There is a new expansion in our time of the concept of intelligence far beyond measurable IQ. The pioneering work of Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences has laid the groundwork for the integral intelligence we need to encompass emotional, social, spatial, ecological and spiritual intelligences. At a time of a rapid expansion of ‘artificial’ intelligence and machine ‘learning’, we need to reflect on our relationship to the forms of these multiple intelligences. The roots of the word ‘intelligence’ show us it means to ‘read between’ (inter-legere).

The term ‘intellect’ is understood by traditional philosophers to refer to our capacity for gnosis or transcendent knowledge through the experience of sharing identity of being the One. It is more than reason as our capacity for analysis (the roots of this word suggest ‘to loosen)’. It escapes the over-domination of the left hemisphere as described in the recent profound work of neuroscientist and philosopher Dr Iain McGilchrist in his Magnum Opus The Matter with Things. It is this mode of perception that now dominates our culture and has created our serious imbalance and existential unease.

When we look at the symptoms of the present crisis it is hard not to say “how foolish we can be in wasting our intelligence and our opportunities.” The fear is lurking in many minds that we may be becoming little more than consumers controlled by artificial intelligence. But there is a way forward through this impasse: a new integrated intelligence. We hope that the stimulating conversation with the major minds we will meet in this series will awaken this insight and its practical implications.

In this series of round table dialogues, we will explore this integral intelligence: the several balanced and unified forms of intelligence that humanity is gifted with. Speakers in the series will draw on left and right hemisphere styles of attention and investigate the unique nature of spiritual intelligence, the challenges of AI, and finally that art of socio-political intelligence. This integration of intelligences is needed to co-create a humane world for future generations.