Visions of Integration: Implications for Self and Society
The mission of the Visions of Integration Conference is to bring together a group of scholars concerned with the fragmented nature of human knowledge in general and psychology in particular to discuss various visions of integration from an analytical vantage point, while also to grappling with the larger sociopolitical and philosophical implications. In 1958, Oliver Reiser offered the following impassioned plea, which is directly relevant to the theme of this conference: “In this time of divisive tendencies within and between the nations, races, religions, sciences and humanities, synthesis must become the great magnet which orients us all…[Yet] scientists have not done what is possible toward integrating bodies of knowledge created by science into a unified interpretation of man, his place in nature, and his potentialities for creating the good society. Instead, they are entombing us in dark and meaningless catacombs of learning.”
Reiser’s critique of the academy is even more viable today than when written a half a century ago. And it is neither unreasonable nor alarmist to conclude that our fragmentation places humanity at increasing risk of negative and potentially irreversible consequences. As such, it is our contention that a critical mass of the world's population must come to understand that the actions, practices, and policies of individuals, groups, organizations, governments, and societies are mediated by beliefs and values that may be highly subjective, non-conscious, and harmful, rather than rational, compassionate, and sustainable. Such understanding must be sufficiently achieved in the near future by a significant number of people within our global community—including those who are in positions of relative power and influence - and subsequently translated into relevant policies practices. To accomplish these goals, the academic community must become much more proactive and deliberate in order to organize and direct its vast analytic capacity toward an understanding of these real world issues, and what we discover into terms that can be readily apprehended by the academy, policy makers, and the public at large.
Psychology is a domain of inquiry particularly relevant to these issues. As Gordon Allport argued, no other discipline connects as deeply to the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities and thus a more unified psychology may lead to a more unified system of knowledge more generally. Furthermore, as a discipline, psychology has much to say about the nature of beliefs and values and the mediating role they play in individual and social policy formations and action. As a result of these reflections, we are inviting prominent psychologists as well as scholars from across the academic spectrum to participate in a dialogue that addresses the following fundamental question: Can we integrate our intellectual ideologies in a manner that allows us to direct the vast analytic capacities of the academy toward the greater good?
