Participation, metaphysics, and enlightenment: reflections on Ken Wilber’s recent work

Authors

• Jorge Ferrer Department of East-West Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, California

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.67573

Keywords:

Wilber, Ken, Spirituality, Psychology and religion, Philosophy and religion, Philosophy, American, Systems (Philosophy), Systems theory, Participation, Metaphysics, Interpersonal relations, Eastern religions, Mysticism, Enlightenment, Buddhism

Abstract

This article critically examines Ken Wilber’s (2006) recent work from a participatory perspective of human spirituality. After a brief introduction to the participatory approach, I limit my discussion to the following four key issues: a. the participatory critique of Wilber’s work, b. the cultural versus universal nature of Wilber’s Kosmic habits, c. the question of (post-)metaphysics in spiritual discourse, and d. the nature of enlightenment. The article concludes with some concrete directions in which to move the dialogue forward.