Theos-Talk Archives (November 1995 Message tl00419)

I just picked up Ken Wilber's new book "Sex Ecology and Spirituality". I
purused it voraciously. I highly recommend it as it is a very serious attempt
to reintroduce spiritual issues into academic type discussions regarding issues
usually termed off limits i.e. sex politics and religion see title. Actually
there's no steamy sex it's about GENDER ecofeminism and the Gaia hypothesis
and God vs. Goddess etc.

But it is thorough about a fifth of the book must be notes well researched
enough to keep you chasing footnotes for years if you cared. He is demanding
that spirit unity the One universal consiousness as plentiude and emptiness
be given a hearing in publice. Wow! He has worked hard to get his chance and I
hope it works! I must say I am a envious. He is doing what many would attempt.

But I warned you! Nary a mention of such suspected nut cases as Blavatsky et
al. George Bateson and Bertanffly yes. Blavatsky no! Yet theosophy seems to
ooze from every page. However he is more directly imitating Hegel's
"Phenemonolgy of Spirit" as he says so more or less.

He seems to want to be the Hegel of the 20th century. Does he make it? We will
have to wait for two more lengthy tomes portentously titled; 'KOSMOS'.

He has a critical eye on a lot of politically correct issues like feminism
ecology and new age psychology.
He thinks people are trying to jump past rationality in an effort for easy
answer to things like "multiculturalism".
How can we honor a bunch of supersticious cultures that would gladly burn us
and our noble tolerance at the stake??

Also it is systematic and schematic more charts that simplify and
cross-reference things than you would believe. Hegel wanted to explain God's
Spirit's working plan through time. Wilber maps the whole universe on a
Cartesian Coordinate system. Give me a break!

If Hegel had his Marx and Nietsche had his Hitler will Wilber have his
World-Teacher or will we just all zone out in a planetary meditation-liberation?
Hmmm...

Check his picture. I can't help thinking he's Hegel with a Zen hair-do!

Namaste

Keith Price