From
the Historical Collection of the work of Dr. Clare W. Graves
William R.
Lee
- presentations, papers, recorded transcripts, notes
-
February 2002 Seminar on Levels of Human Existence, Washington School of
Psychiatry, October, 1971
{This
section of the tape involved each participant stating his/her name,
something about their background and what organization(s) they might
represent. This section is very difficult to hear on the tape since the
participants did not have a microphone available to them . . .
therefore, I will skip over this section. There was a wide range of
participants from a number of professions, agencies and organizations
(public and private) – some that were not mentioned above.}
Dr.
Joe Smith continues . . .
Dr. Graves is going to present his theory this morning and he has
stressed that he wants all of us to feel free to ask any questions or to
make any comments when we feel like doing so. We hope that all of you
had a chance to read the paper that Dr. Graves made available to all of
us and perhaps you’ve also read the article in the Journal of
Humanistic Psychology; Levels of Existence: An Open System Theory of
Values, Fall 1970, No. 2.
PartI – The outline for the Research Paper - - - distributed at the
seminar
(Phase
I)
II.
The Reason for the Research:
Personal distress arising from confusion in the behavioral sciences.
II.
The Area of Research Concern:
The confusion and contradiction, the conflict and controversy in
psychological information and theory.
III.
The Basic Research Problem:
To find a means through which to study the area of concern - - - -
the confusion and contradiction, etc.
IV.
The Selection of the Basic Research Vehicle:
Possibilities considered, vehicle selected.
V.
The Primary General Questions asked at the Beginning of the Project:
1. Can one substantiate that conflict and contradiction, confusion
and controversy are represented in the conceptions of psychological health. If so . . .
2. What are the conceptions of psychological health extant in the
minds of biologically mature human beings?
3. Do the concepts which exist suggest that psychological health
should be viewed as a state or a condition or as
a psychological process?
4. What is the nature of psychological health if it is a state or a
condition?
5. What is the nature of the process psychological health if the
basic research indicates that if it should be viewed as a process?
6. If psychological health is revealed to be a state or a condition,
can our state of confusion and controversy become, in theory, comprehensible and resolvable by clarifying what is that state which is
psychological health?
7.If psychological health is revealed to be a process can
we, in theory, developa
comprehension of the process that will clarify the troubling confusion and contradiction
and, in theory, propose means for the resolution of the
conflict and contradiction in psychological information and theory and the world of
human affairs.