A bridge to meta-rationality vs. civilizational collapse

Interesting article on the topic using Kegan's developmental system. Some excerpts and comments follow.

"In the 1970s and 1980s, the best postmodern/poststructural thinkers presented meta-rational views, based on their thorough understanding of systematic rationality.1 This first generation of postmodern teachers had a complete “classical education” in the humanities; they mastered the Western intellectual tradition before coming to understand its limitations."

In the footnote he cites only Foucault. I'd certainly add Derrida, Habermas and Caputo.

"This is a good time to remember that adult developmental theory is a conceptual model, not Eternal Truth. Like all models, it highlights and partially explains some phenomena, and marginalizes and distorts others. " 

I'm reminded of Stein when he defines postmetaphysicality here:



"At this level, reasoning about the quadrants involves a radical and quasi-transcendental multi-perspectivalism, which is made explicit in terms of a widely applicable post-metaphysical mode of meta-theoretical argumentation. In light of this background, attention is brought to the provisional nature of all methods and models, especially meta-theoretical ones. Integral Theory is broadly construed as a polycentric and evolving network of ideas catalyzed by certain highly normative principles and practices."

Later he notes that a "genuine pomo critique [...] leads only to ultra-relativistic nihilism." But recall earlier that "in the 1970s and 1980s, the best postmodern/poststructural thinkers presented meta-rational views." So indeed "genuine" versus "pseudo" pomo does indeed not only provide a bridge to but is meta-rational.

A main theme is that it takes a socio-cultural context within which to support meta-rational enactment. He claims there is as yet such a context. I'd argue that the emerging collaborative commons is just that (meta)systematic context.

By the way, a good meta-theoretical bridge correcting some of the distortions of meta-theory itself is this Edwards et al piece.