467. Steve McIntosh - a podcast by Rick Archer

Steve McIntosh is a leader in the integral philosophy movement and author of three books on spiritual evolution:

The Presence of the Infinite: The Spiritual Experience of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness,Evolution's Purpose: An Integral Interpretation of the Scientific Story of Our Origins and
Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution.In addition to his work in spiritual philosophy, he also serves as president of The Institute for Cultural Evolution, an integral political think tank focusing on the development of values. Before becoming a writer and activist, Steve had a variety of other successful careers, including founding the consumer products company Now&Zen, and practicing law with one of America’s largest firms. Steve is an honors graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and the University of Southern California Business School. He lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two sons. For more on his work visit: stevemcintosh.com.

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded August 18, 2018.Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.


Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
00:04:43 - The Evolution of Consciousness and Culture00:09:26 - Evolution of Worldviews and Progressive Spirituality
00:14:05 - The Derision of the New Age Movement00:18:47 - Understanding Individuality and Scientism
00:23:22 - The Denial of Free Will00:27:52 - The Virtuous Circle of Spiritual Experience
00:32:40 - The Structure of the Universe: Infinite Being and Finite Becoming00:37:28 - The Value-Creating Capacity of Polarities
00:41:57 - Perfection and Imperfection in the Universe00:46:26 - Gradual Perfection of the Universe
00:50:45 - Ramana Maharshi's Impact on the World
00:55:28 - The Complementary Relationship of Nonduality and Theism00:59:46 - Complementary Forms of Spirituality
01:04:17 - Rescuing Postmodernism01:09:06 - The Hand of God and the Gentle Pull of Evolution
01:13:42 - The Necessity of a Spiritually Real Evolving Soul01:17:38 - Harmony of Buddhist and Christian teachings
01:21:50 - The Philosophy of Goodness, Truth, and Beauty01:26:30 - The Intersection of Science and Spirituality
01:31:00 - The Paths of Beauty, Truth, and Goodness01:35:00 - The Role of Religion and Atheism
01:39:18 - Appreciating the Good and Bad of Modernism and Religion01:43:35 - Spiritual Currents and Seekers from Different Traditions
01:47:54 - The Challenge of Environmental Awareness and Inter-Worldview Conflict01:52:13 - The Transition Triggers of Worldviews
01:56:21 - Inclusion of Postmodern Thinkers in Addressing Global Warming02:00:54 - The Emergence of a New Worldview
02:05:07 - The Emergence of Postmodernism02:09:33 - Fostering Spiritual Development and Responsibility
02:13:40 - Concluding Remarks

Further episodes of Buddha at the Gas Pump

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Website of Rick Archer