Does Andrew Cohen understand Integral?
Posted on May 31st, 2008
by
MrTeacup
On Big Think, the question is asked "What would it take to shift society from materialism?". Cohen's answer is spiritual realization or failing that, global catastrophe. This is pretty shocking coming from someone who advertises himself as Integral.
Materialism can mean many things -- it could mean Orange values, or it could refer to Maslow's deficiency needs (physiological, safety, social, esteem needs) as a whole - everything between Magenta and Green. Either way you define it, its impossible to eliminate and an Integral perspective understands that materialism has its place.
In the end, we have to recognize Cohen's perspective for what it is - Green values. Predictably, Green often has an adversarial relationship to Orange, critiquing it and pointing out how it fails, sometimes obsessively. The joy of rising to a higher level is sometimes accompanied by disdain for the previous level and the perception that it is an oppressive force, but it seems profoundly narcissistic to take those tensions that one encounters in one's personal growth, and project them on to a cosmic scale, where the fate of the entire human race depends on overcoming the previous level of development.
Materialism can mean many things -- it could mean Orange values, or it could refer to Maslow's deficiency needs (physiological, safety, social, esteem needs) as a whole - everything between Magenta and Green. Either way you define it, its impossible to eliminate and an Integral perspective understands that materialism has its place.
In the end, we have to recognize Cohen's perspective for what it is - Green values. Predictably, Green often has an adversarial relationship to Orange, critiquing it and pointing out how it fails, sometimes obsessively. The joy of rising to a higher level is sometimes accompanied by disdain for the previous level and the perception that it is an oppressive force, but it seems profoundly narcissistic to take those tensions that one encounters in one's personal growth, and project them on to a cosmic scale, where the fate of the entire human race depends on overcoming the previous level of development.

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