Join Mark Edwards for an engaging series of monthly conversations exploring the emerging field of planetary meta-studies. Mark will welcome Bruce Alderman as his co-facilitator for some of the sessions.
Zoom troubles? When and if you click the blue “Join Session” button and are taken to a page that says “Sign in to Start,” don’t worry — you’re in the right place! Look just below it and click the small link that says “I am not the meeting host. Join Meeting as an Attendee.”
Planetary meta-studies is a holistic and integrative approach—a kind of Earth-system social science—that uses comprehensive models and metatheoretical frameworks to understand our planet’s immense beauty, complexity, and profound interconnectedness. We’ll thoughtfully examine the global metacrisis—an interconnected web of environmental, social, economic, and existential challenges—and explore practical pathways for navigating both the personal and collective dimensions of these challenges.
While the name of this series of free sessions at Integral Life is “A View From Somewhere,” each monthly session will feature a different theme:
2025
JULY – Horseshoe Theory and the Politics of Confusion: A meta-level upgrade of Jean-Pierre Faye’s Horseshoe Theory
AUGUST – The Performativity Lens: What it is, what it isn’t, and its relevance to meta-level studies
SEPTEMBER – Global Sustainability and Planetary Meta-Studies: An analysis of Big Picture sustainability using common meta-lenses
OCTOBER – no session
NOVEMBER – The Deep Meaning of Climate Change: Uncovering the underlying causes and implications of climate change
DECEMBER – Woking Up: Culture wars, justice warriors, and the right side of history
2026
FEBRUARY – Canada, Australia, Europe and the “Trump effect”: A Meta-Perspective on political responses to Trump 2.0
MARCH – Self-Correcting Mechanisms in Science and Spirituality: A discussion on the role of reflexive practices and how they are applied or silenced in scientific and religious institutions
APRIL – Conservative and Progressive forms of Regressivism: A discussion on how the Republican Party slide into corrupt authoritarianism
MAY – Misunderstanding Pluralism: Why pluralism is not the cause of aperspectival madness
JUNE – Ethics and Algorithms: On voicing values, moral character, and the false solution of balance in the media
Join us for these thought-provoking and practical explorations as we deepen our understanding, sharpen our insights, and co-create meaningful responses to the planetary meta-crisis. Together, let’s uncover clearer paths toward a thriving future for humanity and our shared home.
All sessions are on Thursday afternoons at 4pm PT. Always check the Integral Life Calendar for changes/updates.