Seeds of a Second Renaissance Issue 2 (Mar 2025) – Integral Theory: the Four Quadrant Model
This month: a basic digest of Integral Theory — among the most pervasive ideas in Second-Renaissance-related spheres — and upcoming events & opportunities for inner-led change.
Welcome to Seeds of a Second Renaissance* – a monthly newsletter for explorers of inner-led change towards radically wiser societies.
For both seasoned travellers and those new to these shores, each edition offers a bite-sized exploration of keystone ideas and thinkers whose work you may wish to know more deeply.
Too early in the day for Integral Theory? Skip to the bottom for curated events, opportunities, and resources from around the ecosystem.
Integral Theory: the basics
This month, a very basic digest of Integral Theory — among the most pervasive ideas in the field of inner-led change. Start digging anywhere in the Second Renaissance landscape, and it won’t be long until you scrape a bit of Integral – explicit or otherwise. This philosophical map empowers us to recognise multiple dimensions of information as we make sense of the world around us, offering an antidote to reductive analysis and siloed thinking.
Developed by American philosopher and polymath Ken Wilber in the late 20th century, Integral Theory offers a multi-perspectival, cross-cultural framework for understanding human potentials, complex issues, and possibilities for transformation. At its heart is the All Quadrants, All Levels (AQAL) model.
Quadrants: Four irreducible perspectives on reality
AQAL’s ‘four quadrants’ represent four ‘ways of looking’ necessary for a fuller understanding of a given reality. The quadrants sit on two intersecting axes, representing fundamental classes of phenomena. The horizontal axis spans the interior, subjective world (left side) to the exterior, objective world (right side); while the vertical axis spans individual reality (upper quadrants) to collective reality (lower quadrants).
Seeking understanding in all four quadrants helps us to gain a richer picture of complex issues: each quadrant contains unique information which can’t be fully understood through the lenses and methodologies of the others. For example, an empirical, objective lens can’t grasp subjective human experiences, such as emotions or states of consciousness, without reducing them to externally observable factors. Yet, the quadrants all interrelate and impact each other to constitute manifest reality.
Integral sheds light not only on the here-and-now, but also on the trajectories of complex systems over millennia. Importantly, much work in the Second Renaissance landscape understands that our current civilisation disproportionately emphasises the upper right quadrant, flattening other essential dimensions – such as intangible value and rich inner world experiences — to objective materiality.
As Integral thinkers are keen to remind us, the map is not the territory—and even a map that aims at multi-perspectival understanding can’t avoid certain biases and reductivism! Nonetheless, it may help us to seek a more comprehensive understanding of ourselves and our complex crises, which might inform more sensitive and impactful interventions.
To come: We’ll discuss the “levels” part of AQAL in next month’s edition.
Integral, out there
Integral theory is a foundational influence for the Second Renaissance thesis and theory of change; and for inner-led change organisations across a wide range of sectors: from transformative education and leadership training (e.g. Pacific Integral; Trans4m), to politics (e.g. Integrale Politik), to urban design (e.g. Integral City), to governance (e.g. The Hague Center). Integral Theory and integral studies itself is a live and advancing field (e.g. see California Institute for Integral Studies; Institute for Integral Studies Freiburg; Integral European Conference). While explicit acknowledgement varies, Integral forms a springboard for much thought in the arena of Metamodernism.
Explore the field of inner-led change…
A selection of events, opportunities, and resources recommended by friends and allies in the arena of inner-led regeneration.
👋 Help us to showcase the best opportunities and resources: please suggest items to include in the Events, Offers & Links or Jobs Board WhatsApp channels.
Upcoming Events
Integral Altruism Summit
📍UK, tbc 📅 Summer 2025 🔗Application form N.B. Soft deadline: 23 March
“This summer, we will hold the first integral altruism summit, probably somewhere in the UK. The goal is to seed a new network of those excited about integrating effective altruism with other changemaking paradigms, and applying that understanding to doing the most good. This will be a chance to collectively decide what integral altruism is, and set plans in action to improve the world in an integral way.”
Integral Altruism is a budding new network, inspired by Integral Theory, which aims to integrate new worldviews into Effective Altruism. They meet monthly in London.
Unconference on Metacrisis & the Second Renaissance
📍Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, USA 📅 2-3 May 2025 🔗 https://secondrenaissance.net/unconference
“The metacrisis is a symptom of something deeper—a world in transition. The Second Renaissance is about what comes next: new ways of knowing, new ways of organizing, new ways of being. This is an in-person gathering bringing together key voices from the metacrisis, second renaissance, metamodern, and liminal communities to meet, connect, and create together. It is part of the larger Human Transformation in a time of Metacrisis event, a two-day convening exploring education and transformation in the face of the metacrisis.”
School of Wise Innovation Spring Cultivator
📍Online 📅 3 April-12 June 2025 🔗 https://wiseinnovation.school/2025-spring-cultivator
“Virtual learning and practice journey for founders and changemakers exploring how to live, work, and create with greater harmony. Cultivating healthy soil for ourselves and our visions to flower. We'll be refining our lives and projects together, while learning from experts on navigating this moment of great change.”
Second Renaissance Project Update
📍Online 📅 1 April 2025 🔗 /https://lu.ma/qvdqtwvv
“Join us to learn more about the Second Renaissance Initiative - where we've come from, where we're going and how you can get involved!”
Jobs & Opportunities
The Fifth Element (Club of Rome) - Communications Officer
📅 Apply by 6 April 2025 🔗 Job post
“The Fifth Element, a programme of The Club of Rome, seeks to build unique initiatives to reframe human development for wellbeing on a healthy planet. By asking new questions about the crises humanity is facing, and by exploring and facilitating the recognition of blind spots, we aim to catalyse the emergence of a human revolution, through a shift in mindsets. The team is searching for a communications specialist who will be responsible for designing, producing and managing a variety of communications materials and channels related to The Fifth Element and related projects.”
Advaya - Seeking pitches and submissions for 2025
“We are seeking contributions that are evocative, thoughtful and in line with advaya's mission. Rather than focusing on breaking headlines, we aim to offer our readers rich, context-driven narratives that explore the complexities of our world from diverse, nuanced perspectives. Whether in the form of essays, interviews, op-eds, poetry, photography, or multimedia, we are interested in hearing stories that challenge, expand, and inspire.” Relevant topics span: Ecology & Science; Society & Culture; History & Mythology; Philosophy & Psychology; Wisdom & Spirituality.
Climate Youth Resilience - Ambassadors for Inner-Led Change
📅 Apply by 14 April 2025 🔗 Info & Application
“We're recruiting 10 Ambassadors for Inner-Led Change from the Europe region (as well as 10 each in SWANA, LATAM, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa). This is a 6-month (free) training program for youth leaders aged 18-35 who are active in climate or community resilience organisations.”
Second Renaissance
*“Second Renaissance” is one way of framing current times as a period of civilisational crisis and potential renewal – and of pointing to an ecosystem of people and organisations working to catalyse the emergence of a new, regenerative, cultural paradigm. If you recognise terms like metacrisis, Metamodern, Regenerative, Liminal Web, Game B, Integral, conscious evolution and so on, then you’re on familiar ground. Explore the core thesis and theory of change in more detail here.
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Finally, we leave you with some…
Art to nourish the soul
A poem by Rilke, which spurs us listen to our souls and live from the depths of our wholeness. Listen to the poem read by Joanna Macy here or read it below.
Thank you for reading the second issue of Seeds of a Second Renaissance.