Metatheory for the Anthropocene

This book, split across two volumes, is a follow-up and companion to Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century (Routledge, 2016). All three of these volumes are the dialogical outcome of a multi-year symposia series wherein critical realists and integral theorists deeply engaged each other and their distinct but complementary approaches to integrative metatheory. Whereas Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century is primarily theoretical in its focus, Big Picture Perspectives for Planetary Flourishing: Metatheory for the Anthropocene aims to more concretely and practically address the complex planetary crises of a new era that many scholars now refer to as ‘the Anthropocene.’

In this first of two new volumes, participants of the symposia series articulate a variety of ‘big picture perspectives’ and transformative interventions in the domains of society and economics, social psychology, and education. Together, these chapters demonstrate how integrative metatheory and its application can make powerful contributions to planetary flourishing in the Anthropocene.

With one of the defining characteristics of the Anthropocene being the sheer complexity and multi-valent nature of our interconnected global challenges, these volumes crucially present new forms of scholarship that can adequately weave together insights from multiple disciplines into new forms of metapraxis. As such, this book will be of interest to students, scholars, and practitioners in the areas of philosophy, social theory, critical realism, integral studies, metamodernism, and current affairs generally.

Nicholas Hedlund is a visionary philosopher working at the nexus of philosophy of science, worldviews, and socioecological transformation. He obtained his PhD in philosophy and social sciences from University College London, studying under the philosopher Roy Bhaskar. Nicholas also holds a master’s degree in philosophy and religion, as well as one in psychology. He is director of the Eudaimonia Institute, an emerging social innovations lab for planetary flourishing. Nicholas was an exchange scholar at Yale University, executive director of the Integral Research Center, and organizer of the CR-IT symposia series. His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and peer-reviewed journals. He is co-editor of Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century: Critical Realism and Integral Theory in Dialogue (Routledge, 2016). Nicholas has received several academic honors including the Jacob Van Ek Scholar Award, the Honors Graduating Senior Scholarship Award, Best Paper Award at the Integral Theory Conference, and the Yale–UCL Bursary Award. He currently teaches at the California Institute of Human Science.

Sean Esbjörn-Hargens is Dean of Integral Education at the California Institute of Human Science. In 2011 he founded the MetaIntegral Foundation, a social impact network that supports change leaders around the world in applying integrative principles to projects and organizations. In 2018 he founded the Exo Studies Institute through which he is pioneering an integral approach to anomalous phenomena including UFOs/ETs. Sean combines a strong academic background in the philosophy of science and integrative metatheories with an open-hearted exploration of the mystery and multi-layered nature of reality. He has published and edited numerous articles, chapters, and books. He is the co-editor of both Metatheory for the Twenty-First Century (Routledge, 2016) and Dancing with Sophia: Integral Philosophy on the Verge (2019).