Integral Ecology: A Review of Part Two

April 26, 2009

  Part Two of Integral Ecology covers the “What, Who, and How of Ecological Phenomenon”.  It includes an introduction to those phenomenon followed by a separate chapter on each.  It was in some ways easier and more fun to read than Part One because there were not only a lot of ecological examples, but when done, I was better able to understand what constituted an integral approach to an ecological problem, such as Climate Change.  Or for any problem for that matter.  One of the main reasons I am reading this tomb is because I have a difficult time understanding at a concrete level what all needs to be included in an integral analysis.  While I’m coming to realize that it is probably not practical to make a list of all potential items that need to be included in any integral analysis, the examples in this book have been complete enough that I’m at least getting a reasonable idea of what I need to include in an integral analysis on Climate Change.

  For example in Chapter Six, they integrally examine a stream restoration project and for each quadrant, they give relatively concrete examples of what types questions need to be asked.  An example pertaining to Quadrant I was: “What forms of consciousness exist around the stream, how do they interact, and how will they be affected by the proposal.”  While still somewhat abstract, this is a lot more helpful than: “Do phenomenological studies”, since I have no idea what all that might include.

  Part Two starts off by exploring the past influences on ecology, such as that of Aristotle, Ernst Haeckel (who gave the first modern definition of ecology) and the 4 older but still influential definitions of ecology as  1) a Super-Organism, 2) an Economic Machine, 3) a Cybernetic System, and 4) a Chaotic System.  They then reviewed six contemporary schools of ecology that still hold significant influence over how ecology is defined and understood.  Last, they discussed Integral Ecology in depth after defining it as “the study of the subjective and objective aspects of organisms in relationship to their intersubjective and interobjective environments at all levels of depth and complexity.”  Much of their discussion related to how interiors are usually neglected in trying to understand and solve ecological problems and showing how integral ecology helps resolve this deficit.

  While the definition of Integral Ecology might seem like a mouthful, Part Two explains each aspect in detail, again with a lot of good, concrete examples.  A section that especially helped me was their explanation of how the various parts of the Quadrants tetra-arise and tetra-mesh, as well as their discussion of tetra-hension.  The latter means the capacity to perceive all 4 quadrants.  They show that tetra-hension is a very important concept because it provides for the inclusion of “animal minds” in the ecological formula, something generally previously ignored.

  In Chapter Six, “Ecological Terrains: The What That is Examined,” the 4 quadrants are described as the 4 “Terrains”, for better or worse.  Quadrant I is the “Terrain of Experience”, Quadrant II, the “Terrain of Cultures”, Quadrant III, the “Terrain of Behaviors” and Quadrant IV the “Terrain of Systems”.  Each Terrain is then divided up into 3 niches, for a total of 12 niches.  This niche division may sound overly complicated, but it is only a variation on a Wilber theme in that each “Terrain” is divided into three levels of “complexity”.  This is similar to dividing developmental levels into egocentric, ethonocentric and worldcentric, in that the higher level is more complex and transcends and includes the lower. They then show how each niche of every quadrant (excuse me, “terrain”) has certain branches of ecology that study them. 

  Chapter Seven, “Ecological Selves, The Who That is Examining” was one of the more fun chapters.  They take the familiar 8 Color Developmental Levels of Wilber and give them ecological names commensurate with their “attitude” toward nature.  Starting from the "least complex", they are the Eco-Guardian, Eco-Warrior, Eco-Manager, Eco-Strategist, Eco-Radical, Eco-Holist, Eco-Integralist, and Eco-Sage.  To help with orientation, the Eco-Radical is equivalent to the green meme.

   Anyway, these Eco-Self designations help make it obvious that people at each level can only be swayed by making arguments that “resonate” with their particular worldspace.  This is related to our recent understanding that “The Truth is Not Enough.”  In other words, education using just the facts isn’t working.  If we use facts that aren’t able to be perceived within the worldspace of whom we are interacting, our argument will not be heard or understood.   To be successful in negotiating with a particular group of people, we thus need to craft our arguments so that they are at the level of the worldspace in which that group resides and also appealing to them. As an example, it is better to use ethnocentric arguments in order to appeal to ethnocentric groups.  Many religious groups are very serious about correct "stewardship" of the earth and so are open to information that is related to this.  However, scientific data often just doesn't resonate with them, since science in some cases can be seen as antithetical to religion. 

 Chapter Eight, “Ecological Research: How We Examine”, was also very helpful to me in that while obviously they used “Integral Methodological Pluralism”, they gave good concrete examples that helped make the IMP concept live for me.  They explained the 8 methodological families or 8 zones such that I was able at the least to get a clue of what they were talking about but for the most part I got an excellent understanding.  For example, one of the Autopoiesis Techniques they listed was “identifying the pattern recognition capacities of the organisms studied”.  While still somewhat abstract, this at least gave me a few signifiers that had referents for me.  This chapter also noted that “Goethean Science” was one approach that was included as part of Integral Ecological Research.  That piqued my interest, so I bought a few books on the subject.  Stay tuned for further reports. 

  The last part of Chapter Eight was on Marc Bekoff’s Deep Ethology and was probably my favorite section. He emphasizes that animals have interiors too and that it is only a degree of difference, not kind.  This is supported, importantly, by other quadrants, especially quadrant III, which has shown that dogs, for example, have a limbic system and hence have the capacity for emotion.  However, he also emphasizes that since dogs don’t have a noosphere worldspace, they can’t share our concern for the present ecological crisis.  On the other hand, because humans have limbic and lower systems that transcend and include, we have the ability to empathize and have “shared depth” with all sentient creatures, all the way down.

  Last, I was interested to see that they had a whole section devoted to the “State-Based and Subtle Energy Approaches in Each Terrain.”  This is an area I have wondered about and studied for a couple of decades so I was glad they gave it serious consideration.  It includes shamanism, nature spirits, and merger states.  In a similar vein, in Chapter Eight, “tele-prehension” is mentioned as a method of possible data collection.  Wilber is later quoted as saying that: “It is possible to have an unmediated experience of an animal’s emotional state.”  While I’ve long thought this theoretically possible, given that reality is non-dual, it was nice to have someone with higher level credentials support this idea.  However, the authors also noted a number of caveats related to studying these areas, one of which was the mixing of myths with perceptions to create a potential pre-trans fallacy.

  Thus, Integral Ecology continues to meet or exceed my expectations.  While it is not a hold-my-hand guidebook to helping me apply IMP to the problem of Climate Change, so far it is giving me the tools to do so.  Perhaps more importantly, the more I read this book, the more I believe that  “doing its injunctions” will help me move toward the Turquoise level of development.  That is because by performing its injunctions a person is integrating a Turquoise level perspective into their self-system.  That benefit alone makes this book worth reading.

  Comments, suggestions, other ideas?

Enjoy,

Mike Breland