Where is our global culture today? How did we get here? What steps might we need to take now to shape a future that could become a saving grace for humanity? It feels special to find a clear, cohesive and compelling picture, one that encompasses the insights that help us make sense and meaning out of the tumultuous times we live in and answer these questions.

We dive deep into a new, emerging worldview in this conversation with Steve McIntosh, a leading developmental philosopher focusing on the evolution of consciousness and culture. Steve is the author of Developmental Politics, The Presence of the Infinite, Evolution’s Purpose and Integral Consciousness and the Future of Evolution. He is cofounder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution.

With Steve’s help we trace the major forces that shaped human history and culture, from the Renaissance and Enlightenment, through the fuller development of the Modern era, to Postmodern culture, and into today’s search for a new truth. We view the past with a new understanding that these are not fixed periods of history, but a form of living consciousness that evolves inside us.

As the first Enlightenment opened up our understanding of the external universe, the new worldview that has been emerging promises to illuminate the interior universe of consciousness and connection. We actively contribute to the evolutionary process when we bring to life the universal values of truth, beauty and goodness. 

Many more enlivening insights and profound understandings emerge in the conversation, including:

• Traditional values like honesty, decency, respect for rightful authority and loyalty are cultural accomplishments; as we transcend mythic religions we need to bring those forward.
• In the postmodern world the truth has been diminished more than any other value; each person can construct their own truth based on how they feel, without any foundational reasoning.
• We need a sense of solidarity with those who've been left behind; we can't evolve together unless we bring everybody along. Alienation becomes a shadow and barrier to further evolution.
• The push of cultural evolution is people trying to improve negative life conditions and solve problems. The pull is a deep human knowing that a better way is possible.
• A lot of aspirations for new cultural emergence are well-meaning and inspirational, but commit the fallacy of thinking that we can transcend the present without including our evolutionary past.
• Postmodernity as a culture doesn't have the moral resources to purge its most destructive elements.
• A spiritual impulse lets us see that science and spirituality are two important approaches to truth. Philosophy on a three-legged stool bridges the other two while keeping them separate domains.
• It’s the idea of value gravity, magnetism or attraction. Whatever we find to be good, true, beautiful are values that pull on and attract greater consciousness.
• Alternative spirituality, especially the New Age, was a vibrant social movement grounded in progressive postmodern culture, but couldn’t sustain its cultural influence.
• A key value of progressive postmodernism is a world-centric morality where everybody counts. It’s noble and necessary, but so abstract it doesn’t generate sufficient political will.

This conversation is part of the continuing Portals discovery into what is emerging on the frontiers of human experience in this time of profound change. Information about upcoming special events can be found on the Events page. Also visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel.