I feel compelled to rescue Maslow once more. Or at least regenerate
him. Maslow's hierarchy was probably never linear to him and, in
light of contemporary theory, can be useful without being considered
so.
It is simply not true that the "base level" needs must be satisfied
before the higher level ones come into play or can be satisfied. I
have been to villages of starving people and many are more self-aware
and self-actualised than most of North America and the rest of the
"oversatisfied" world.
We are complex beings and one of the implications of that is "all
levels are active all of the time". While the focus changes and at
different times one particular level may be dominant, this is neither
linear nor static. Being complex, it is also possible to realise one
level by operating at another. Each level contains the others. We
are not dealing with a reductionist model either.
I don't recall whether Maslow realised this at least by implication -
the thinking of his time wasn't as well developed in these areas -
but I'm sure that if he were thinking today, we would see advances in
his work that would incorporate if not extend contemporary thinking.
We can do ourselves and Maslow a service by re-interpreting his work
in light of current thinking in the sciences and philosophy.
Hopefully such endeavours will help us lift ourself up by our own
bootstraps from the thinking of classical science.
-- Michael McMaster Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk