workshop - integral theory quadrants

Tena Čačić, OŠ Josipa Zorića, Dugo Selo

WORKSHOP: INTEGRAL THEORY – QUADRANTS

Workshop is based on Ken Wilber's Integral Theory.

Every man is a holon. A holon is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part. The word

was coined by Arthur Koestler in his book The Ghost in the Machine (1967, p. 48).

All living holons have four quadrants. (Ken Wilber, 1999, p.53). Quadrants are four basic

dimensions of all individual holons.

EXERCISE 1: Experiencing quadrants – four basic dimensions of myself

Objective: raising the awareness of four primary dimensions that I possess: subjective,

intersubjective, objective, and intersubjective


EXERCISE 2: Applying the four quadrants to education – „qadrivia“

Act of looking at artifact through four quadrants is called "quadrivia. Artifact is any product

made by individual or social holon (chair, musical, bird's nest, internet...). Artifact does NOT

possess four dimensions because it is not alive.

Here are some illustrations that show how the four quadrant model can be applied the field of

education. The first diagram illustrates the look at musical through four perspectives, the second

represent a way of teaching students to become aware of 4 dimensions of themselves (teaching it

through 4 perspectives), while the third one looks at music in general through four perspectives.

Exercise follows diagrams.

Diagram 1: looking at musical through four perspectives (quadrivia of musical)

Objective: to become aware of looking at an artifact through four perspectives

Task 1: Choose an artifact (piece of music, dance, apiary – bee's nest, furniture...) and look

at it through four perspectives


Diagram 2: teaching to play recorder, tone A through 4 perspectives (quadrivia of educational

moment)

Objective: teaching students to play tone A as well as to become aware of their own four

dimensions through which they experience world

Task 2: Choose a teaching content (dance move, song, whole note, pulse...) and try to create

a educational moment (to teach students) through four perspectives


Diagram 3: looking at music through four perspectives (quadrivia of music)

Objective:to become aware of music in the essence in all creation

Task 3: practice awareness of four quadrants through daily life: dedicate 5 min per day to

become aware of four dimensions of yourself (exercise to be present in moment)

workshop - integral theory quadrants

Education