Wilber's AQAL Map and
Beyond
A short summary
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KEN WILBER
Ken Wilber, an integral
philosopher, is the
author of many books, including A Brief History of
Everything and A Theory of
Everything, in
which he presents an integral vision that supports an
integral science, integral philosophy, integral medicine,
integral ecology, integral education, integral politics,
integral business, integral spirituality, etc. Furthermore, Ken Wilber is the
founder of Integral Institute and Integral University. As the most widely published integral
philosopher whose books have been translated into 30
languages (Meyerhoff 2005), Ken Wilber has been heralded as “the
most comprehensive philosophical thinker of our times”,
“the most influential integral thinker in the world today”
and the “LONG-SOUGHT EINSTEIN of consciousness research”
(quoted in Falk 2006). However, he has also been criticized
by Visser, Meyerhoff, Falk, and many others (see, e.g.,
Frank Visser’s very comprehensive websites
Integral World and Wilber Watch). Wilber claims that 80% of this
criticism is based on misunderstanding and
misinterpretation of his writings. But the remaining 20%
is still substantial criticism.
KEN WILBER'S AQAL MAP AND
THE DYNAMIC MANDALA
In Sex, Ecology, Spirituality
(1995), Ken Wilber developed a
Four Quadrant Map (or Model) of the Kosmos (see
Image Results for AQAL
or All Quadrants, All
Levels). This map
is usually referred to as the AQAL map (or AQAL model), an
acronym for all quadrants and all levels, which in turn is
shorthand for all quadrants, all levels, all states, all
lines, and all types. Although this AQAL map is one of the
most comprehensive maps of human existence and the Kosmos
ever proposed in the course of human history, it has
limitations (see again Frank Visser’s websites). In this
book, I address some of the most fundamental of these
limitations and propose a dynamic mandala that overcomes these limitations. This
mandala, which is self-referential, can be transformed and
interpreted in many ways. Consequently, it offers many
perspectives of the Kosmos, including human existence.
Since one of these perspectives is Ken Wilber’s AQAL
model, the latter is a special case of the more
comprehensive dynamic mandala. Thomas J.
McFarlane's mathematical
mandala, that in some ways goes beyond the AQAL
model, can also be seen as a special case (that is, one
mathematical transformation) of the dynamic mandala.
Ken Wilber also emphasizes perspectivism. According to his Integral
Post-Metaphysics, “in the manifest world, there are no
perceptions, only perspectives” (Integral
Spirituality,
2006: 255). However, with regard to the most basic
structure of his AQAL map, Ken Wilber recognizes
only holarchy (hierarchy), which means that the manifest Kosmos
is holonic, that is, it “is a series of nests within nests
within nests indefinitely” (A Theory of
Everything,
2001: 40). In contrast, according to the
dynamic mandala of this book, holarchy (hierarchy) is only
one perspective of the Kosmos that needs to be
complemented by other perspectives such as
holism in terms of undivided
wholeness, dialectics, Yin-Yang, continuum, and
network views. Ken Wilber also recognizes such views,
but not with regard to the most basic structure of the
Kosmos, which, according to him, is holarchical.
The Yin-Yang view involves both/and logic, which represents complementarity such
as the complementarity of Yin and Yang. Two chapters of
this book are devoted to this topic because it is of
enormous importance for practically all aspects of our
lives and society. The continuum view is equally
important. It involves continuum or fuzzy logic in contrast to Aristotelian
either/or
logic. Since we
live in a world that is fuzzy to a great extent, fuzzy
logic, that is, fuzzy thinking, is often called for
because it represents fuzzy reality more adequately than
either/or logic.
Thinking in terms of fuzzy logic and both/and logic is
healing
thinking that
integrates and connects. It also creates more
lightness and
playfulness.
Kaisa Puhakka ( A call to play. In: Rothberg, D. and S.
Kelly (eds), Ken
Wilber in Dialogue, 1998, p.397), in response to Ken Wilber
firmly defending his position, wrote: "Playfulness
manifests in the lightness with which the position is
held." Lightness also invites humor and laughter in all
aspects of life and
living,
including laughing meditation such as, for example,
laughter
yoga.
Although Ken Wilber has presented several versions of his
AQAL map with varying numbers of levels and dimensions and
some changes in interpretation, the basic holonic structure
of his map has remained fixed. In contrast,
the dynamic
mandala is very fluid and thus allows many interpretations
and transformations – transformations that may be
conceptual, mathematical, or organic/artistic. Thus, the
dynamic mandala is a mandala of mandalas.
It is not locked into just
one basic representation of the Kosmos, but allows a
multitude of complementary perspectives that enrich our
understanding of the Kosmos and human existence. In other
words, instead of
representing the Kosmos just by one single map – with
several versions – such as Ken Wilber’s AQAL map, the
dynamic mandala is a map of maps, each of which represents another aspect
of the Kosmos that is so rich and complex that it cannot
be adequately captured by one single map.
Transforming the mandala and changing interpretations implies
that we move from one transformation and interpretation to
another. When this movement is spontaneous and free, it
becomes a dance. Since the mandala can represent the Kosmos,
this dance can be a kosmic dance. It recalls the dance of Shiva in his
form of Nataraja, which is immensely dynamic and creative.
But it is also destructive. Similarly, the dynamic mandala
includes creation and destruction: creation of many new
mandalas and destruction of the mandalic form. However,
even after the destruction of the mandalic form, the
mysterious source can be retained implicitly as in great
art where the source usually is not indicated explicitly
as in a mandala.
This book, especially the chapters on Hierarchy and
Beyond, Either/Or Logic and
Beyond, Complementarity, and A Message for Educators and Educational
Institutions,
are highly relevant to education from elementary school to
high school to university and lifelong learning in adult
education.
For a summary of how the dynamic mandala of this book goes
beyond the AQAL map see the section Beyond Wilber’s AQAL Map
in the Summary and Conclusions
of the book.
Although a Ken Wilber critique, this book is also an
appreciation of Ken Wilber’s AQAL map and his integral vision
– hence a critical appreciation of Ken Wilber’s AQAL
philosophy. Ken Wilber has achieved a most remarkable
synthesis. In this book I have tried to make it even more
integral, more encompassing, more balanced, and more
profound.
Ken Wilber recognizes the necessity of an integral
methodological pluralism. In this book, I propose in addition
a pluralism of interpretations of his AQAL map, specifically
of the so-called levels (see Removing Limitations in Wilber's AQAL
Map at the end of
Summary and Conclusions) and I propose a pluralism of maps
that complement each other (see the section
Beyond Wilber’s AQAL Map
in the Summary and Conclusions
of the book).
BEYOND
In
the context of this book and this website "beyond" means:
- beyond Ken Wilber's AQAL map where we can embrace the
dynamic mandala that includes and transcends the AQAL map
(see Chapter 4: The Dynamic Mandala),
- beyond harmful thinking where we can engage in healing
thinking based on healing logic such as fuzzy logic and
both/and logic (see Chapter 2: Either/Or Logic and
Beyond,
and Healing Thinking and
Being),
- beyond the thinking mind where we can enjoy spontaneity,
playfulness (lila), lightness, laughter, and, above all,
mystery, the unnamable (see Chapter 7: The Kosmic Dance, and Laughter Yoga, a laughing
meditation).
See also Quotes from my
book