Objective Analysis for the Advancement of Integral Theory

1. Objective Analysis for the Advancement of Integral Theory Steven E. Wallis, PhDswallis@ProjectFAST.org Director, Foundation for the Advancement of Social Theory Fellow, Institute for Social Innovation, Fielding Graduate University Editorial Board, Integral Review Adjunct Faculty, Capella University Fielding Graduate University - Winter Session January 11-15 – Santa Barbara, California

2. We Face a World of Problems • War • Poverty • Global warming • Crime • Ignorance • Apathy • Stress • Uncertainty…

3. The Integral Community • Has developed a vast array of theory to address these issues. • Claims that Integral Theory (I.T.) is superior to other theories of the social sciences. • Claims that Integral theory can be used to effectively understand and address the problems of the world.

4. ? Others claim to be best I.T. claims to be best UNFORTUNATELY… There has been no generally accepted way to decide what theory is “better.” So… even if I.T. is better, its voice is lost in the crowd.

5. Common Criteria for Choosing Theory in Academia • Highest cited. • Oldest. • Newest. • Best written. • Simplest. • Most complicated. These methods have not proved useful in advancing theory. We need a new approach!

6. Let’s Start by Defining What a Theory is • A theory consists of interrelated propositions This is important because Integral Theory (along with systems thinking and complexity theory) is essentially a study of how things are interrelated.

7. A Theory by Any Other Name • Model • Ethics • Policy • Mental model • Schema • Mind map • Assumptions • Lens • Map • Metaphor • Story • Diagram • Narrative • Set of axioms These are all names for a conceptual construct that is useful for engaging the world.

8. The study of theory is called Metatheory Metatheory is a theoretical “lens” that is developed from the analysis of other theories and may be directed toward the investigation of theory. Integral Theory (along with systems thinking and complexity theory) provides useful insights into the importance of integration.

9. Using Metatheory to Gain a Deeper Understanding of Theory • Better to have a specific metatheoretical lens • That lens is best pointed toward specific theory If our lens of metatheory is cloudy, we won’t see the lens of theory with clarity

10. Generally… what options do we have for testing theory? • Modern: Tests of application • If it works in practice, it is good. • Postmodern: Tests of creativity • More innovation is more valid. • Integral: Tests of Connectivity • Better systemic integration is more valid.

11. METHODS Because theories exist as text, we may use hermeneutic approaches and content analysis to develop a complexity theory based understanding.

12. Some Methods Include… • Is theory plausible does it make sense? • Are there enough variables within the theory so that the theory is useable? • The theory should be testable. • Is theory useable across multiple situations. • Correspondence – does theory fit observed facts? • Coherence – do new theories fit existing theory? • Pragmatic– Does the theory work in application? • Intuition (May be useful in familiar situations). • Thought Experiment (helps to decide if theory is “plausible”). MAY ALSO LOOK AT: • Number of corroborating facts derived. • Number of discorroborating facts derived. • Qualitative diversity of facts derived. • Novelty of facts derived. • Numerical precision of facts derived. • Reducibility, passive: The theory as reduced. • Reducibility, active: The theory as reducer.

13. … More methods include… • Propositional Analysis 1.Identify propositions within the theory. 2.Compare with one another to identify overlaps, and drop redundant aspects. 3.Investigate propositions for conceptual relatedness. 4.Link causal aspects with resultant aspects. 5.Identify “concatenated” aspects (those aspects that are explained by, or resultant from, two or more other concepts). 6.Divide the number of concatenated aspects by the total number of aspects in the theory (to provide a number between zero and one). • Anti-Modernist approach (use methods that are intuitive and contextual) • Postmodern Approaches: 1.Change, understood through history; 2.Workability or usefulness of a theory; 3.Attention to surprise – seeking what is not there and appreciating accidents and novelty. • Falsifiability show experiments to prove how the theory might not work.

14. I Analyzed Key Theories of the Integral Community • AQAL (All Quadrants All Levels) • The Twenty Tenets Only To Find… Most methods are not useful for advancing theory because they give no direction for what is an “advance.”

15. Two methods proved useful:

16. IMPLICATIONS #1 These theories are HIGHLY COMPLEX (most theories are much smaller). So, theories are likely to be confusing and unwieldy. So… If used in practice, a good approach may be to have multiple collaborators with each scholar practitioner focusing on one part of the theory; then, integrating their results.

17. IMPLICATIONS #2 These theories have LOW ROBUSTNESS (most theories have higher internal integrity). So, theories are unlikely to be effective in practice. So… Could be readily improved philosophically by identifying linkages between propositions within the theories or empirically by testing relationships between propositions.

18. INSIGHTS & CONCLUSION High complexity and low Robustness both mean that these theories may be easily “fractured.” That is, the theory may be manipulated, changed, and used in partiality – against the original author’s intent. Thus, these theories provide more of a “rubber ruler,” than a tool that can be used to improve the world.