Integral philosopher Henri Bergson was among the first to understand the vital role of the evolutionary impulse, writing: “Consciousness appears as the motivating principle of evolution.” It drives development and results in “the mobility of the real.”
As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote: “The Universal and personal grow in the same direction and culminate simultaneously in each other.” Each life expresses this principle through its microcosmic, self-similar enactment of the entire process of the evolving universe as a whole.
Process philosopher Alfred North Whitehead defined evolution overall as: *an increase in the capacity to experience what is intrinsically valuable.* This consciousness-centric definition of evolution remains one of my favorite ideas in all philosophy.
Loved this conversation with Steve McIntosh about evolution, free will, and human nature
@InstCulturalEvo @stephlepp
https://www.carterphipps.com/2023/01/23/steve-mcintosh-does-human-nature-evolve/
Listening to "Steve McIntosh: Does Human Nature Evolve?" at
Steve McIntosh: Does Human Nature Evolve? - Thinking Ahead with Carter Phipps
Steve McIntosh is already a regular guest on this podcast, and that’s no accident. Steve and I have been c...
www.buzzsprout.com
Listening to "Integral Conversations: Culture Wars and Human Progress with Jeff Salzman" at
Integral Conversations: Culture Wars and Human Progress with Jeff Salzman - Thinking Ahead with Carter Phipps
As my regular listeners will know, I’m deeply influenced by the perspective known as Integral philosophy, and ...
www.buzzsprout.com
Meme Lords Deserve More Respect, by @garysheng
Meme Lords Deserve More Respect
Why America's Future May Depend on Terminally-Online, Digital-Native Content Creators
open.substack.com
Join the Developmental Alliance!
We're a growing community who identifies with the developmental perspective on politics & culture, and we meet for monthly dialogues on Zoom. We'd previously kept the group small, but we're now opening up. Join us: http://developmentalist.org/join-the-developmental-alliance
✨EXCITING JOB ALERT✨
The Institute for Cultural Evolution is hiring! @InstCulturalEvo is devoted to evolving consciousness and culture in America. I'm our Executive Director, and we're hiring for roles in communications and operations. Join us: http://culturalevolution.org/careers
We're hiring!
The Institute for Cultural Evolution is devoted to evolving consciousness and culture in America. We're hiring for roles in communications and operations. We're looking for people ready to grow with us. Perfect for you or someone you know?: http://culturalevolution.org/careers
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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.