Ken Wilber - basic concepts

Victor MacGill (macgill@es.co.nz)

Holon

A Holon is a part of the universe which is complete and consistent in itself, but is also an necessary integral part of a greater system which encompasses it.

E.g. Atoms are a holon. Atoms are complete in themselves. They have a consistent form that can be relied to be the same no matter where they are found. Atoms however can join together to form molecules. Molecules are made of atoms. Molecules encompass atoms. Molecules are more complex than atoms. Molecules are holons because they are complete and consistent within themselves and because they can be organised into a basic living cell. Cells are holons which can form a body organ. Body organs can form a complete being...etc

Levels of Consciousness

Life proceeds through a series of stages. Each stage is a holon which includes the level before it and is included in the level after it. We must move from one level to the next. We cannot skip levels. For example: In terms of inner development there are four basic steps. These four can be extended with subgroups to seven steps which align with our chakra system. Using Wilber's spectrum, extended even more, so many of the systems desribing levels of consciousness can be included within a consistent whole.

Four Quadrants

There are four aspects to each level of consciousness. We must first consider the Individual and the Collective aspects as well as the interior and exterior.
When joined we get four aspects:
Individual
Interior		 Individual
Exterior
Collective
Interior
(Cultural)		 Collective
Exterior
(Social)

All four quadrants must operate efficiently and in balance for the system to operate well.
Eg For any society to operate well it must cater for:

If any of these needs are not met chaos will ensue in that society.

As we evolve and grow along the spectrum of consciousness, any distortion of the balance of the quadrants will affect the system in a way that is consistent with the level of growth at which the distortion occurred.

Eg In today's world we have denied the outer needs of our planet earth. We pollute our planet. The result of this imbalance is the destruction of the outer form of our planet.

Hegel's Dialectic

Aristotle first developed the idea of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. Hegel later rephrased this as a Dialectic. Whenever something new arises (thesis), such as when we arrive at a new level of being, a shadow will also develop that seems to contradict it(antithesis). These two opposing aspects must be understood from a more encompassing understanding that embraces the thesis and the antithesis (synthesis)

This process describes how growth along the spectrum of consciousness happens. We begin on something new. we struggle to understand it. Wilber calls this stage pre-conventional. As we do come to understand it we become conventional. But, as we come to understand it, the antithesis appears and we realise the thesis was not fully correct and we must move on to the post-conventional when we go beyond the previous understanding - and the synthesis.

Eg: When slavery first appeared in the pre-conventional stage it appeared to be a wonderful new innovation. It enable structure like the pyramids to be built and was an integral part of the social fabric of societies for several more millennia when it was accepted - when it was conventional. Eventually we came to realise that slavery was not a good thing and it's use was abolished. We then reached the post-conventional stage.

Flatland

Wilber uses the term flatland to describe what happens when one or more of the quadrants is ignored or undervalued. Science describes our external world. Science is a world view that measures our 'reality'. Whatever can't be measured in some way is deemed to be unreal or valueless. Values, feelings and intuition have no part in the scientific world. Scientists have created a flat land where the whole left side of the four quadrants have been flattened into the right. the more science does this (thesis) the more there is a reaction from people not prepared to live in such a polluted flatland (antithesis).

We can also create a flat land when we cut ourselves off from higher levels of development. A tribal society generally makes a sharp distinction between those who are in the group and those who are outside the group. They create a flatland by denying equal status to outsiders. There are usually strict rules governing enforcing co-operation within the group such as a ban on violence to members but an encouragement of violence towards outsiders, especially if they may be a threat. They have created a flat land by ignoring the common humanity we share.

Where we went wrong in the West

Our scientific view of life has created a severe flatland. In science there is no 'I'. A scientist doesn't say, "I ran an experiment" but rather,"an experiment was run". The scientist has disappeared. There is no room for thoughts and feelings only measurements of what is out there. The left hand interior side of the quadrants has been denied and flatlanded into the right. The material side of life is all important not the internal and spiritual. The inner world has been left and we have lost the link to our unity in the world. Gaia has been lost and she is beginning to complain.

Descending/Ascending

Life is the ebb and flow of two currents. Ascending energy is male dominated and seeks to reach the heavens by denying the physical. Christianity is fundamentally an ascending religion. Ascending energy avoids emotions. Descending energy is female dominated and seeks to bring heaven down to earth. Goddess religions are descending religions. descending energy expresses itself through emotions.

In life we need a balance of ascending and descending energy. We need to soar to new heights, but keep our feet firmly on the earth. We can also flatland by denying one of the two currents of energy.

PIERS
Clement

28 March 1998

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