|
|
Epistemology, Fourth Order
Consciousness,and the
Subject-Object Relationship or...
How the Self Evolves
with Robert Kegan
by Elizabeth Debold
|
|
Brought to by EnlightenNext
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Have you ever thought of yourself as an epistemologist? Epistemology: the study of the nature and limits of
knowledge. Yikes, what a mouthful—one of those too-long words bandied about in philosophy classes.
But how about taking a different tack: Have you ever shared the thrill of triumph with an infant taking her first
steps? Or been amazed by the experience of all of the pieces coming together in an epiphany of a new and
different perspective? Or even wondered how you and another could seem to speak the same language,
use the same words, and not really understand each other? In other words, have you ever been struck by
how absolutely remarkable, complex, and sometimes frustrating is the human capacity for learning and
understanding? Then maybe you are a bit of an epistemologist. This is epistemology, Robert Kegan style,
taken out of the philosophy classroom into the trials and triumphs of the struggle to make meaning—to
know and understand—through the course of our lives. Kegan, a noted Harvard developmental
psychologist, has charted the evolving upward movement of consciousness across the life span, revealing
how the self transforms through the subject-object relationship.
Right—the subject-object relationship. Now, don't turn the page! Yes, it does sound abstract and perhaps
a bit boring, but, frankly, as Kegan makes clear, this is the crux of the transformation of consciousness.
Think about it: When the great philosopher and teacher J. Krishnamurti calls us to observe and join him in
inquiry, asking, "Now why is there this division in me? The 'me' and the 'not me,' " he is pointing to the
relationship between subject (me) and object (not me). As Kegan explains, this reality-making
relationship—what we identify with as subject and what we consider to be object—ultimately determines
the difference between a baby and a Buddha. And most of us fall somewhere in between. The
transformation of the subject-object relationship, enabling us to become truly objective and see what is
true, is actually a goal of much spiritual practice. Maybe all of us are closet epistemologists.
But it wasn't just Kegan's approach to epistemology that made us so interested in speaking with him.
Kegan is a humanitarian in the deepest possible sense. He bears witness to the "astonishingly intimate
activity—the activity of making sense" that defines our struggle for dignity in the face of the overwhelming
immensity of the universe and the fragile finitude of our lives. To listen to Kegan is to join him in marveling
at the miracle of transformation that unfolds in the myriad creative moments that constitute our constant
quest for understanding and knowledge. His motivation for studying the transformations of consciousness
in adulthood arises in response to the question: What order of consciousness will allow human beings to
respond positively to the demands of a pluralistic postmodern culture? To answer that question, Kegan
doesn't just stand above the fray. As a parent, therapist, consultant, and the first William and Miriam
Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development at the Harvard Graduate School of
Education, he is in the trenches, working directly to help others to transform and evolve. In the following
interview, Kegan shares with us the actual mechanisms and often syncopated rhythms of human
transformation, and expresses the urgent need for us to evolve in order to meet the demands of our rapidly
accelerating world.
Interview HERE
|
|
|
|
