Anyone out there familiar with the philospher Ken Wilber?

[DuaneBidoux]

I tried posting on the Philosophy boards but I don't think it's very active over there.

[bbernardini]

1. I'm familiar with his pal, Stuart Davis.

Does that count? :)

[DuaneBidoux]

11. Do you have a link for his pal? It might count.

[bbernardini]

13. www.stuartdavis.com. Also, check out www.integralnaked.com.

[OneBlueSky]

2. for some reason, the name rings a bell in connection with . . .

"A Course in Miracles" . . . but it's been awhile, and I don't recall much about him . . .

[DuaneBidoux]

4. Well if your a complete unabashed modernist it may seem

like a course in miracles. He is very materialistic but believes that as long as trans-rational globalists (probably like half the people in DU) don't accept that they must SHOW the path to get enlightened we will not be able to expect more from the world than what we are getting.

I in fact am not superstitious (agnostic) and am fairly materialistic. He is too, but he is working to synthesize many disparate parts of philosophy and to create a functional model of spirituality that will take care of evolutionary needs for which religion has now become maladaptive. So far in my head anyway it seems to be adding up, but he is a tough read. I'm prepared to say it may be nothing more than a mental model and have no bearing in actual physical reality, but I am looking for folks who are more familiar that I can hang out with either online or in person.

[Beam Me Up]

7. I know someone who may know him personally.

She's a Profesor of Transformative Learning at the California Institute of Integral Studies. I'm pretty sure she does. She just left for Italy for two weeks but if you private me I'll see if I can get more information to you when she gets back. He probably has a blog or list somewhere.

[DuaneBidoux]

10. Yea' I've googled but not found anything....

I know when he was writing Sex Ecology and Spirituality he didn't see anyone for three years (except his doctor, or so he says) so I don't think he spends a lot of time out of his head...but that is just a supposition.

[Beam Me Up]

23. Yes. I'm sure you're right.

My friend may know something. There cold be groups of people who are studying his ideas. If there are, she may know. She is an academic--in the scholastic tradition--and studies the influences 'Eastern' ideas have on the West. She is considered 'the' authority on Hindu movements in the United States, for example. However, her interests are rather broad. If she, herself, doesn't know, she probably knows someone who does.

Can you say more about what it is that you find so compelling about Wilbur's thoughts?

[Just Me]

9. He sounds far from synthesizing philosophy, spirituality and evolution.

His name rings a bell. However, I've done a lot of varied reading.

My impression from your post about him is that the guy isn't worth reading. Sounds like he's making shit up to validate his materialism. What happens to all the human beings, including himself, who don't enjoy the materialistic excesses that the greed-obsessed appear to lavish upon themselves? What kind of relationships can be built around a core of materialism?

Sorry. The guy sounds like a shallow schmuck.

On edit: I wanted to add that your poster is VERY impactful! WOW!!!

[The River]

16. You Couldn't Be More Wrong

Even his critics think he is one of the most disciplined
and original thinkers of our times. He discovered/created a working model
or framework if you will, that offers a chance to understand damn near
everything going on in the world today.
It's about the evolution of both matter and spirit as well as
our personal interiors and social exteriors since the beginning
of "time".
He is a very academic read. It helps to have a through
understanding of Trans-personal psych (I have) and years of time to devote to it (I did). Being a Buddhist helps as well.
He is beyond Modernism and post modernism. Materialsim is only a "thing". He has opened a door to trans-rational thinking in an age when "rationality" has brought us to the edge of extinction.

Your off-handed dismissal is something I would expect at FR,
not here.

[DuaneBidoux]

19. You don't understand him at all. When I say "materialistic"

I'm talking in the sense of Marxism in that he believes the structure of production, the structure of the economic sytem impacts things such as equal rights for women etc. He's not saying consumption is good, in fact his point is that we are destroying the earth with excess consumption.

You might want to learn a little more about him before such rash comments.

[autorank]

3. Yes, it was some time ago. Is he an influence on your life now?

[flakey_foont]

5. I read some of his works

several years ago....

[bigmonkey]

6. Well, am I the best qualified?

I'm a big fan, read (or am reading) all his latest books, and took a semester course where we studied only "Sex, Ecology, Spirituality". Does that count?

[DuaneBidoux]

8. DAMN tootin' that counts...

Is there a way to send a private message?

God i'm having an awful time posting right now. In fact I can barely manage to stay on most of the time. Hope this one goes.

[daa]

12. If you use Microsoft search results clustering here

http://wsm.directtaps.net/default.aspx
and put in Ken Wilber you will find many categories of links.

[The River]

14. Very Very Familiar w/his works

going on 10 years now.
Many of the worlds leaders are reading his works
I can't seem to stir any interest here.
What would you like to know?
What can you tell me?

On Edit...some links

http://wilber.shambhala.com

http://noosphere.cc/integralpolitics12.html

http://www.worldofkenwilber.com/

[bigmonkey]

15. Put me on the list.

Another DUer who wants to discuss how Wilber relates to what is happening in the world.

[The River]

17. I wish we had a list...

or even a wilbur group in the special interest section.
I was part of a Meetup.com Wibur group that met locally.
Lot of interesting ppl.

The more people that understand him, the better
we would all be. Ater 50+ years of asking
questions, it all finaly makes sense

[bigmonkey]

20. Can we do such a thing?

Set one up?

[The River]

22. If enough people ask for one...I think.

I'm not up on all the procedures...
I mostly browse...seldom post

[DuaneBidoux]

18. Is there like a user group dedicated?

I'm interested in how is work is being used for further foundational research and am interested in perhaps using some of his work as a foundation for a sci-fi novel about transformation of the world.

[bigmonkey]

21. DuaneBidoux, did you get my message? n/t

[DuaneBidoux]

24. Yes but I didn't understand it.