History of the Critical Theory - Integral Theory Dialogues

Discussion

Nicholas H. Hedlund et al. :

"We present the historical context of the symposium series between Critical Realism (CR) and Integral Theory (IT), which provides more details to the general outline provided by Roy Bhaskar in his opening remarks in the Preface. We have chosen to provide a detailed overview of the encounter between these two schools of thought because we feel that it provides disclosure with respect to the method of exploratory-dialogical encounter from which the contents of this book were largely derived. We also feel that a more detailed historical overview can offer value in by potentially informing other similar initiatives. This volume — and its sister volume Metatheory for the Anthropocene: Emancipatory Praxis for Planetary Flourishing (R. Bhaskar, Esbjörn-Hargens, Sean, Hedlund, Nick, Hartwig, Mervyn, forthcoming, 2016)—are among the many exciting results of over four years of deep dialogical engagement between two communities of scholar-practitioners: that of critical realism, on the one hand, and integral theory, on the other. The books, in many ways, can be seen as the result of systematic exploration and inquiry into the relationship of two of the planet’s most comprehensive integrative metatheories and how each might be impacted and transformed through such an encounter; we were curious to see what kind of ‘mutant hybrid-offspring’ might be born through their cross-pollination, and how they might mutually empower each other with respect to real-world engagement vis-à-vis the complex global challenges of the 21st-Century.

Thus, this book and its sister volume can be seen as a report of the results of employing an integrative methodology of dialogical engagement and cross-pollination of two schools of metatheoretical thought in the context of four symposia over the course of four years. We will describe highlights of each of the symposia in turn."

(https://www.academia.edu/26063515/On_the_Deep_Need_for_Integrative_Metatheory_in_the_21st_Century)

More on the four symposia via [1]

Documentation

"A number of academic articles in both Journal of Critical Realism and the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice were published that extended and deepened the engagement.

• The Journal of Critical Realism published three articles inspired by the symposium. These are
  • Paul Marshall’s “The Meeting of Two Integrative Metatheories”,
  • Timothy Rutzou’s “Integral Theory: A Poisoned Chalice?”, and
  • Hans Despain's “Integral Theory: The Salubrious Chalice?”

Marshall’s article offers a fine overview of the points of connection and divergence between critical realism and integral theory and a constructive vision of how the two approaches might interact in mutually enhancing ways.

Rutzou’s article essays a philosophical critique of integral theory from a critical realist perspective.

Despain’s article analyses the potential theoretical benefits offered by integral theory. While endorsing some of Rutzou’s points, it argues that integral theory offers much to critical realism in the form of developmental theories, cultural anthropology and transpersonal psychology.

• The Journal of Integral Theory and Practice published four articles on critical realism and its relationship to integral theory:
  • Paul Marshall’s “Toward an Integral Realism: Part I: An Overview of Transcendental Realist Ontology” and ** “Ken Wilber on Critical Realism;”
  • Roy Bhaskar’s “Considerations on ‘Ken Wilber on Critical Realism’;” and
  • Ken Wilber’s “In Defense of Integral Theory: A Response to Critical Realism”

Marshall’s first article discusses how integral theory might benefit from critical realism by providing an in-depth overview of critical realism’s foundational transcendental realist ontology, including a review of relevant background philosophies informing it.

Marshall’s second article was written as a summary for Roy Bhaskar of Ken Wilber’s position on critical realism. The article was based on an exchange between Marshall and Wilber as a part of the journal review process.

Bhaskar’s article is a response to Marshall’s summary, which was hoped to have initiated a more direct conversation between Bhaskar and Wilber.

Wilber’s article was written as a long endnote for his forthcoming book, Volume 2 of the Kosmos Trilogy, prior to his ‘exchanges’ with Marshall and Bhaskar, and originally posted on the Integral Life website: https://www.integrallife.com.

• In early 2014, the Journal of Critical Realism published two additional articles furthering the CR-IT debate:
  • Timothy Rutzou’s “Integral Theory and the Search for the Holy Grail: On the Possibility of a Metatheory”, ** Hans Despain’s “Integral Theory and the Search for Earthly Emancipation: On the Possibility of Emancipatory and Ethical Personal Development.”

• Initially conceived as a single anthology, in the Spring 2014 the burgeoning length of the book provoked us to propose that the original book be split into two stand alone volumes: the present one, and its aforementioned companion Metatheory for the Anthropocene: Emancipatory Praxis for Planetary Flourishing

(forthcoming, Routledge, 2016)

While this book takes up a more theoretical focus, Metatheory for the Anthropocene is concerned, as the title implies, with questions of a more applied, practice-oriented nature."