Entangled World

A Spiritual Metacrisis | Jonathan Rowson

Jan 18, 2024

Jonathan Rowson, co-founder and CEO of Perspectiva, discusses the metacrisis, the breakdown of societal norms, imagination, systems change work, and the importance of offline meetings in this thought-provoking podcast.

01:32:06

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Jonathan Rowson

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Quick takeaways

Understanding the Metacrisis requires a shift in perspective, seeing it as more than just an external problem, but also as an internal journey.

Cultivating wisdom is essential in addressing the Metacrisis and navigating the complex challenges of our time.

Imagination is key in envisioning a better future and addressing the Metacrisis, playing a critical role in shifting the social imaginary and expanding our sense of what is possible.

Deep dives

The Multifaceted Delusion of the Metacrisis

The Metacrisis is a multifaceted delusion stemming from the limitations of everyday consciousness and our misreading of reality. It is a historically specific phenomenon occurring on a global scale, highlighting the gap between our perceptions and the true nature of the world. The dominant liberal secular humanist worldview is a significant part of the problem, lacking spiritual depth and preventing deep questioning. Understanding the Metacrisis requires a shift in perspective, seeing it as more than just an external problem, but also as an internal journey. Wisdom is crucial in navigating the Metacrisis, and it involves cultivating different ways of knowing, including propositional knowledge, procedural knowledge, perspectival knowledge, and participatory knowledge. Imagination also plays a vital role, allowing us to envision new possibilities and challenge the existing social imaginary. Ultimately, the Metacrisis calls for a recalibration of our relationship with power, prioritizing wisdom over blind pursuit of power.

Introduction

5min

From Chess to Wisdom: A Personal Journey

22min

Reevaluating Societal Norms and Education for a Better Future

5min

Exploring the Meta-Crisis and its Different Ways of Knowing

10min

Imagination and Creating a Better Reality

24min

Perspectives on Systems Change Work

24min

Broadening Perspectives and the Value of Offline Meetings

3min

My guest today is Jonathan Rowson. Jonathan is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Perspectiva. A London-based charity that describes itself as "A collective of expert generalists working on an urgent one-hundred-year project to understand the relationship between systems, souls, and society in theory and practice".

He was Director of the Social Brain Centre at the Royal Society of Arts from 2009-2016, where he authored a range of influential research reports on behavior change, climate change, and spirituality, and curated and chaired public events. In 2018 he was awarded an Open Society Fellowship to apply his philosophical and strategic approach to challenges faced by the human rights movement.

Jonathan holds a first-class degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Oxford University and did his post-graduate work in theoretical psychology at Harvard and Bristol Universities, including a Ph.D. on what it means to become wiser.

He is also a chess Grandmaster and was the British Chess Champion for three consecutive years from 2004-2006 and worked as part of former World Champion Viswanathan Anand's analytical team in 2008. He is the author of five books, including most recently The Moves that Matter – A Grandmaster on the Game of Life which was published by Bloomsbury in 2019.

Jonathan’s Links & Resources:

Perspectiva

Substack

Twitter

Prefixing the World by Jonathan Rowson

Tasting the Pickle: Ten flavours of meta-crisis and the appetite for a new civilisation by Jonathan Rowson

Living in the Metacrisis with Jonathan Rowson short film by Katie Teague

The Seven Deadly Sins of Chess by Jonathan Rowson

The Moves that Matter – A Grandmaster on the Game of Life by Jonathan Rowson

Other Books, Articles, Videos Mentioned:

Education is the Metacrisis by Zak Stein

The Psychological Drivers of the Metacrisis: John Vervaeke, Iain McGilchrist, Daniel Schmachtenberger