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Integral World: Exploring Theories of Everything
An independent forum for a critical discussion of the integral philosophy of Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber: Thought as Passion, SUNY 2003Frank Visser, graduated as a psychologist of culture and religion, founded IntegralWorld in 1997. He worked as production manager for various publishing houses and as service manager for various internet companies and lives in Amsterdam. Books: Ken Wilber: Thought as Passion (SUNY, 2003), and The Corona Conspiracy: Combatting Disinformation about the Coronavirus (Kindle, 2020).

SEE MORE ESSAYS WRITTEN BY FRANK VISSER

A Spectrum of
Wilber Critics

Frank Visser

Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber

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!

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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
H.B. Augustine Strong Positiive Integral Philosophy
Integral Ethics
Medium
Hugh & Kaye Martin Positive 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 Evolutionary Theory
Perennialism
Post-metaphysics
Transpersonal Theory
Mind-Body Problem
High
Ray Harris Weak Positive World Affairs
Islam & Terrorism
Spiral Dynamics
High
Gerry Goddard Weak Positive Integral Theory
Transpersonal Theory
Mind-Body Problem
Medium
Giorgio Piacenza Weak Positive Integral Biases
Exopolitics
Culture and Development
Medium
Don Salmon Weak Positive Sri Aurobindo
Evolutionary Theory
Reductionism
Medium
Rolf Sattler Weak Positive Integral Theory
Evolution
Low
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
Kevin R.D. Shepherd Strong Negative Anthropology
Spirituality
Perennialism
Low
Martin Erdmann Strong Negative Integral Theory
Dangers of Gurus
Evolution
Low
Joe Corbett Strong Negative Integral Theory
Social Justice
Integral Politics
Medium
Barclay Powers Strong Negative Integral Spirituality
Taoism
Alchemy
Low







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