Toward a genealogy and topology of Western integrative thinking:
The cases of creativity, intuition, love, organicism, spiritual philosophy, and syncretism across Hermetism, Neoplatonism, Renaissancism, German humanism and Reconstructive Postmodernism
Contemporary integrative thinking, such as meta-theorising and integral approaches, can be productively contextualised by identifying both a broad genealogy of Western integrative thinking, and also a topology regarding facets of such thinking. This paper offers one such genealogical and topological reading. The genealogy involves the historical orientations or moments of Hermetism, Neoplatonism, Renaissancism, German Humanism and Reconstructive Postmodernism. Arising from this, an indication of a general topology of Western integrative thinking is offered, one involving objects of integration (including philosophy and spirituality), macro-integrative entities (including syncretism), micro-integrative entities (including creativity and love), integrative templates (including organicism), and processes of integration (including intuition). The paper sits in service to the well-being of bodymind, human culture and ecosphere.
