Balancing Your World:
An Integral Theory of Getting it Together
A Nine Week Online Course
Mount Marty College
Religious Studies & Philosophy 386
Dr. Neville Ann Kelly
About the Course
(3 undergraduate credits or non-credit audit option)
How do you balance your life, loves, and learning during your college career, let alone for the rest of your life? This course offers a whole new approach to everything that will rock your world. Integrating multiple disciplines like philosophy, religion, psychology, health, fitness, and the social and natural sciences, Integral Theory helps you construct a meta-map to developing yourself, your relationships, and your work in the world into whole, healthy and fulfilling experiences of amazing breadth and depth. This 9 week, fully online 3-credit Religious Studies and Philosophy elective course will introduce you to the 5 essential elements of Integral Theory, giving you practical tools to live, love, and learn well. The course is suited for students of any background, age, and academic major, and is of particular interest to professionals and pre-professional students desiring vibrant and meaningful careers.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the comprehensive, emerging discipline of Integral Theory as developed by American philosopher Ken Wilber and as variously articulated by other Integral theorists, scholars, and practitioners. The nine week online course will offer opportunity to study, experience, practice and discuss the five elements of the Integral model: the Quadrants, Levels, Lines, States, and Types. Investigating the relationships between these elements of everything in our lives and world in a dynamic, interpersonal online environment, students will learn to balance their worlds more fully through their understanding, application and ongoing practice of the Integral model.
Required Texts:
Wilber, K. (2011). A brief history of everything (2nd ed.). Boston: Shambhala.
Wilber, K. (2007). The Integral vision: A very short introduction to the revolutionary Integral approach to life, God, the universe and everything. Boston: Shambhala.
What You Can Learn From this Course: Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
1) Describe, explain, and apply Integral Theory and the Integral Operating System (IOS), with emphasis specifically on the All Quadrants, All Levels, All Lines, All States and All Types (AQAL) model developed by American philosopher Ken Wilber and articulated by other Integral theorists.
2) Analyze, engage and explain orally and in writing the relevance of the Integral model to personal, interpersonal, behavioral and systemic perspectives of one’s life and world, including aspects of one’s background, vocational lifestyle, work in the world, spirituality and faith or religious belief.
3) Discuss ideas, share knowledge and interact creatively with Spirit, self, and others toward more balanced, fulfilling, generous and meaningful living in the world community.
4) Develop a basic, sustained means of ongoing personal exploration of ways to balance, strengthen and enhance one’s spirituality, health, learning, and relationships throughout his or her personal, academic, and professional life.
How This Course Will Help You Learn These Things
1) Weekly Reflections and brief Integral Reflection Papers
2) Active Online Discussion Forums
3) Conference Calls & “Real Time” Discussions
4) A Personal Integral Balance Research and Practice Project and Paper
Abbreviated Course Curriculum
I. Introductory Concepts and Methods
II. Using the AQAL model: Quadrants
III. Lines
IV. Levels
V. States
VI. Types
VII. Integral Life Practice I
VIII. Integral Life Practice II
IX. Integral Balance
For More Information
Feel free to contact me about the course!
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