Can Globalists Be Nationalists? An interview with Steve McIntosh…

In this podcast I ask Integral philosopher Steve McIntosh a question on the mind of many integral practitioners: how do we relate to the nationalist passions that are arising in many developed countries around the globe?

Nationalism is often expressed as “love it or leave it” nativism, or in the case of the election of Donald Trump as a promise to take America back to an era of perceived past greatness.

On the other hand many Green-stage postmodernists reject patriotism entirely. As Steve says, “it is like nails on a chalkboard for people of postmodern consciousness to contemplate the good that America has done in its history.”

Neither of these positions have much to offer the evolutionary thinker. To cultivate a more Integral worldview we must seek to find the truth in each perspective, and thereby reactivate the positive values of Amber-stage traditionalism within a larger system that appreciates the heritage of all humanity.

Steve makes the case that “Until we, as progressive globalists, learn how to better integrate the values of nationalism into our discourse then we’re going to be empowering those regressive forces who keep pulling us back.” In this podcast Steve helps us rise to the challenge of creating more truly inclusive leading edge sensibilities – and societies.

Steve McIntosh is the author of three important books on Integral theory, including his latest, “The Presence of the Infinite: The Spiritual Experience of Goodness, Truth and Beauty.” Steve is also founder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, where you can find more of his thinking on integral politics in his new essay “Appreciating the Upside of Nationalism.”