My New Video Course: Becoming Part of the Solution
From February through April this year I taught a Zoom course on post-progressive politics, which was attended live by over 40 participants. Now the course is available to take on video. Clips of the course videos can be seen at this link.
Becoming Part of the Solution: A Course In Post-Progressive Politics
9 video classes (16 hours total) taught by Steve McIntosh, author of Developmental Politics, and president of the Institute for Cultural Evolution. Recorded between February and April 2021.
Course Description
Hyperpolarization in American politics has divided our nation, government, friendships, and even our families. The need to find a way forward feels urgent yet unclear. Join Steve McIntosh, author and president of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, for his 9-part course, Becoming Part of the Solution—a deep dive into a developmental approach to politics where the remedy is found in the evolution of consciousness itself.
By clearly recognizing the deep value structures of our democracy, Steve shows how we can overcome our political hatreds and discover a powerful interdependence inherent in America’s overall “cultural ecosystem.” The course, based on Steve’s acclaimed 2020 book: Developmental Politics, is produced and hosted by The Aligned Center in New York.
Week 1: Addressing the challenge of hyperpolarization through a new politics of culture. [1:51:28] Steve explains why hyperpolarization is a cultural problem that requires a cultural solution.
Week 2: Steve explains why hyperpolarization is a cultural problem that requires a cultural solution. [1:59:10] Steve explores the use of cultural intelligence, and why worldviews are the basic units of cultural analysis and understanding.
Week 3: The political practice of integrating value polarities. [1:59:07] Steve discusses the polarity principle: When faced with a positive-positive value polarity, the best way to advance the values of our preferred pole is to affirm the values of the pole we oppose.
Week 4: How developmental political philosophy can be applied to ameliorate contemporary political issues. [1:49:03] Specific issues discussed include climate change, healthcare, immigration, and more. Steve also discusses the “win-win-win” approach to political issues being developed through the Institute for Cultural Evolution think tank.
Week 5: The political significance of transcendent ideals. [1:46:34] Steve explores the transcendent cause of racial equality from a developmental perspective.
Week 6: Toward a new American Dream. [1:57:35] Steve explains how restoring a shared vision of transcendence among a majority of Americans is the key to our political renewal as a nation.
Week 7: The central significance of values and virtues. [1:41:35] Steve discusses the intrinsic values of goodness, truth, and beauty, and the personal practice of virtues.
Week 8: Getting practical: what will it take for America to grow Into a better version of itself? [1:44:10] Steve discusses the integration of grievance and gratitude, and the coming emergence of the post-progressive worldview.
Week 9: Pragmatic yet transformative political practices. [1:08:22] The course concludes with Steve’s review of the practices of values integration, cultural intelligence, and the cultivation of personal virtues.
