Educational Imperatives for the Evolution of a Postformal-Integral-Planetary Consciousness

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* Article: Evolving education: a postformal-integral-planetary gaze at the evolution of consciousness and the educational imperatives. By Jennifer M. Gidley, OIA, January 2008

URL = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47374341_Evolving_education_a_postformal-integral-planetary_gaze_at_the_evolution_of_consciousness_and_the_educational_imperatives

"Chapter Two provides a macrohistorical context for understanding the relationships among education, evolution of consciousness and culture. ... Chapter Four draws out significant features of the new consciousness and distils new understandings of evolution in a form suitable for engaging the current education discourse. Chapter Five contributes significant new perspectives to educational philosophy."


Abstract

"This conceptual dissertation is both a study of, and an enactment of, the evolution of consciousness for the purpose of evolving education. The research draws attention to and situates itself within four complex, interlinked challenges: the current planetary crisis; the epistemological crisis underpinning it; the global youth problematique; and the inadequacy of the modernist, formal education model to meet these challenges. The research aims to identify and elucidate a new movement of consciousness through integrating and cohering literature on postformal, integral and planetary consciousness in conversation with literature from a variety of postformal pedagogies. It does so through what I refer to as postformal research, which I distinguish from formal research in numerous ways. The most obvious ways in which this dissertation differs from a standard social sciences dissertation is that it interweaves three different types of text throughout the dissertation: the five main chapters; the Prologue, Metalogue and Epilogue; and the reflective narratives—Prelude, Interludes and Coda. These three types of text are each visibly distinguished by a colour-coded facing sheet.The five main chapters are academic publications, developed and published as part of the research process. The key research focii of the dissertation are addressed in each of these five chapters.

Chapter One identifies features of the youth problematique and the broad cultural pedagogical context surrounding it, through a layered analysis of causal factors.

Chapter Two provides a macrohistorical context for understanding the relationships among education, evolution of consciousness and culture.

Chapter Three undertakes a broadening and deepening of the evolution of consciousness discourse through incorporating integral theoretic approaches including heterodox evolutionary narratives that offer alternative interpretations to classical Darwinism. In this chapter, I engage in an integral hermeneutic analysis of the evolutionary writings of Rudolf Steiner and Ken Wilber in the light of Jean Gebser’s structures of consciousness. I weave an epic but pluralistic narrative tapestry created from an interweaving of these three alternative views of evolution.

Chapter Four draws out significant features of the new consciousness and distils new understandings of evolution in a form suitable for engaging the current education discourse.

Chapter Five contributes significant new perspectives to educational philosophy. This final chapter offers an aesthetic-philosophic alternative to scientism for present and future cultural pedagogical practice by identifying four core values that are seeds for evolving education in line with emerging shifts in consciousness.

In addition to the five chapters, the Prologue introduces the research, provides an overview of the dissertation and a preliminary discussion of my substantive content, the evolution of consciousness, and my pragmatic interest in futures of cultural pedagogical practice. The Metalogue discusses my integral evolutionary philosophy, my transdisciplinary epistemology, my complex methodology of theoretic bricolage and my objective-subjective role as researcher.

Finally the Epilogue summarises the significance and limitations of my research, evaluates it, and offers some suggestions for further research and closing reflections. It is proposed that a more conscious evolution of cultural pedagogical practice informed by postformal-integral-planetary consciousness may be more responsive to addressing the crises and complexities of the future."


Contents

  • "Chapter One identifies features of the youth problematique and the broad cultural pedagogical context surrounding it, through a layered analysis of causal factors.
  • Chapter Two provides a macrohistorical context for understanding the relationships among education, evolution of consciousness and culture.
  • Chapter Three undertakes a broadening and deepening of the evolution of consciousness discourse through incorporating integral theoretic approaches including heterodox evolutionary narratives that offer alternative interpretations to classical Darwinism. In this chapter, I engage in an integral hermeneutic analysis of the evolutionary writings of Rudolf Steiner and Ken Wilber in the light of Jean Gebser’s structures of consciousness. I weave an epic but pluralistic narrative tapestry created from an interweaving of these three alternative views of evolution.
  • Chapter Four draws out significant features of the new consciousness and distils new understandings of evolution in a form suitable for engaging the current education discourse.
  • Chapter Five contributes significant new perspectives to educational philosophy. This final chapter offers an aesthetic-philosophic alternative to scientism for present and future cultural pedagogical practice by identifying four core values that are seeds for evolving education in line with emerging shifts in consciousness."


Detailed ToC

Prelude 1

The Interludes: Introducing the Reflective Narratives 2

PROLOGUE 3

  • 4. Pragmatic Interest: Futures of Cultural Pedagogical Practice 42

Interlude One: Conceptual Influences on my Educational Philosophy 67

CHAPTER ONE: Giving Hope back to our Young People

Interlude Two: Encountering Integral 84

CHAPTER TWO: Spiritual Epistemologies and Integral Cosmologies: Transforming Thinking and Culture 85

Interlude Three: A Postmodern Turn to Pluralism 114

METALOGUE 115


Interlude Four: The Integration of Integrals 171

CHAPTER THREE: The Evolution of Consciousness as a Planetary Imperative:

An Integration of Integral Views 173

Interlude Five: Educational Aporias, Dialogues and Coherences 397

CHAPTER FOUR: Educational Imperatives of the Evolution of Consciousness:

  • The Integral Visions of Rudolf Steiner and Ken Wilber 398
  • Educational Context—Pre-modern, Modern and Postmodern Approaches (article p. 119)
  • Evolution of Consciousness—Circles within Circles (article p. 121)
  • So what is Integral Consciousness? An Interweaving of Characterisations (article p. 124)
  • What might Steiner Education ! Wilber’s Integral have to Offer? (article p. 126)
  • An Educational Voice for Love, Life and Wisdom (article p. 130)

Interlude Six: Finding my Aesthetic-Philosophic Voice 418

CHAPTER FIVE: Educating for Evolving Consciousness: Voicing the Emergency for Love, Life and Wisdom

  • From Formal Schools to Postformal-integral-planetary Pedagogies 422
  • Linking Evolution of Consciousness Themes with Postformal Educational Approaches
  • Pedagogical Love 427
  • Pedagogical Life 430
  • Pedagogical Wisdom 433
  • Pedagogical Voice 435

Interlude Seven: The Paradox of Open Closure 449


Appendices

APPENDIX 2: Introduction and Critical Review of Steiner and Wilber 504

APPENDIX 3: An Educational Application of Steiner’s Philosophy 526

  • Gidley, J. (In Press). Beyond Homogenisation: Do Alternative Pedagogies such as Steiner Education have anything to offer an Emergent Global/ising World?

APPENDIX 4: An Educational Application of Wilber’s Integral Theory 544

  • Gidley, J. & Hampson, G. (2005). The Evolution of Futures in School Education