An updated transcription of this seminar with additional illustrations is available in paperback, Clare W. Graves: Levels of Human Existence. The book also includes a reprint of the 1970 Journal of Humanistic Psychology paper, "Levels of Existence: An Open Systems Theory of Values." 

From the Historical Collection of the work of Dr. Clare W. Graves
- presentations, papers, recorded transcripts, notes-
William R. Lee                                                                                   February 2002

Washington School of Psychiatry

Seminar on Levels of Human Existence

Conducted by Clare W. Graves
Department of Psychology
Union College
Schenectady, New York

October 16, 1971

Part I  -  [Pages 2-22  ] – The Outline for the Research Paper distributed
                                       at the seminar

Part II -  [Pages 23-72] –  Reorganized transcription from audio tapes of 
                                          Dr. Graves’ presentation

The use of {brackets} indicates comments, clarifications, restructuring by William Lee
Graphics on pp. 16-22 may be slow to load...be patient.

(Opening remarks by Dr. Joe Smith of the Washington School of Psychiatry) . . .

            I am here to welcome you to the school today and to hear Dr. Graves. Let me tell you a bit about Dr. Graves since some of you are not acquainted with his work . . . although I know that some of you are Dr. Graves took his PhD. from Western Reserve in Psychology in 1945 and taught at Western Reserve and Case Institute from 1945 to 1948. During this period he was in a clinical practice that included adults, children and criminals. Since 1948 he has been professor of Psychology at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He has done a great variety of consulting with industry, government, educational institutions and labor organizations. He has published articles in Harvard Business Review, the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and other journals. He has been writing a book that is now in the ninth month of gestation. This book deals with the theory and its application and should be published in the near future.

            Dick Wakefield will chair this afternoon’s meeting. Dick is with the Center of the Studies of Metropolitan Problems at NIMH doing research and training on urban problems. His background includes romance languages, city planning and operations research in industrial management and at times with the futuristic lifestyles with the National Committee on Marijuana and the use of drugs. He has organized and developed the ad hoc inner agency on futurist research with has representatives from almost all agencies of the government. {Dick Wakefield is now retired.} Now I thought that we could just briefly identify ourselves. I should say that this meeting is in the tradition of the Washington School and according to the division of Sullivan that this should be a meeting place for a variety of professionals that are interested in human problems where a dialogue could take place. We represent, here this morning, psychiatrists, psychologists, clergy, people from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, NIMH, Center for Juvenile Detention, Center for Positive Action Group, Bureau of Census, High School teaching, Department of Labor and Manpower Administration, National Center for Religious Education, St. Elisabeth Hospital and biologists, - if I’ve left any out we can pick them up in a minute. We can now take a couple of minutes for each of us to identify ourselves briefly.

            I’m Bill Lee. I’m a high school teacher. I teach Psychology at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia. I’ve been with the Graves’ group for about three years or as long as this group has been together. {Bill Lee is now retired.}

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