Nowadays there are many objections to the theory of socio-cultural progress. For example, Darwinists maintain that there is no telos or direction in the evolution of nature. Cultural relativism insists that every culture has its own value and evaluati...
Nowadays there are many objections to the theory of socio-cultural progress. For example, Darwinists maintain that there is no telos or direction in the evolution of nature. Cultural relativism insists that every culture has its own value and evaluating and ranking of cultures cannot be justified. Progressives criticize the notion of progress because it can justify the present oppression and sacrifice in the name of future and marginalize minorities. Romanticists take evolution as a degradation from Eden.
The aim of this thesis is to reconstruct Ken Wilber's theory of socio-cultural evolution taking these objections into consideration. Wilber presents a grand theory of evolution integrating nature, human and society and gives a map for our life.
First we examine Wilber's metaphysical intuition that there is a profound drive in matter, life and humans to evolve toward Spirit and his critic of the theory of natural selection. Next we review his theory of holarchy, individual development and socio-cultural evolution and his critic of cultural relativism. And We will examine whether Wilber's notions of dialectics of progress and pre/trans fallacy succeed in overcoming romanticism and linear progressivism.
Finally we will point out that Wilber's metaphysics is influenced by Christianity and western idealism and that his notion of dialectics of progress is insufficient for replying progressivists' objections.