The Spiral of Human Development (Stage Five)
Order of the Sun: Science, Commerce, and Reason (Orange)
Spiral Dynamics is a model of human development introduced by Don Beck and Chris Cowan, built upon the work of developmental psychologist Clare W. Graves. The model presents a dynamic, emergent view of human nature and proposes that our values, beliefs, and systems are influenced by various factors, leading to an ongoing evolution of consciousness and culture. The model outlines several distinct stages or levels of consciousness, each associated with a particular worldview and set of values, and each emerging in response to changing life conditions amid increasing complexity.
(BEIGE) Order of the Naked: Survival, Sensation, and Self-Concept
(GREEN) Order of the Leaf: Environment, Consensus, and Equality
(YELLOW) Order of the Nautilus: Integration, Emergence, and Complexity
(TURQUOISE) Order of the Lotus: Holism, Paradox, and Ineffability
In addition to the technical feats of lowborn men, merchants with vision and attunement to their desires are busy making plenty on the High Street. The butcher cuts for the baker, and the baker kneads for the butcher. The brewer needs to eat, and the baker loves his ale. The banker keeps tabs on them all. So as each trucks, barters, and trades, something miraculous yet undesigned springs from them as they toil away to enrich themselves. Prosperity bursts forth and compounds, such that our city shines among cities. Surely there is good in this.
In the light of Reason, two magisteria become pronounced: science and commerce. Suddenly, streets and alleyways pulse with life and color. Music spills out from theaters with their players primed for the wealthy as the lutes, flutes, and stringed gourds of happy buskers keep the lowborn cheery as they nurse their ales. Some have pockets heavy with coins, which makes the highborn green. The philosophers hustle to the agora, newly awakened in their knowledge. They question the hoary ways of faith and obeisance.
Linear logic and cautionary tales about fallacy replace many beloved myths. Practitioners of this way of thinking are obsessed with understanding what is real in the world around them, not to mention how that reality works. They resist postulating anything without evidence for its existence. But not without controversy. Some think all truth claims, even those of math and logic, must be tested in the crucible of experience. Others believe such truths are born within us, waiting for reason’s light to shine on them.
In the overlaps between these more pronounced magisteria, we find innovation. As more and more people find they have the freedom to tinker and the incentive to profit, they develop technological recipes which they can learn, adapt, and apply in myriad ways to create a Great Barrier Reef of possibility. In this ecology, one discovers a fundamental law of human interaction: where there is production, there is competition and specialization; where there is trade, there is mutual benefit, all of which gives rise to exponential wealth creation.
But is a world of transactions and testable hypotheses the end of history? Or is this linear world fraught with problems? As we create wealth, we discover unhealthy excesses in greed, corruption, and environmental degradation. Some end up with great riches, while others survive on little. Despite the enormous progress and prosperity created under the commercial system, we must adopt new values and appreciate new insights to curb its excesses.
Dr. Don Beck, with co-author Christopher Cowan, expanded Clare Graves's original vision and applied the insights around the world. Dr. Beck passed away on April 17, 2023. May he rest in peace. This series is meant to honor his efforts.
Next: Order of the Leaf: Environment, Consensus, and Equality