Integral-Development

There are questions that, because of their radical nature, strike us, prompt us to pause and reflect, and present themselves as valid questions—questions born of authentic thought that opens the way to inquiry and the search for new ideas and perspectives. These are not rhetorical questions, but genuine ones that tap into the desire for truth and point the way forward.

The question that gives this post its title—posed by Pope Leo XIV in the introduction to the book “Disarmed and Disarming” ¹—is a crucial question for every person and calls for ethical responsibility. Can the human race continue to inhabit the Earth by recklessly exploiting its resources, plundering it, and applying the logic of domination and profit, while continuing to bring destruction and death through the countless wars that ravage the planet? Does war make sense? What about global rearmament? Is peace possible?

Some Notes on the Concept of Dignity ¹

Being a person is not something added on; it is not a quality or characteristic of the human being: it is the very way in which a human being exists, the very essence of their being. Dignity is not tied to moral, physical, or intellectual qualities, but simply to the fact that the person “is”—to the fact that, as an individual of the human species, they occupy an absolutely special place in creation.

The Declaration of Human Rights did not stem from any specific philosophical or religious stance, but rather emerged in response to the great horrors of World War II. Since the articles of the Declaration make fairly precise prescriptions regarding the political system, it would not be logical—unless one wishes to fall into circular reasoning—to seek the foundation of the Declaration in the very political ideal it proposes. However, despite this form of “ideological neutrality,” even a first glance at the text reveals some of the document’s underlying assumptions.

This three part series explores the historic cycles of humanity’s return to a just social order and the nature and role of Freedom in Integral Development through the lens of the mystic inner life. The first and second part in “Essays”

The Inner Life Compels the Work of Integral Development
Now in the image of God, we must next take on the likeness of God and our cares expand exponentially beyond our small scope of self, of family, of community, of nation–to that of all humanity. Beholding all creation from the vantage point of Freedom, we are urged to create. We begin to sense the requisite next action: to bring beauty and order to God’s creation in all its aspects, for every person, and in all creatures, in every system, in every sphere: Integral Development.
This new ultraconscious state is characterized by Absolute Freedom. Absolute Freedom is the consequence of achieving total equilibrium with the Source. It is the natural state that arises, as it is designed to arise, from the path that achieves perfect reflection of the Absolute. It is an emergent state of one who sees the face of God and still lives. It is the purpose of the vesica piscis: the place between from which new creation passes through, where spirit manifests into the physical realm. Behold the birth of the new man, birthing the Earth anew!

A dear friend asked me what I think about global public health issues.

My first reaction—considering that I belong to the generation that grew up watching Mike Bongiorno’s Rischiatutto on TV (which was the Italian prototype for television game shows modeled after those from the U.S. in the 1940s and 1950s)—was: “A million-dollar question!”.

Bearing in mind that among the most widely accepted definitions of public health are: “The science and art of improving the health of the population through organized societal efforts” (Acheson, 1988; WHO, 2000), but also: “ The process of mobilizing the local, regional, national, and international resources necessary to ensure the conditions under which all people can be in good health” (Breslow and Detels, 1991), it is clear that we are essentially talking about something very important and very complex, all the more so if the reference framework adopted is the global one—that is, one that concerns the health of all peoples across the entire planet.

This three part series explores the historic cycles of humanity’s return to a just social order and the nature and role of Freedom in Integral Development through the lens of the mystic inner life. The first parte in “Essays”

Part II: Freedom Emerges from the Inner Life

Divine design shows us that Freedom is not an a priori condition, but an emergent condition. True Freedom is not a political right granted by a state document, but a spiritual byproduct of a soul coming into purity and alignment with the Divine Design. Freedom, in the divine order, is rather the effect, or the resultant state, of the interior life of prayer, meditation, and union with the Creator. It is the emergent state of a mind in habit of contemplation of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect reflection and living expression, in complete oneness with God the Father. This contemplation of the pure love of Christ for the Father, in turn purifies the interior state of the thoughts of the mind and aims the will toward the desires of God the Father. This contemplation returns our gaze to the Source of Light–whereas, in contrast, humanistic Enlightenment thinking focused our gaze on the outer reaches of any ray of light we so chose to follow away from the Source. Hence the rise of our cancerous multiplicity,¹ which of course, we were free to follow.

Part I
The Return of Astraea: Divine Justice Anew
Everywhere we are now witnessing the collapse of the ideals of liberal democracy, and the rise and normalization of authoritarian rule. It appears that “the new order for the ages” has become old, and is soon to pass away. As liberal democracy falters, we look on in fear and question: Is this the end of human civilization? Is this the failure of the project of Integral Development? And rightly, we question: where did we go wrong? Let us not despair. Rather, let us recall that the promise etched into the Great Seal of the United States, Novus Ordo Seclorum,¹ was adopted from the Roman poet Virgil when he wrote in 40 BC, “Magnus ab integro saeclorum nascitur ordo,”² meaning, “The great order of the ages is born afresh,” or as others translate, “A great cycle of ages is born anew.”

When the world order that Virgil knew was collapsing, he was writing about a promise as he watched the Roman civil wars rip the empire apart. At this moment in human history, where all order is being upended, Virgil is both mourning a great loss and prophesying a new birth. For everything that begins, is born from the death of the last thing that had once also been the promised new beginning. Instead of the demise of a cherished world order, it is the phoenix rising from the ash that Virgil sets his eyes upon. It is precisely from this focus that he told a prophecy of a miraculous child that would usher in a Golden Age, a return of justice as Astraea, the goddess of justice, would return a peaceful, ancient reign of Saturn.

When Virgil in Eclogue IV heralds, “Now returns the virgin, returns the reign of Saturn. Alas, Astraea is descending back to Earth!” ³ Virgil was not focused on the ending. He was focused on a new beginning. Indeed, in the coming years, under Augustus’ new imperial rule, Rome witnessed justice and a golden age of peace was, at least for the time of the Flavian Dynasty, restored to the early Roman Empire. We can see this same promise of the return of peace after the great upheavals caused by Reformation, as Queen Elizabeth used Astraea imagery to indicate that she was the reincarnation of the star-maiden destined to bring divine justice to Britain.⁴

AI, Original Sin, Justification—three traditional terms that we should scrutinize in order to overcome the risk of becoming human beings enslaved: to ourselves, to history, and to technologies—technologies that grant us the knowledge that empowers us, but not the wisdom to live as free human beings, that is, with intelligences that are: volitional to seek the truth, intentional to do good, and spiritual to transcend by creating beauty.

I asked AI what the five most important contributions it provides to the human mind are, and the five most significant risks the human mind faces with the use of AI. These were its answers. (The contributions are written in regular font and the risks in italics, to facilitate a clear comparison.)
1- Expanding our capacity to process information. Management of mass disinformation.
2- Enhancing medical diagnostics. Violation of privacy and encouragement of brain drain.
3- Real-time language translation and communication. Bias in algorithm handling and discrimination based on variables.
4- (Intentional) modeling of scientific discoveries. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
5- Personalized education tailored to each person’s potential skills. Impact on employment, instability, and a lack of loyalty between employees and companies.