re: the integral cosmology of Sri Aurobindo, some may be interested in this well-researched introductory paper discussing the overlaps with Steiner's spiritual science:
Marco, this is an excellent and much needed overview of your overall aim. I particularly like the simplicity and clarity of your critique of the various Spinoza/Schopenhauer related modern forms of idealism (I tried to respond to a defender of Bernardo kastrup the other day and wish i had your writing to help)
Just one thing - I would love to see at least some references to the practical implications of this intellectual/intuitive/higher mind project. I realize it's not your main focus (it will be mine, starting - hopefully - some time early next year) but it would be good, I think, to let people know there are profound practical applications of the vision you're presenting.
On a side note, I wonder what the cosmological significant is of the fact that two of the world's leading proponents of a non materialist vision - David Bentley Hart and Bernardo Kastrup - are coming out in the next 3 months with books that summarize their work of the past 10 (in Kastrup's case) to 25+ (in Hart's case) years.
I dont expect anything knew from Kastrup's overview of analytic idealism coming out in November, but he promises it will be a simpler and clearer summary of his view.
Hart, as always, looks to have a very interesting book. "All Things Are Full of Gods" is coming out August 27. It's in the form of a rather light hearted at times Platonic style dialogue, though he will be covering an astonishing range of issues from Philosophy of Mind, covering almost everything I think you're addressing minus the deeper evolutionary aspect. I say minus the "deeper" aspect as he has marshaled an amazing array of evidence for telos and directionality in evolution, beginning with plants and moving on to animals, with cogent critiques of the naturalist evolutionary view.
Tony Nader, the successor to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, came out with a book just 3 days ago, "Consciousness Is All There Is," which is supposed to provide a new foundation for a science of consciousness. I didn't think it was going to be worth buying, so I browsed a copy at Barnes and Noble. Nearly worthless. I was disappointed as the advance reviews looked pretty good. So it looks like Hart, then Kastrup - and then Masi - will be the ones to start moving this in a new direction.
By the way, speaking of new directions, there's a wonderful photo of Tim Walz (the next US Vice President) with his arms around the Dalai Lama, stating that the values that the DL teaches of compassion, love, acceptance, etc are the values he tries to bring into his life. That plus a president who is South Asian, whose mother grew up in Tamil Nadu not all that far from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, who grew up Hindu-Christian and married a Jewish man, should be very interesting, to say the least!
"... it would be good, I think, to let people know there are profound practical applications of the vision you're presenting."
I agree, but the question is not only what but especially how? What kind of references to the practical implications of this project would you suggest? How should these be presented? Maybe I should let you write a chapter dedicated to this!
re: the integral cosmology of Sri Aurobindo, some may be interested in this well-researched introductory paper discussing the overlaps with Steiner's spiritual science:
https://www.academia.edu/190001/Rudolf_Steiner_and_Sri_Aurobindo_An_Introductory_Comparison
"This essay explores similarities and differences between the profound contributions of
two of the modern world’s most important spiritual figures: Rudolf Steiner and Sri Aurobindo
Ghose. As an introductory work, I offer summary comparisons of their philosophical,
cosmological, and spiritual worldviews, attitudes towards human development and stages of
growth, personal biographies, and their lasting contributions to the world. Although I am more
familiar with Steiner’s work, these two towering figures stand in remarkable general agreement
with respect to their core values and pictures of human and cosmic development. Both offer a
spiritually-based view of an evolving cosmos within which the continuously developing human
being has a profound and important place, a multi-leveled and complex picture of cosmic
involution/evolution that is compatible with a modern scientific understanding of evolution, an
integrated view of the different aspects that make up a human being, and practical insights
concerning how humans can take up their own self-transformation for the benefit of all. Despite
a number of less consequential differences, when taken together Steiner and Aurobindo offer a
uniquely thorough and practical integral view of the cosmos and the human beings’ place within
it that weaves together the most profound wisdoms from both the East and the West."
Marco, this is an excellent and much needed overview of your overall aim. I particularly like the simplicity and clarity of your critique of the various Spinoza/Schopenhauer related modern forms of idealism (I tried to respond to a defender of Bernardo kastrup the other day and wish i had your writing to help)
Just one thing - I would love to see at least some references to the practical implications of this intellectual/intuitive/higher mind project. I realize it's not your main focus (it will be mine, starting - hopefully - some time early next year) but it would be good, I think, to let people know there are profound practical applications of the vision you're presenting.
On a side note, I wonder what the cosmological significant is of the fact that two of the world's leading proponents of a non materialist vision - David Bentley Hart and Bernardo Kastrup - are coming out in the next 3 months with books that summarize their work of the past 10 (in Kastrup's case) to 25+ (in Hart's case) years.
I dont expect anything knew from Kastrup's overview of analytic idealism coming out in November, but he promises it will be a simpler and clearer summary of his view.
Hart, as always, looks to have a very interesting book. "All Things Are Full of Gods" is coming out August 27. It's in the form of a rather light hearted at times Platonic style dialogue, though he will be covering an astonishing range of issues from Philosophy of Mind, covering almost everything I think you're addressing minus the deeper evolutionary aspect. I say minus the "deeper" aspect as he has marshaled an amazing array of evidence for telos and directionality in evolution, beginning with plants and moving on to animals, with cogent critiques of the naturalist evolutionary view.
Tony Nader, the successor to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, came out with a book just 3 days ago, "Consciousness Is All There Is," which is supposed to provide a new foundation for a science of consciousness. I didn't think it was going to be worth buying, so I browsed a copy at Barnes and Noble. Nearly worthless. I was disappointed as the advance reviews looked pretty good. So it looks like Hart, then Kastrup - and then Masi - will be the ones to start moving this in a new direction.
By the way, speaking of new directions, there's a wonderful photo of Tim Walz (the next US Vice President) with his arms around the Dalai Lama, stating that the values that the DL teaches of compassion, love, acceptance, etc are the values he tries to bring into his life. That plus a president who is South Asian, whose mother grew up in Tamil Nadu not all that far from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, who grew up Hindu-Christian and married a Jewish man, should be very interesting, to say the least!
"... it would be good, I think, to let people know there are profound practical applications of the vision you're presenting."
I agree, but the question is not only what but especially how? What kind of references to the practical implications of this project would you suggest? How should these be presented? Maybe I should let you write a chapter dedicated to this!
As to the practical aspect, what would you suggest other than saying "read the Synthesis of Yoga, Letters on Yoga, and get inspired by Savitri"?
I'm afraid that the book that will summarize my work will be much less palatable than those of Kastrup and Bentley. ;)