PRELUDE TO
AN INTEGRAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
IN PROGRESS
(2002)
By Michel BAUWENS
Introduction
This is really a work in progress. Sometime during 1999, when I was seriously considering taking a reading sabbatical, I asked myself: "what should a cultured person who wants to understand contemporary civilisation read?". Excluding fiction and primary works, such a bibliography would have books on the major historical epochs and their accompanying philosophies and spiritualities, as well as works summarising the historical evolution of certain key concepts. I have loosely organised it around the four quadrants as defined by Ken Wilber (subject, object, intersubjective, interobjective, or: the self, the organism and its exteriorisation in technology, social systems, and culture), while also taking some liberties with this system, i.e. the evolution of technology, considered as an extension of the body, is in the 'individual object' quadrant. As a reminder, the Wilber system uses two axis: the invidual vs. the collective system; and the interior (invisible desires, motivation etc..) vs. the exterior (things measurable in time and space), which gives the four aspects of reality just described above.
I've called it a prelude as it is not a professional undertaking, but an ongoing noting of important works. I include a book it I see it recommended by any scholar, author or institute that I respect, and try to include some copied explanatory notes from these sources whenever I can. It contains books in the languages that I can read or speak myself: English, French, Dutch.
Of course, this is in many ways a collective effort, either because other people send me suggestions, or because I used collective insights from mailing lists (especially postconpol and multitudes)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
access to the full bibliography:
The First Quadrant
The Second Quadrant
The Third Quadrant
The Fourth Quadrant
Five: important authors
1. FIRST QUADRANT: THE EVOLUTION OF THE SELF (the evolution of the subject as an individual and his 'inner' life)
1.1 Introduction: the self / the individual
- THE SELF AND ITS GENESIS
- THE SELF TODAY
extra: THE POSTMODERN CHALLENGE TO THE SELF
- THE SELF TOMORROW
- THE SELF IN ITS DEVELOPMENT/EVOLUTION (STAGE THEORIES)
extra: MORAL DEVELOPMENT
extra: OTHER 'INTEGRATIVE' APPROACHES
- INDIVIDUALISM AND ITS EVOLUTION
extra: FICTION ON INDIVIDUALISM
1.2 aspects of the self
- THE SELF AND ITS AESTHETIC JUDGMENT (ART, TASTE)
- THE SELF AND THE BODY
-THE SELF AND ITS EMOTIONS
- THE SELF AND ITS RATIONALITY
-- subtopic: REASON AND THE IMAGINARY/IRRATIONAL
IMAGINATION /SYMBOLISM
1.3 organisation by mode of consciousness / historical epoch
- CONSCIOUSNESS (GENERALITIES)
subtopic: THE UNCONSCIOUS
- THE ARCHAIC MODE
- THE MAGICAL MODE
extra: POSTMAGICAL REVIVALS
- THE MYTHOLOGICAL MODE
GREECE / INDE
- MENTAL/RATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS
- INTEGRAL CONSCIOUSNESS
- POSTRATIONAL/SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS
1.4 organisation by topic
- CHILDHOOD
- DEATH AND DYING
- EVIL
- LANGUAGE
- MEMORY
- NARCISSISM
- NATURE (relationship with)
- PSYCHEDELICS
- TIME
..subtopic: speed
- VIOLENCE
2. SECOND QUADRANT: THE EVOLUTION OF THE ORGANISM
2.1 organisation by historical epochs / phases
- TECHNOLOGY IN GENERAL
- WRITING
- PRINTING
- INTERNET AND THE WEB
- POSTHUMAN TECHNOLOGIES
- CRITIQUES OF TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS
subtopic: TECHNOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY
2.2 organisation by topic
- ANIMALITY
- THE BODY
- THE BRAIN
- THE COSMOS
- LANGUAGE/SEMIOTICS
- THE OBJECT AS SUCH
3. THIRD QUADRANT: THE EVOLUTION OF THE SOCIAL SYSTEM
(the inter-objective organisation of society)
3.1 introduction/generalities on systems and their evolution
- SYSTEMS THINKING
- EVOLUTION
3.2 historical epochs of the world-system
- INTRODUCTION: THE DYNAMICS OF HISTORY
extra: POSTMODERN CHALLENGES
extra: THE CONCEPT OF PROGRESS
- PRE-HISTORIES
- HISTORY ACROSS TIMESCALES (GLOBAL HISTORIES)
extra: CIVILISATIONS
extra: REGIONAL HISTORIES
- PRESENT TIME - 20TH CENTURY
extra AUTOBIOGRAPHIES/TESTIMONIALS
extra: NON-EUROCENTRIC ANTHROPOLOGICAL ACCOUNTS
- WHAT'S NEXT / GLOBAL FUTURES
3.3 political systems: the state and its evolution
- INTRODUCTION: HISTORY OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS
20th CENTURY 21th CENTURY
- INTRODUCTION: HISTORY OF POLITICAL THEORY
- THE STATE
history of state form the contemporary postmodern and/or global state
extra: THE DEBATE AROUND EMPIRE (BY TONI NEGRI)
3.4 political systems: topics
-COLONISATION
extra: CRITIQUES OF EUROCENTRISM
- DEMOCRACY
- GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
extra: INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
- GLOBALISATION
extra: delinking / SAMIR AMIN
extra: CULTURAL GLOBALISATION
-HUMAN RIGHTS
- INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS / USA / EUROPE
- POWER
- REVOLUTION AND CHANGE
extra: MARXIST CONCEPTIONS extra: 'REVOLUTION WITHOUT POWER'? extra: ANTI-REVOLUTION
- SOCIAL EVOLUTION
- UTOPIAN SYSTEMS
- WAR
3.5 economic systems and their evolution
- INTRODUCTION
extra: NON-EUROCENTRIC ACCOUNTS
- PRECAPITALIST
ORIGINS OF MONEY/THE GIFT ECONOMY
ANTIQUITY
FEUDALISM
- CAPITALIST
NON-EUROCENTRIC ACCOUNTS
CAPITAL / THE MARKET
CRITIQUES
- THE CONTEMPERARY SYSTEM
non-European/Eurocentric accounts
postcapitalist/postindustrial/informational
POSTINDUSTRIAL
COGNITIVE CAPITALISM
THE IMMATERIAL ECONOMY
- WHAT NEXT: AFTER CAPITALISM
peer to peer economics (cooperation)
3.6 economic systems: topics
- ALTERNATIVE ECONOMICS
extra: NEOLIBERAL ECONOMICS
- CONSUMERISM
-COOPERATION
-DEVELOPMENT
critiques of development
- ECOLOGY/ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY
- FINANCIAL SYSTEM
-MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION
extra: ALTERNATIVES
- MONEY
- WORK
extra: UNIVERSAL ALLOWANCE
3.7 other systems
- FOOD (PRODUCTION) SYSTEMS
- MEDIA SYSTEMS
- RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS
- VARIOUS OTHER INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEMS
PSYCHIATRY
SCIENCE
4. FOURTH QUADRANT: THE EVOLUTION OF OUR COLLECTIVE CULTURE
(the inter-subjective)
4.1 human cultures and intersubjectivity (general topics)
- INTERSUBJECTIVITY (GENERAL)
extra: FICTION ABOUT INTERSUBJECTIVITY
- CONFLICT RESOLUTION / NONVIOLENCE
- CULTURE AND ITS INTERPRETATION
- THE FAMILY
- GROUP DYNAMICS
- INTERSUBJECTIVE TOOLS
4.2 intersubjective cultural domains
- ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN
- ECONOMIC CULTURE
- LEGAL CULTURE / ETHICS / VALUES
- KNOWLEDGE CULTURE (Epistemology/Episteme's)
- LITERARY CULTURE
extra: IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUAL LITERARY FIGURES
extra: IMPORTANCE OF LITERARY GENRES
- POLITICAL CULTURE
extra: TOWARDS A NEW POLITICS
subtopic: left vs. right
- LEFT:
MARXISM
MARX - ORIGINAL WORKS
MARXISM - CRITIQUES OF...
THIRD WAY
- RIGHT
CLASSIC LIBERALISM
NEO-LIBERALISM
FASCISM/NAZISM
**subtopic: equality vs hierarcy
**subtopic: the concept of progress
**subtopic: Utopia
extra: SOCIALISM/COMMUNISM/ANARCHISM
- POPULAR CULTURE (and other intersubjective inequalities)
- RACIAL CULTURE (and other intersubjective inequalities)
- SCIENTIFIC CULTURE
extra: POSTMODERN CHALLENGES
ANTHROPOLOGY
SOCIAL SCIENCES
- SEXUAL CULTURES
CHRISTIANITY/ THE WEST
THE ORIENT
- SPIRITUAL CULTURES
extra: SPIRITUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHIES
***SPORT-PHYSICAL CULTURE
***TEMPORAL CULTURES
extra: AGAINST CONTEMPORARY SPEED
**subtopic: (conceptions of) the future and futurism
**subtopic: conceptions of history
- 4.3 philosophical cultures, by geography/civilisation
- AFRICA
- ASIA
China
India
- EUROPE
France
extra: LITERATURE
Germany
Greece
extra: LITERATURE
Italy
Northern Europe
- INDO-EUROPEAN
- ISLAM
- 4.4 philosophical culture and conceptions, by historical epoch
- ANTIQUE PHILOSOPHY
- GREEK PHILOSOPHIES
movements
EPICURIANISM
STOICISM
SCEPTICISM
MATERIALISM
individuals
ARISTOTELES
PLATO
- INDIAN PHILOSOPHIES
- MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHIES
- RENAISSANCE
- ENLIGHTENMENT
- ROMANTICISM
- IDEALISM
HEGEL
- MODERNISM
FEMINISM
LIBERALISM
ANTI-MODERNISM (CONSERVATIVE)
MARXISMS AND OTHER RADICAL CRITIQUES
CRITICAL THEORY
WALTER BENJAMIN
- POSTMODERNISM
related philosophies
STRUCTURALISM/POSTSTRUCTURALISM
CONSTRUCTIVISM
DECONSTRUCTION
related philosophers
BAUDRILLARD DELEUZE/GUATTARI
FOUCAULT
other contemporary philosophies/philosophers
DEEP ECOLOGY/ENVIRONMENTALISM
NEO-HEDONISM
- 4.5 philosophical topics and disciplines
- EPISTEMOLOGY
- ETHICS
- HUMAN RIGHTS
- 4.6 key historical events and their interpretation
- MAY '68
- 4.7 religious and spiritual cultures (by region)
***EUROPE
- 4.8 (histories of) religious and spiritual cultures
- RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY (GENERAL)
- PRE-HISTORIC RELIGIONS/SHAMANISM
- THE GNOSTICS
- ISLAM
- JUDAISM
- POLYTHEISM
India
Greece
- TAOISM
- ZOROASTRIANISM
- 4.9 religious and spiritual topics
- EVIL/THE DEVIL
- GOD
- GODDESS
- HEAVEN AND HELL
- MARY
- NON-DUALITY
- PANTHEISM
- THE SACRED
5. FIVE: IMPORTANT AUTHORS
- SAMIR AMIN
- GEORGES BATAILLE
- WALTER BENJAMIN
- JOHN GODOPHIN BENNET
- ERNST BLOCH
- CORNELIS CASTORIADIS
- HENRI CORBIN
- ALAIN DANIELOU
- EUGENE DREWERMANN
- NORBERT ELIAS
- HERBERT MARCUSE
- TONI NEGRI
