The Integral Stage Expanded Universe (ISEU) PRINCIPLES OF POST-POSTMODERN SPIRITUALITY w/ Steve McIntosh
Feb 13, 2026
Steve McIntosh, philosopher and author focused on post-postmodern spiritual pluralism and value realism. He discusses why spiritual pluralism matters and distinguishes religion from spirituality. Conversations cover barriers like fundamentalism and reductionism, building pluralist social norms, epistemic humility, affirming interiority and value realism, and how science, philosophy, and spirituality can jointly support cultural emergence.
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Psychedelics Sparked Early Interest
- Steve McIntosh recalls that psychedelics in the 1970s led him toward progressive spirituality.
- He credits experiences like taking acid for opening cultural pathways to spiritual exploration.
Reject Both Extremes And Apply Critique
- Reject both theological certainty (fundamentalism) and reductive 'nothing-but' explanations (reductionism).
- Move beyond New Age anything-goes pluralism by applying critical standards to spiritual claims.
Challenge With Support For Mutual Growth
- Challenge-and-support polarity improves all lines by pruning pathologies and strengthening virtues.
- Positive-positive polarity lets each side 'true up' the other rather than destroy it.
