About the Developmental Politics Project
About the Organization
The Developmental Politics Project is a nonprofit organization supported by the Institute for Cultural Evolution, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation. The Developmental Politics Project (the ‘Project’) seeks to:
- To use the insights of integral philosophy to advance the evolution of human civilization.
- To demonstrate the power of the developmental perspective.
- To forward and promote the work of integral philosopher Steve McIntosh.
The Project’s essential value proposition is based on the “New Truth” revealed by developmental philosophy’s understanding of evolution. This philosophy shows how America can overcome its social problems by effectively growing out of them. Our approach synthesizes and harmonizes values from across the political spectrum. Our theory of change is that culture and consciousness coevolve when people expand the scope of what they can value.
The Project’s political position is neither left, nor right, nor centrist. We don’t undertake lobbying efforts or back political candidates, and we’re not associated with any political party. For more about our political philosophy and cultural activism, we invite you to explore these links:
Method: Developmental Politics’ Values Integration Method
Articles: Steve McIntosh’s Political Articles
Podcast: Glenn Loury Interviews Steve McIntosh on The Glenn Show
Video: Developmental Politics Simplified in 5-Minutes
Book: Developmental Politics—How America Can Grow into a Better Version of Itself
About Steve McIntosh
Steve McIntosh, J.D. is Director of the Developmental Politics Project. He is the co-founder and lead philosopher of the Project’s parent organization, the Institute for Cultural Evolution. Steve is the author of four books: Developmental Politics, The Presence of the Infinite, Evolution’s Purpose, and Integral Consciousness. He is also coauthor of Conscious Leadership, with John Mackey and Carter Phipps. His work has appeared in USA Today, Real Clear Politics, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Areo Magazine, and The Developmentalist. Steve has been interviewed on NPR, Oxford Review, The Glenn Show, Rebel Wisdom, and many other podcasts. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School and the University of Southern California Business School. Steve’s longer bio is here, and his author website is: stevemcintosh.com
Working directly with Steve on the Project are Rigel Thurston (Communications Director), and Tehya McIntosh (Administrator).
Positive Comments from Noteworthy People:
“Developmental Politics is essential reading for those who are concerned about the dysfunctional condition of America’s democracy. …”
― John Mackey, Founder of Whole Foods Markets, and coauthor of Conscious Capitalism
“I think ‘Depolarizing the American Mind’ by McIntosh and Phipps is among the most insightful essays I’ve ever read about the causes of our Nation’s hyper-partisan polarization problem. It offers a new diagnosis of how we got here, and a new prescription for what to do now. McIntosh and Phipps show us how we can evolve into more constructive forms of disagreement a decade from now.”
— Jonathan Haidt, NYU social psychologist and author of The Righteous Mind
“Is there a world beyond polarization? Indeed there is. In this inspired and brilliant work Steve McIntosh presents a richly conceived integral agenda and evolutionary strategy for the development of culture and consciousness.”
― Jean Houston, Ph.D., author of many books on human development
“I found the Institute for Cultural Evolution’s Austin Conclave on the future of the right to be a highly worthwhile. Affirming the truism that two minds are better than one, the Conclave was revelatory in identifying themes that I believe will help catalyze innovation and reform in our political system.”
— Margaret Hoover, host of PBS’s Firing Line
“If I could prescribe one book for every Democrat or Progressive candidate and campaign to read (ASAP!) … it would be Steve McIntosh’s Developmental Politics. It’s brilliant, well-written, and, I believe, just what the doctor ordered for our ailing body politic.”
― Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration
“McIntosh is persuasive in his arguments that the scientific facts of evolution cannot stand alone … science shows that historical evolution, whatever its contingencies, is itself on a trajectory of values development. McIntosh has well-researched his sources and integrated them with seminal insight.”
— Holmes Rolston III, winner of the Templeton prize, and author of Environmental Ethics
“Mining the wisdom of traditional philosophies and religions, yet fully conversant with contemporary evolutionary science, McIntosh’s fresh synthesis will be helpful to all sincere inquirers.”
— John F. Haught, Ph.D., Professor of Theology Georgetown University
“It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the dramatic turn of world events. Evolution’s Purpose presents another view of the chaos … that humanity is evolving in an ultimately purposeful way, lending both meaning and illumination to our individual and collective struggles. Steve McIntosh’s brilliant ideas are both stimulating and comforting, as he lays out a theory of our evolution that is both scientifically and spiritually profound.”
— Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love
“Steve McIntosh is an incredibly deep and clear thinker … Developmental Politics is just what we need at this troubled time in history.”
― Tony Schwartz, bestselling author and CEO of The Energy Project
“Evolution’s Purpose reaches deep into the living essence of evolution within the cosmos and within ourselves. It gives us strong arguments to carry us beyond the limitations of the neo-Darwinian assertion of no purpose, meaning or direction in evolution; and also beyond the post-modern sense of relativism, by offering a far deeper exploration of the source of purpose itself intrinsic to evolutionary direction. Most important, this seminal book places the “Evolutionary World View” on the “memetic map” of global culture to guide our generation in the direction of our evolutionary transformation. This is a very important work.”
— Barbara Marx Hubbard, Futurist, and founder of The Foundation for Conscious Evolution
“We applaud the groundbreaking work of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, which is taking an innovative, integral approach to solving key challenges of our time. Solving issues like climate change and political gridlock can only be achieved by a significant shift in cultural thinking, and that’s what ICE is all about.”
— Lynne Twist, co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance
“McIntosh has produced quite an impressive synthesis … [He] grasps the essence of Clare Graves’s point of view and the dynamics that craft and turn the spiral, serving as a cartographer of the emergence of the integral stage of consciousness. This book is refreshing, indeed.”
― Dr. Don Edward Beck, co-author of Spiral Dynamics
“Evolution’s Purpose is a breakthrough book. It redefines the terms of the rational public debate over evolution. In it, Steve McIntosh articulates, in his lucid original voice, important new ideas and persuasive arguments that clarify a hard-headed rationale for the spiritual implications of our scientific understanding of the story of evolution.”
— Terry Patten, author of A New Republic of the Heart, and co-author of Integral Life Practice
“McIntosh persuasively argues that an enlarged understanding of cultural evolution can help us reclaim our collective aspirations for social progress. This important study is a must read!”
― Michael E. Zimmerman, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy CU Boulder, and co-author of Integral Ecology
“Many folks are writing about evolution these days, but few with the vision, intelligence, and even brilliance that Steve McIntosh brings to the table. Thank you Steve! You are our 21st century Henri Bergson.”
— Allan Combs, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy CIIS, and author of The Radiance of Being
