntosh Part 2: Toward a Post-Progressive Golden Age
Check out all the latest episodes of the Thinking Ahead podcast and subscribe here: Thinking Ahead
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Institute for Cultural Evolution
743 Pine Street
Boulder, Colorado 80302 USA
The Institute for Cultural Evolution is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
Facebook Nonprofit Page
Twitter
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
Our Privacy Promise to you
Since our inception in 2013, ICE has invited our stakeholders to join our email list to receive updates and announcements on our progress as a think tank. Email addresses are securely held by Mail Chimp email service, which ensures the ability to quickly and permanently unsubscribe from our email list at any time. Character Development Exercise results and Worldview Questionnaire results are stored on our secure server.
We respect your confidentiality
ICE ensures that your email address, as well as the data you enter on our website, is held in strict confidence. We will only use your information for its intended nonprofit purpose. We do not sell or trade your information to other organizations or individuals.
We protect your information
ICE takes every reasonable measure to insure that your information is not compromised in any way. Our privacy promise extends online to our Internet website. Online information is transmitted via a secure server using encryption technology. If you choose to send us email, we may retain the contents of your email message, our reply and your email address as part of our ongoing customer service efforts. We reserve the right to contact you after you have contacted us and may send future email to you about ICE. You may unsubscribe to discontinue electronic communication from us at any time.
We keep accurate records
Upon request in writing we will remove your personal information from our databases, except where legislation or regulation requires our retention of it (for example, charitable giving history tied to income tax receipts.)
If you have any questions about our website or our Privacy Promise, please contact the ICE office by email at info@culturalevolution.org.
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.
Hi Doug,
In many respects, this Institute was formed to answer exactly this question. I hope we can demonstrate many applications of this political approach and practical solutions in the coming years.
I find your ideas intriguing.
Do you have examples where they have been applied in a practical way?
DKG