From: Elizaphanian (elizaphanian@tiscali.co.uk)
Date: Sun May 04 2003 - 12:10:40 BST
Hi David,
I asked those questions because it seemed to me that you were bringing in Wilber as an 'authority',
and I don't recognise Wilber as an authority, so it didn't add anything to your argument. So for
example, when Wilber says: "with the irreversible differentiantions of modernity, most of those
premodern beliefs and functions of religion are no longer legitimate and can no longer be sustained
in modern consciousness (except among those who remain at a premodern level oin their own
development)" or "Mythology is true enough in its own world-space; its just that perspectival reason
is "more true": more developed, more differentiated-and-integrated, and more sophisticated in its
capacity to disclose verifiable knowledge" I think that his understanding of modernity (and
religion) is deeply flawed. This is something on which you and I have already locked horns in some
depth, so I don't see what bringing in Wilber adds to the discussion.
It seems to me that any valid points which Wilber makes can be introduced by you in the course of
the discussion, it doesn't need an 'imprimatur' from Mr Wilber to give it any greater force. In the
two years that I have been participating in this forum, I have read a lot of Wilber extracts (from
you and John B)and he has never struck me as someone with anything interesting to say (in contrast
to, for example, Kingsley, who I immediately thought sounded interesting - or Barfield, although I
haven't got around to reading him yet). He seems to be primarily a synthesist (nothing wrong with
that) but one who has a narrow perspective on mythology and religion in general, and Christianity in
particular, so the resources that he is synthesising are impoverished. I'd be interested to hear
what you have to say about the conflict between Wilber and Campbell that Steve has brought up.
(Campbell is someone else who I think has something to say, and I am definitely going to renew my
acquaintance with his 'myths to live by' that you quoted recently).
As I said to Platt, I find Wilber to be a vacuous windbag. I much prefer having a dialogue with you.
Sam
"Even to have expressed a false thought boldly and clearly is already to have gained a great deal."
Wittgenstein, 1948
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