Tammie: From your perspective, how do you define wholeness as it relates to human beings?

Stephen: Wholeness is not something that can be defined. Or at least, a definition would end up looking so paradoxical that nobody could possibly make sense out of it. That's because the definition would have to include all opposites (all conceivable human qualities) within it. Instead of talking about how wholeness can be defined, I prefer to talk about how wholeness can be achieved--or perhaps more accurately, "approached".

As a philopsycher, I see wholeness (the goal of all wisdom-seeking) as a three-step process of self-knowledge. The first step is intellectual and corresponds to the kind of self-awareness philosophy can help us to obtain; the second step is volitional and corresponds to the kind of self-awareness psychology can help us to obtain; and the third step is spiritual (or "relational") and corresponds to the kind of self-awareness we can only obtain by reaching out to others and sharing ourselves in acts of loving communion. Two of my books, The Tree of Philosophy and Dreams of Wholeness, are based on the lectures I used to give for two classes I regularly teach that aim to help students to learn the first two steps. I plan to write a third book, probably to be entitled The Elements of Love, that will be based on the lectures I am giving in a course I am now teaching for the first time on the four philopsychic issues of "Love, Sex, Marriage, and Friendship".

Erich Fromm expressed a basic philopsychic principle when he said: "Only the idea which has materialized in the flesh can influence man; the idea which remains a word only changes words." In the same way, human beings cannot achieve or even approach wholeness merely by reading books. Philopsychers are scholars (or any thoughtful human beings) who are keenly aware of the need to put their words into practice and to draw their words from their practice. This suggests a good metaphorical way of answering your question: for a person who is genuinely on the path to wholeness, the "word" will be "made flesh".

Stephen Palmquist is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Hong Kong Baptist University in Kowloon, Hong Kong, where he has taught since earning his doctorate from Oxford University in 1987. Prior to that he completed a B.A. at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. In addition to compiling various computerized reference works and publishing approximately forty journal articles (mostly on Kant's philosophy), he is author of Kant's System of Perspectives: An architectonic interpretation of the Critical philosophy (University Press of America, 1993) and the first of three projected sequels, Kant's Critical Religion (forthcoming). In 1993, Palmquist set up a publishing company, Philopsychy Press, with the aim of "spreading the truth in love" through the support of scholarly self-publishing. In addition to assisting other scholars in publishing their work, he has used this imprint to publish four of his own books: The Tree of Philosophy: A course of introductory lectures for beginning students of philosophy (three editions: 1992, 1993, and 1995), Biblical Theocracy: A vision of the biblical foundations for a Christian political philosophy (1993), Four Neglected Essays by Immanuel Kant (1994), and Dreams of Wholeness: A course of introductory lectures on religion, psychology, and personal growth (1997). Palmquist is also the architect of an award winning web site, featuring special sections on Kant and self-publishing, in addition to etexts for most of his writings and a more detailed biography . The site supports an internet-based organization for author-publishers, the Philopsychy Society, as well as a page describing Palmquist's books in more detail and an online order form.

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