The Five Principles of Middle Way Philosophy - Living Experientially in a World of Uncertainty - Robert M. Ellis

The Five Principles of Middle Way Philosophy - Living Experientially in a World of Uncertainty - Robert M. Ellis

g. Agnosticism and Psychological Development

The Five Principles of Middle Way Philosophy - Living Experientially in a World of Uncertainty - Robert M. Ellis

Robert M. Ellis [+-]
Middle Way Society
Robert M Ellis has a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a Cambridge BA in Oriental Studies and Theology. Originally from a Christian background, he spent about 20 years practising Buddhism, including as a member of the Triratna Order. However, he now describes himself as a Middle Way practitioner without exclusive loyalty to any one religious tradition. Over the last 20 years he has developed Middle Way Philosophy, initially in his Ph.D. thesis. This is best described as a practical and integrative philosophical approach, incorporating many elements not only from Buddhism but also from psychology, neuroscience, and other aspects of Western thought. In 2013 he founded the Middle Way Society (www.middlewaysociety.org) to develop and apply Middle Way Philosophy beyond the limitations of the Buddhist tradition, both in theory and practice. Robert has earned a living for more than 20 years as a teacher and tutor of philosophy and related subjects. He has previously published both academic and introductory books about Middle Way Philosophy, and recently a parallel book on Christianity, ‘The Christian Middle Way’.

Description

Agnosticism requires a two-step process and thus seems to require the capacities of the fifth stage of development in Robert Kegan’s scheme. However, judgements do not always match capacities precisely, so this does not justify esotericism or an unqualified power hierarchy. Agnosticism also needs to be applied at the micro-level (between opposing shortcuts when transitioning between levels of psychological development) as well as the macro-level (between opposing metaphysical ideologies).

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Citation

Ellis, Robert. g. Agnosticism and Psychological Development. The Five Principles of Middle Way Philosophy - Living Experientially in a World of Uncertainty. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 162-167 Jan 2023. ISBN 9781800503045. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=44184. Date accessed: 29 Mar 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.44184. Jan 2023

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