Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1016192 in Books
• Published on: 1995-02-28
• Released on: 1995-02-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 816 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This is the first in a projected set of three volumes charting recent thought in the title's interrelated areas, the title itself being a slight misnomer since sex and ecology are the foci of the forthcoming volumes. Here, however, Wilber elaborates at great length several contemporary systematic theories concerned with the biological, psychological, spiritual and metaphysical aspects of life and the various evolutionary stages of each. He then offers an overview of spiritual practices that can lead to an evolved "omega point" of consciousness. Wilber, a transpersonal psychologist and the author of No Boundary, among other works, has unfortunately tried too hard to cram everything possible into this massive undertaking. The result is that even the hundreds of pages of notes (sometimes useful, sometimes merely repetitive) become a mass of ideas and names. Wilber is a well-read, sophisticated and energetic thinker; yet his style veers from the discursively expansive to the overly condensed. Those seeking A Theory of Everything will be more than satisfied. For others, the book's sheer length and lack of organization may make this a very frustrating read.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This is a sprawling synthesis of evolutionary and "systems" theory from the Presocratics to Piaget, permeated by the mysticism of Plotinus. Odd as it may seem for a book with more than 500 pages of text and 200 of notes, it suffers from a tendency to make unsubstantiated or inadequately referenced claims, especially in passing references to various feminisms and postmodernisms. But the reader can take this to be one aspect of the book's oral character: it reads like a composition dictated and transcribed. That is a strength as well as a weakness, since it imparts a lively and passionate tone to a text that could become simply tedious. The book's greatest strengths are its ambitious scope and its relentless attention to the materialist flattening of evolutionary and developmental theories in Western tradition. Wilber follows earlier devotees of Plotinus in insisting on a world composed not of parts and wholes but of wholes that are also parts and parts that are also wholes--wholes within wholes, remarkably similar to the "monads" of Anne Conway and Leibniz. Given a widespread hunger for spirituality and a widespread misunderstanding of materialist readings of development, even a flawed attempt to deepen developmental perspectives with developmental insights from mysticism is a step in the right direction. Steve Schroeder

Ingram
One of the great thinkers of our time brings together sex and gender issues, ecological wisdom, and spirituality into a coherent vision for our times. In a tour de force of scholarship and vision, Ken Wilbur traces the course of evolution from matter to life to mind, answering the critical question: Can spiritual concerns be integrated with the modern world?

Customer Reviews

Wilber's Best
Out of the cottage industry of new and recycled Wilber works, this book comes as the best representation of his thinking. In it, he is schematic and has tried to develop a theoretical framework on which to hang his ideas about what makes the universe run, in general, and human culture progress, in particular. It is a better exposition than his somewhat egotistical "Brief Explanation of Everything" and provides more of the sources from which he derived his concept.

This is the type of book that will intrigue students, fuel New Age adherents, alert science followers, and probably anger traditionalists in the religious and scientism fields. It is an interesting project. I am always skeptical of works that purport to explain in relatively simple ways the complexity of the universe or of the human mind (let alone both), but welcome any systematic attempts at exploring these. I bet there is a rising cult of Wilber followers, people who bring to the book various hopes or vaguenesses of discrimination that incline them to raise up a new prophet. But taken for the methodical thinking and consideration of philosophical ideas that it represents, the book deserves to be honestly read and considered. It would be interesting to see where Wilber would go with rigorous application of philosophical consideration or what serious commentators might add to the discussion.

Brilliant!
Ken Wilber is probably one of the most brilliant modern thinkers of our time. Among all of the books he has written, this one is "The One" that really explains it all. What an inspiring piece of work! He brings together work in philosophy, spirituality, psychology, sociology, biology, physics and all other fields of study and convincingly explains that it all fits together if we look at it through this framework that he has developed. If there is a philosophical book you should read, this is the one to pick up. If you are not ready for such a comprehensive detailed discussion, read the other absolutely incredible book called "The Ever-transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. The content is very similar but everything is explained in a much simpler (and shorter) way. Both of these books really deserve some mega-awards!

4 Stars for effort and creativity, but flawed in my eyes
Hi there... now first let me say this is not usually the kind of books I read... about "spirituality" . I must say while I disagree with Mr. Wilber at least he is making an effort to use his mind to do something constructive, even if I believe it could be used for better things. My critique of him will be to question the very premise of his goals. Which is...is it necessary to bring religion or mysticism together with science to bring meaning back into life? Are we really experiencing a "flatland"? A world devoid of meaning in the flux of time? I believe we are, in some sense, but I don't believe it is necassary to bring religion or spirituality that is "other worldly" back to fill this void. I first off... think religion is not a good basis for morality. For instance... look throughout history and see what it has created, all reigion, be it Christianity or Buddhism has all taught the value of sacrifice of oneself to a higher power. Be it church or the "one". Now, look how much of social theory, from the Christian oppressive state, to Socialism, to Communnism all taught the same. Nietzsche was the first great philosopher to question the ethics of altriusm. So that is my first critique, that value should not be something devorced from this world...or an individual human being. Buddhism does not even believe in good and evil. But they refused to resist the evil of communnism, to fight for freedom. Even though they acknowledge it as evil, their method of thinking is against violence. Even self defense? After all,,,, they will be born again. The problem is if they don't believe in good and evil, why do they have any morals? The reason is... it is impossible in life to not judge or make value distinctions in ones mind. After all, this is the heart of decision itself, and the human mind needs this ( value distinction and cognition, conception) to survive.

It's funny that Mr. Wilber says the bad part of post-moderism was that it focused on a horrible present, and looked to some nonexistent past for beauty. Or pre modern as he says, and that modernism is what "wiped" this blessed spirit out. First, modernity did wipe it out, but the answer is to not go back to religion to find meaning. Meaning is a human thing, truly ..the world is meaningless. But that isn't such a bad thing, it means we as individuals must give it meaning, that this is our only time here to do so. No reicarnation, because there is no proof. All of this in my opinion is escapism. People want so badly to believe that there is some great "cosmic power" watching over them, that life has meaning, when all of this is just a construction of the human mind, and it's gropping emotionalism of wanting certainty. Also...human beings never ending want of belief in themselves and their lives, and knowing how hard this is to obtain... they put their faith in the cosmic "god" or "universe".

Look at all the great things science has done for this world, and also " the comodification of people" which he blames on " science" on "capitalism"... this has done more for the human race then any monk sitting meditating, or any spiritual guru, or religion.

This is where meaning is... to find the beauty of the human mind, to advance our race by lifting ourselves out of the dark, embracing science, as the only thing that can help us. Also... what Mr. Wilber calls " modernity" I call freedom. It is freedom that sets the human race on fire, and allows individuals to lift one another up, with wealth, with money, with knowledge. All people working for their rational self interest not " sacrificing for the "geist" or any other universal "spirit"

When I say the world is meaningless... don't take that to mean I'm a nihilist. I believe in good and evil, but it is only in relation to human beings that it has any meaning. And it is only in relation to the world that human beings will find it.

All in all... I find Mr. Wilber to be a very , very bright man, and very interesting. But I do disagree with many points. I did find some of his critques to be quite well done...and I was impressed by his wide display of knowledge. But that's the problem, when writing like this about so many topics...one is bound to fall down in some areas.