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Frank Visser founded IntegralWorld.net in 1997 (back then under the name of "The World of Ken Wilber"). He is the author of the first monograph on Ken Wilber and his work: "Ken Wilber: Thought as Passion" (SUNY Press, 2003) and of many essays on this website. He currently is service desk manager for the worldwide Sara Lee websites at the online advertising agency Lost Boys.

A Spectrum of
Wilber Critics

Frank Visser

The essays posted in this Reading Room (and some in the Criticism Section) are written from a great variety of perspectives, ranging from "strong positive" to "strong negative". I consider all of these useful in generating debate on the matter of the value and validity of Wilber's writings. To help you find your way in this virtual library, I have listed the main authors below, in their order of general affirmation/rejection of integral ideas, as formulated by Ken Wilber. This is not to say that many critics are not of two minds: while acknowledging the scope and depth of Wilber's work, they object to aspects of his philosophy or of the current integral movement. The characterization given below is based on their published articles only.

I am sure most of these critics don't want to be in the same list with others... ;-) And if some of you feel I have miscategorized you below, let me know!

AUTHOR'S NAME POSITIVE/NEGATIVE TOPICS COVERED NUMBER OF ESSAYS
Mark Edwards Strong Positiive Integral Theory
Developmental Psychology
World Affairs 		High
Michael Zimmerman Strong Positiive Ecology
Developmental Psychology
World Affairs 		Medium
Hugh & Kaye Martin Positiive Developmental Psychology
Education
Integral Theory 		Medium
Elliot Benjamin Positive Cults
Psychotherapy
Mathematics 		Medium
Joyce Nielsen Positive Feminism

 Low
Greg Wilpert Positive Integral politics

 Low
Frank Visser Weak Positive Perennialism
Post-metaphysics
Transpersonal Theory
Mind-Body Problem 		Medium
Ray Harris Weak Positive World Affairs
Islam & Terrorism
Spiral Dynamics 		High
Gerry Goddard Weak Positive Integral Theory
Transpersonal Theory
Mind-Body Problem 		Medium
Alan Kazlev Weak Negative Aurobindo
Conceptual limitiations
Cultic behaviour
Evolutionary Science
Metaphysics
Scholarship 		Medium
Zakariyya Ishaq Weak Negative Metaphysics
Mysticism
Sufism/Islam
Integral Theory 		Low
Andrew Smith Weak Negative Integral Theory
Mysticism
Spiral Dynamics
Developmental Psychology
 High
Peter Collins Weak Negative Integral theory
Mysticism
Holistic Mathematics
Economics 		Medium
David Jon Peckinpaugh Weak Negative Integral movement
World affairs
Hermeneutics 		Medium
Michel Bauwens Weak Negative Integral movement
Technology
Guru phenomenon 		Low
Jeff Meyerhoff Negative Integral Theory
Philosophy
Developmental Psychology
Western history
Postmodernism
Mysticism
Biography 		Medium
John Heron Strong Negative Postmodernism
Integral Theory
Mysticism 		Low
Jim Andrews Strong Negative Scholarship
Parapsychology 		Medium
Chris Cowan Strong Negative Spiral Dynamics
Mean Green Meme 		Low
Geoffrey Falk Strong Negative Science
Parapsychology
Religious movements 		Medium
David Lane Strong Negative Biology
Parapsychology
Mysticism 		Low
Tomislav Markus Strong Negative Anthropology
Ecology
Cultural History 		Low


February 2006.