The Institute for Cultural Research
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Cultural Research (ICR) is a London
-based, UK
-registered educational charity
, events organizer and publisher
which aims to stimulate study, debate
, education
and research
into all aspects of human thought, behaviour
and culture
. It has brought together many distinguished speakers, writers and Fellows over the years.
teacher Idries Shah
to facilitate the dissemination of ideas, information and understanding between cultures. Its Objects and Regulations were officially first adopted on 21 January, 1966. For some time based at Tunbridge Wells
in Kent
, it is presently based in London
. Shah acted as the Institute's Director of Studies whilst still alive. Nobel Prize
-winning novelist Doris Lessing
, who was influenced by Idries Shah, has also contributed to the Institute.
The body, which has a number of distinguished Fellows, has published several dozen academic monographs and some books over the years and holds regular events. These events usually include a series of six lectures by specialists per year, and a two-day seminar which is usually held in the Autumn. The aim of these is "to connect ideas across disciplines, across cultures, and even through history" and to bring about a broader, more holistic understanding by looking at issues from several different perspectives, with particular interest in human thought and behaviour and issues neglected by contemporary culture.
In addition, the Institute supports projects in areas where freedom of access to facts is threatened, for example in the case of Afghanistan
where assistance has been given to the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF)'s female educational projects.
All the Institute for Cultural Research's activities are open to the general public.
s and hosted so many lecture
s and seminar
s that only a small sample of notable contributors are listed here.
Lecturers include:
Monograph writers include:
Books published by the ICR include Cultural Research
edited by the writer Tahir Shah
, and Cultural Encounters: Essays on the interactions of diverse cultures now and in the past, edited by Robert Cecil and David Wade.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-registered educational charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, events organizer and publisher
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
which aims to stimulate study, debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
, education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
into all aspects of human thought, behaviour
Human behavior
Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics....
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. It has brought together many distinguished speakers, writers and Fellows over the years.
History
The Institute was founded in 1965 by the well-known writer, thinker and SufiSufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
teacher Idries Shah
Idries Shah
Idries Shah , also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi , was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.Born in India, the descendant of a...
to facilitate the dissemination of ideas, information and understanding between cultures. Its Objects and Regulations were officially first adopted on 21 January, 1966. For some time based at Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, it is presently based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Shah acted as the Institute's Director of Studies whilst still alive. Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
-winning novelist Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing
Doris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
, who was influenced by Idries Shah, has also contributed to the Institute.
Aims and remit
The Institute's stated aim is "to stimulate study, debate, education and research into all aspects of human thought, behaviour and culture" and to make the results of its members' academic work accessible to society and also to academics working in different fields.The body, which has a number of distinguished Fellows, has published several dozen academic monographs and some books over the years and holds regular events. These events usually include a series of six lectures by specialists per year, and a two-day seminar which is usually held in the Autumn. The aim of these is "to connect ideas across disciplines, across cultures, and even through history" and to bring about a broader, more holistic understanding by looking at issues from several different perspectives, with particular interest in human thought and behaviour and issues neglected by contemporary culture.
In addition, the Institute supports projects in areas where freedom of access to facts is threatened, for example in the case of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
where assistance has been given to the United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
(UNICEF)'s female educational projects.
All the Institute for Cultural Research's activities are open to the general public.
Notable contributors
The Institute has published so many monographMonograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
s and hosted so many lecture
Lecture
thumb|A lecture on [[linear algebra]] at the [[Helsinki University of Technology]]A lecture is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history,...
s and seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s that only a small sample of notable contributors are listed here.
Lecturers include:
- psychologistPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
Michael EysenckMichael EysenckMichael William Eysenck is a British academic psychologist, and currently a professor in the psychology department of Roehampton University. His research focuses on cognitive factors affecting anxiety. Eysenck has written and co-written many publications, including several textbooks...
(Lost in Time, Making Sense of Amnesia) - neuroscientistNeuroscienceNeuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
Professor Chris FrithChris FrithChristopher Donald Frith is professor emeritus at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London and a Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark...
(how the brain creates our mental and social worlds) - British social anthropologistAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
Professor Tim IngoldTim IngoldTim Ingold is a British social anthropologist, currently Chair of Social Anthropology at the University of Aberdeen. He was educated at Leighton Park School and Cambridge University...
(the mismatch between the "environment" of immediate experience and the "Environment" of scientific and policy discourse) - writer and documentary filmmakerFilmmakingFilmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
Tahir ShahTahir ShahTahir Shah , né Sayyid Tahir al-Hashimi is an Anglo-Afghan Indian author, journalist and documentary maker. He lives in Casablanca, Morocco.-Family origins and life:...
(the scientific legacies of the Arab Caliphates and their Golden Age) - writer and filmmaker Iain SinclairIain SinclairIain Sinclair FRSL is a British writer and filmmaker. Much of his work is rooted in London, most recently within the influences of psychogeography.-Life and work:...
(Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire) - poet, writer and adventurer Robert TwiggerRobert TwiggerRobert Twigger is a British poet, writer and explorer. He lives in Cairo, Egypt.-Life:Twigger was educated at Balliol College, Oxford University. He first began to study engineering, but after six weeks switched to politics, philosophy and economics. His attendance record was poor, and he left...
(Polymaths in a monopathic world?) - anthroplogist Piers VitebskyPiers VitebskyPiers Vitebsky is an anthropologist and is the Head of Social Science at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge, England.Since the 1980s, Vitebsky has carried out fieldwork with the Evens of Siberia, and other peoples of India and Sri Lanka.Vitebsky won the Kiriyama Prize.He...
(Global religious change and the death of the shaman) - novelist, short story writer, historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and mythographerMythographyA mythographer, or a mythologist is a compiler of myths. The word derives from the Greek "μυθογραφία" , "writing of fables", from "μῦθος" , "speech, word, fact, story, narrative" + "γράφω" , "to write, to inscribe". Mythography is then the rendering of myths in the arts...
Marina Warner (Talismans and Charms: Spellbinding in Stories from The 1001 Nights) - writer Ramsay WoodRamsay WoodRamsay Wood is a writer best known for his modernized compilation of the ancient animal fables derived from The Panchatantra. His Kalila and Dimna-- Selected Fables of Bidpai was published by Knopf in 1980...
(The Kalila and Dimna Story)
Monograph writers include:
- science writer Philip BallPhilip BallPhilip Ball is an English science writer. He holds a degree in chemistry from Oxford and a doctorate in physics from Bristol University. He was an editor for the journal Nature for over 10 years. He now writes a regular column in Chemistry World...
(Collective Behaviour and the Physics of Society) - professor of psychiatryPsychiatryPsychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
Arthur J. DeikmanArthur J. DeikmanArthur J. Deikman is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology and Human Givens...
(Evaluating Spiritual and Utopian Groups) - psychologist and noted skepticSkepticismSkepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
Chris FrenchChris FrenchChristopher C. French, is a British psychologist and vocal skeptic specialising in the psychology of paranormal beliefs and experiences, cognition and emotion.-Career:...
(Paranormal Perception? A Critical Evaluation) - co-founder of the Club of RomeClub of RomeThe Club of Rome is a global think tank that deals with a variety of international political issues. Founded in 1968 at Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, the CoR describes itself as "a group of world citizens, sharing a common concern for the future of humanity." It consists of current and...
in 1968, Dr. Alexander King (Science, Technology and the Quality of Life and An Eye to the Future) - Nobel PrizeNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
-winning novelist Doris LessingDoris LessingDoris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
(Problems, Myths and Stories) - professor of archaeologyArchaeologyArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
Steven MithenSteven MithenSteve Mithen is a Professor of Archaeology at the University of Reading. He has written a number of books including The Singing Neanderthals and The Prehistory of the Mind: The Cognitive Origins of Art, Religion and Science.-See also:...
(Problem-solving and the Evolution of Human Culture) - writer and psychologist Robert E. Ornstein (Physiological Studies of Consciousness)
- biochemistBiochemistryBiochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, plant physiologistPlant physiologyPlant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology , plant ecology , phytochemistry , cell biology, and molecular biology.Fundamental processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, plant nutrition,...
and parapsychologistParapsychologyThe term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
Rupert SheldrakeRupert SheldrakeRupert Sheldrake is an English scientist. He is known for having proposed an unorthodox account of morphogenesis and for his research into parapsychology. His books and papers stem from his theory of morphic resonance, and cover topics such as animal and plant development and behaviour, memory,...
(Fields of the Mind)
Books published by the ICR include Cultural Research
Cultural Research
Cultural Research is a work of academic research, edited by the Anglo-Afghan writer Tahir Shah.As the world shrinks in terms of accessibility, cultures are impinging upon one another with increasing force. Much of the time the result is a breakdown of traditions, and an upsurge of homogenized culture...
edited by the writer Tahir Shah
Tahir Shah
Tahir Shah , né Sayyid Tahir al-Hashimi is an Anglo-Afghan Indian author, journalist and documentary maker. He lives in Casablanca, Morocco.-Family origins and life:...
, and Cultural Encounters: Essays on the interactions of diverse cultures now and in the past, edited by Robert Cecil and David Wade.