DOCSLIB.ORG

Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere A New Dimension in Evolution: Impacts of Human Consciousness on Sustainability—and Beyond Charles M. McKenna, Jr. “The whole future of the Earth…seems to me to depend on the awakening of our faith in the future.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Letters to Mme Georges-Marie Haardt) From de Chardin’s The Future of Man – 1964 Abstract—Starting with the concepts of the “noosphere” – the sphere of thought – and the evolution of consciousness developed by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in the first half of the last century, we will introduce a hypothesis declaring the interdependence of the noosphere with global systems, and extrapolate to new perceptions that these concepts, and others which seem to flow from them, could contribute to transforming historic views into more hopeful visions of the future of human development and life on Earth. Just as mental outlook plays an important part in each person’s life path, so also do the ideas and world-views – limiting or expanding – held by the global community affect the assumptions, boundaries, and decisions of the human family as we discover who we are in an ever-evolving existence of increasing knowledge and change. Approaching the issue of sustainability from an engineer’s point of view, we quickly see, as stated in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Implementation Plan for its newly promulgated Environmental Operating Principles, that it demands “…a new view of engineering that embraces the physical and biological sciences as well as those of the social and economic disciplines. …This shift in our understanding of engineering will be huge.” The paper will discuss three additional hypotheses as part of the movement toward sustainability; “moving from passive-reactive to active-creative world views,” “the breakdown of the false dualism between nature and human activity,” and “human thought and breaking the glass barrier between historical world views and a new paradigm that opens the door to new opportunities,” and will go on to discuss policy initiatives and technology development that would align with these new perspectives. Introduction systems have brought us to a critical juncture in history where we are forced to re-examine the lens through which we view our planet and our interactive role with The Earth, an already complex system, has evolved it. Old world views provide an old lens – one constructed a new dimension of complexity – the human mind. To over the millennia – that has shaped our beliefs and the the extent that human creativity has resulted in actions institutions formed around them. It may not be enough that are changing our planet, how do we transform our to simply ‘do better,’ or ‘work harder,’ at shaping our understanding of reality to meet the limiting challenge behavior through the old lens. We may, in fact, need a of this century – assuring sustainability of our integrated kind of transformation – to re-address the fundamentals sociopolitical, economic, and environmental infrastruc- of our existence and discover a socioeconomic, legal, ture? Mohamed ElBaradei, the Director-General of the and technological framework that places us in a holistic International Atomic Energy Agency, stated in an essay relationship with the planet and on a self-sustaining path published February 12, 2004 in The New York Times, “If toward adding value to our home in space. the world does not change course, we risk self-destruc- Human consciousness presents an added dimension tion.” Of course Dr. ElBaradei was referring to nuclear to the womb that gave it birth. Human consciousness is proliferation. But could his words not be taken to refer the new guy on the existential block and has evolved its more generally to a broad range of human activity as it ideologies and institutions during the transition out of a impacts our home in space? relatively unconscious condition. But that condition is Exponentially growing interaction between human changing. Even though, in geologic time, the evolution of thought and its products and Earth’s life-sustaining human consciousness is relatively recent, the cumulative 40 USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. 2006. knowledge and activity created by that consciousness has Our (James Lovelock and Dian Hitchcock) results produced a condition that is changing the game. And dur- convinced us that the only feasible explanation ing this relatively rapid rise of reflective consciousness, of the Earth’s highly improbable atmosphere was that it was being manipulated on a day-to-day some of the assumptions we imbedded in our ideologies basis from the surface, and that the manipulator and institutions no longer play well. We need to start was life itself. James Lovelock, GAIA: A New thinking about what parts of our fundamental structure Look at Life on Earth, P. 6 (1991) need to change so that we can successfully reverse the slide into unsustainable behavior. Another perspective, focusing on the human dimen- th As human thought results in activities that are now sion, was voiced during the first half of the 20 Century recognized as cumulatively impacting the planet, it seems by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in which he added concepts logical that one approach to coming to grips with the describing a new dimension in the life of planet Earth problems resulting from thought’s negative impacts is – human consciousness and the sphere of thought – the to scrutinize the institutions thought has evolved and the noosphere: ideas that shape our worldviews, all of which provide a All around us, tangibly and materially, the container for human thought and activity. The engineer thinking envelope of the Earth – the Noosphere in all of us wants things to work, and when we observe – is adding to its internal fibres and tightening its that they are not working, we need to go back to the network; Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Future drawing board and ask some fundamental questions. The of Man, P. 137 (1962) health of the planet was not a consideration when most of our institutions were formed, and that introduces a At the heart of global sustainability are two foundation potentially fatal flaw in those systems as they exist and concepts: the physiochemisphere-biosphere interdepen- are applied in today’s world. How do we break out of dence and organic wholeness suggested by Lovelock, the container formed by those flawed institutions so that and de Chardin’s noosphere. we can rejuvenate them and bring them into line with Combined, these two concepts form the ingredients of a new reality while not diminishing their essential and a physiochemisphere-biosphere-noosphere interdepen- lasting value? dence, one of four hypotheses presented here: that human Perhaps there is a connecting and supporting link consciousness has now advanced to the cutting edge of between the respect humans have for one another and global evolution, and forms an organic whole with planet their respect for all life and the infrastructure that sup- Earth. If the apex of human evolution is to be reached, ports it. Is it possible that one could exist in its fullness we must choose to nurture the organic wholeness of without the other? I suspect not. In fact, it may be the inextricable interdependence between Earth systems and human consciousness. Just as Lovelock has pointed mental separation of the two worlds that contributes to out the Earth’s physical-chemical-biological interde- our seeming inability to view existence holistically. pendence, we now recognize a similar interdependence between these global systems and human consciousness, Foundation Ideas Leading to an evolving organic wholeness whose interwoven sin- ews become more complex and tightly woven as human New Views of Existence choice and understanding move us beyond sustainability to new horizons. In the 1970s and 1980s, James Lovelock described Life’s adventure has taken on a new dimension. Human an interdependence between the various parts of Earth’s consciousness is now at the cutting edge of planet Earth’s living matter which he formulated as a hypothesis: evolution. Human consciousness has always depended on global systems. Starting now, a reciprocal dimension Journeys into space….. (have) provided a new insight into the interactions between the living is added. The future of global systems, assuming the and inorganic parts of the planet. From this continued advance of value-adding human civilization, has arisen the hypothesis, the model, in which will depend on human consciousness. The evolutionary the Earth’s living matter, air, oceans, and land child must now assume a reciprocal role in the care of its surface form a complex system which can be seen evolutionary parent. Global interdependence has come as a single organism and which has the capacity to keep our planet a fit place for life. James full circle. Lovelock, GAIA: A New Look a Life on Earth, If we accept this hypothesis, two major developments P. ix-x (1991) are required: • world views must evolve that are in harmony with And further, our new reality, and USDA Forest Service Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. 2006. 411 • institutions must evolve that are in harmony with our goes through a series of checks, balances, and error cor- new world views. rections. But even with this incredible system of error Three additional concepts may help us negotiate this avoidance, some errors get through. And thus, a cell is transition: mutated. And from then on, the cell reproduces itself in • moving from passive-reactive to active-creative world its mutated form. This mutation then renders the owner a views range of possibilities, with extremes ranging from disease • moving beyond the false dualism separating nature and and destruction to new capabilities not previously avail- the humasphere – the sphere of human activity able. These mutations are then tested in the environment • moving through a mental barrier between self-limiting as to their enhanced ability to fit existing niches.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The 'Crisis of Noosphere'
    The ‘crisis of noosphere’ as a limiting factor to achieve the point of technological singularity Rafael Lahoz-Beltra Department of Applied Mathematics (Biomathematics). Faculty of Biological Sciences. Complutense University of Madrid. 28040 Madrid, Spain. [email protected] 1. Introduction One of the most significant developments in the history of human being is the invention of a way of keeping records of human knowledge, thoughts and ideas. The storage of knowledge is a sign of civilization, which has its origins in ancient visual languages e.g. in the cuneiform scripts and hieroglyphs until the achievement of phonetic languages with the invention of Gutenberg press. In 1926, the work of several thinkers such as Edouard Le Roy, Vladimir Ver- nadsky and Teilhard de Chardin led to the concept of noosphere, thus the idea that human cognition and knowledge transforms the biosphere coming to be something like the planet’s thinking layer. At present, is commonly accepted by some thinkers that the Internet is the medium that brings life to noosphere. Hereinafter, this essay will assume that the words Internet and noosphere refer to the same concept, analogy which will be justified later. 2 In 2005 Ray Kurzweil published the book The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology predicting an exponential increase of computers and also an exponential progress in different disciplines such as genetics, nanotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence. The exponential evolution of these technologies is what is called Kurzweil’s “Law of Accelerating Returns”. The result of this rapid progress will lead to human beings what is known as tech- nological singularity.
    [Show full text]
  • A Transhumanist Manifesto Gregory E
    A peer-reviewed electronic journal published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies ISSN 1541-0099 15(1) - February 2006 Review of Designer Evolution: A Transhumanist Manifesto Gregory E. Jordan, Ph.D University of South Florida ([email protected]) http://jetpress.org/volume15/jordan.htm Designer Evolution: A Transhumanist Manifesto, by Simon Young. (2006). New York: Prometheus Books. Those expecting this book to be the definitive statement of transhumanist philosophy and ideas will be disappointed. “A Transhumanist Manifesto,” with an emphasis on the indefinite article, is just that – an idiosyncratic, personal statement by a broad- minded, well-read “layman” – “a piano player, even!” The book breathlessly tries to cover transhumanist art, immortality, Romanticism, Postmodernism, memetics, Buddhist anatta, Prometheus, genetic engineering, Star Trek, Enlightenment, evolution, ecology, humanism, socialism, liberalism, economics, ethics, homosexuality, eugenics, psychology, psychiatry, Jungian personality typology, Nietzsche’s will to power, existentialism, Frankenstein, Superman, robots, epistemology, nihilism, science, consilience, oris, monism, schizophrenia, zombies, Descartes, uploading, egalitarianism, sublimation, Orpheus, Maslow, original sin, creative living, selfish genes, the Sermon on the Mount, Prozac, Epsilonia, libertarianism, Camille Paglia, the noosphere, the meaning of life, ‘agnostoskepticism,’ ‘sciphobia,’ ‘bispectism,’ ‘eugoics,’ and countless other needlessly neologized topics. Much as one might
    [Show full text]
  • Transhumanism
    T ranshumanism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T ranshum... Transhumanism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia See also: Outline of transhumanism Transhumanism is an international Part of Ideology series on intellectual and cultural movement supporting Transhumanism the use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics Ideologies and capacities. The movement regards aspects Abolitionism of the human condition, such as disability, Democratic transhumanism suffering, disease, aging, and involuntary Extropianism death as unnecessary and undesirable. Immortalism Transhumanists look to biotechnologies and Libertarian transhumanism other emerging technologies for these Postgenderism purposes. Dangers, as well as benefits, are Singularitarianism also of concern to the transhumanist Technogaianism [1] movement. Related articles The term "transhumanism" is symbolized by Transhumanism in fiction H+ or h+ and is often used as a synonym for Transhumanist art "human enhancement".[2] Although the first known use of the term dates from 1957, the Organizations contemporary meaning is a product of the 1980s when futurists in the United States Applied Foresight Network Alcor Life Extension Foundation began to organize what has since grown into American Cryonics Society the transhumanist movement. Transhumanist Cryonics Institute thinkers predict that human beings may Foresight Institute eventually be able to transform themselves Humanity+ into beings with such greatly expanded Immortality Institute abilities as to merit the label "posthuman".[1] Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence Transhumanism is therefore sometimes Transhumanism Portal · referred to as "posthumanism" or a form of transformational activism influenced by posthumanist ideals.[3] The transhumanist vision of a transformed future humanity has attracted many supporters and detractors from a wide range of perspectives.
    [Show full text]
  • Vernadsky WI 1945 the Biosp
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ H CMOTp? Bnepe? ? ^ . tojibko - JlyMaw, uto nepeacHBaeM ^ecKuft nepeJiOM, ho njiaHeTHbi?. Mm ? nepexofle ? Hooccfcepy. Cep?etim? ? . /T/j^^Jk_ This content downloaded from 139.184.14.159 on Wed, 12 Aug 2015 17:05:27 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions AMERICAN SCIENTIST A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY OF THE SIGMA XI DEVOTED TO THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE VOL. 33 JANUARY 1945 NO. 1 THE BIOSPHERE AND THE NOOSPHERE By W. I. VERNADSKYf Member of the Academy of Sciences of the U. S. S. R. The following article is composed of an introductory abstract of a paper completed in 1938, and recently published in translation in the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Sciences (vol. 35, pp. 483-517), under the editorship of Professor G. E. Hutchinson, and a new essay, written in 1943 and translated from the Russian manuscript by Dr. George Vernadsky of Yale University. The two contributions together present the general intellectual outlook of one of the most remarkable scientific leaders of the present century. The translation of the quotation under the frontispiece (from a letter to Professor A. Petrunkevitch) is as follows: I look forward with great optimism. I think that we undergo not only an historical, but a planetary change as well. We live in a transition to the no?sphere. Cordial greetings, W. Vernadsky. The table, reproduced in abstract below, that forms the main feature of the earlier paper, calls attention to many properties of living bodies that appear so elementary that they are in danger of neglect.
    [Show full text]
  • Integral Transhumanism: the Holistic Leap Forward
    INTEGRAL TRANSHUMANISM: THE HOLISTIC LEAP FORWARD By MICHAEL TENNISON A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Bioethics Program August 2010 Winston-Salem, North Carolina Approved By: Nancy M. P. King, J.D., Advisor Mark Hall, J.D., Chairman Michael Hyde, Ph.D. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Illustrations………………………………………………………………….… iii Abstract……………………………………………………………………………….. iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION AND PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS……………………… 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 1 Ken Wilber‟s Paradigm…………………………………………………………... 6 Perfection……………………………………………………………………….... 14 Transhumanism and Enhancement……………………………………….…….... 16 Transhumanism and Enhancement Viewed through the Wilberian Lens………... 19 II. BIOETHICS AND TRANSHUMANISM……………………………….. 28 Wilberian Progress……………………………………………………………….. 42 III. SHAMANISM AND SPIRITUAL ENHANCEMENT………………….. 51 How Can We Learn from Shamanism? How is it Unique?................................. 57 Can Shamanism be Authentically and Ethically Incorporated into our Culture?.. 60 Shamanism and Transhumanism…………………………………………………. 65 IV. IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPLICATIONS…………………………… 71 Works Cited…………………………………………………………………………... 80 Works Consulted…………………………………………………………………….... 83 Vita……………………………………………………………………………………. 85 iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. The Four Wilberian Quadrants……………………………………………..… 11 2. The Levels of Wilberian Consciousness Evolution……………….…............ 20 iv ABSTRACT Michael
    [Show full text]
  • Vladimir Vernadsky
    The Transition From the Biosphere To the Noösphere by Vladimir Vernadsky Excerpts from Scientific Thought as a Planetary Phenomenon 1938 Translated by William Jones Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky 1863-1945 10 Spring-Summer 2012 21st CENTURY Introduction deleyev, and the renowned soil scientist V.I. Dokuchaev, Vernadsky was first drawn to the study of crystallogra- by William Jones phy and mineralogy. Vernadsky went on expeditions he name of Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky may be with Dokuchaev to study the fertile “black earth” of familiar to many people involved in the area of sci- Ukraine, where his attention was first attracted to the el- Tence, particularly in the geological and so-called ements of living organisms that contributed to that soil’s “earth” sciences, but most of these scientists, without a tremendous productivity. Indeed, it would be later, dur- good working knowledge of Russian, will only have ing his temporary exile in Ukraine after the Bolshevik known his work, at best, through the publication of his Revolution that Vernadsky would first develop his own 1926 monograph, “The Biosphere,” which brought him unique concept of the role of the “biosphere.” some immediate international attention since it soon ap- But Vernadsky, like Leonardo da Vinci, one of his peared (in 1929) in a French edition. This has since been great heroes in the realm of science, was also something translated into many languages, although first appearing of a universal genius. His interests spread over the entire in English only in 1986. Since the 1980s, the work of Ver- gamut of scientific thought. And like Leonardo, his sem- nadsky has been widely circulated and popularized by inal work in so many areas provided the basis for further the movement led by U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Presentation of the Colloquium Project
    Traditional and New Enhancing Human Cybernetic and Nanotechnological Body Modification Technologies: A Comparative Study of Roman Catholic and Transhumanist Ethical Approaches Michael J. Caligiuri A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD degree in Religious Studies Department of Classics and Religious Studies Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Michael Caligiuri, Ottawa, Canada 2013 ii Acknowledgements in memoriam matris carissimae Ninetta Gaetana Caligiuri manus cui cunabula curae mundum regit For Theodore and Calum Model teachers and men For my Surrogate Family in Ottawa This work happened because of you For the Crowned One Always loved and remembered For my Professors in Religious Studies at the University of Ottawa Professional of course but also caring gratias vobis ago iii Abstract Advances in cybernetic and nanotechnological body modifications currently allow for enhancements to human physical and mental function which exceed human species-based norms. This thesis examines body modification and human enhancement from two perspectives—Roman Catholicism and Transhumanism— in order to contribute to bioethical deliberations regarding enhancement technologies. Roman Catholicism has a longstanding tradition of bioethical discourse, informing the healthcare directives of Roman Catholic institutions. Transhumanism is more recent movement that endorses body modifications and human enhancements as a means of individual betterment and social evolution.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationship of Teilhard De Chardin's Law of Complexity/Consciousness to the Mechanism/Vitalism Debate in Biology
    AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF ANDRE JEAN WEIERICH for the DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Name) (Degree) in GENERAL SCIENCE presented on r),, j/ (7 7 (Major) (Date) Title: THE RELATIONSHIP OF TEILHARD DECHARDIN'S LAW OF COMPLEXITY/CONSCIOUSNESS TO THE MECHANISM/ VITALISM DEBATE IN BIOLOGY Abstract approved:Redacted for Privacy Dr. DoniArdlexi Hump //The vitalism/mechanism debatjas it is exemplified in the writings of Loeb, Bergson and Teilhard"isA a central theme in the his- tory and philosophy of biology.This debate focuses on how we are to understand the relationship between the living and non-living.The discussions of the vitalists and mechanists attempt toshow how the ostensibly living and non-living things of the world arerelated.For Loeb, this issue is a purely scientific one which can beresolved by the techniques of a mechanistic experimental science.On the other hand, for Bergson and Teilhard this issue is a metaphysical onewhich can be resolved by an evolutionaryvitalism which is a world hypothe- sis.Bergson presents a dualistic vitalism which is acontextualistic world hypothesis whereas Teilhard presents a monistic andtheological vitalism which is an organicist world hypothesis. A major part of this thesis presents a description and criticism of Teilhard's vitalism.The description of his views shows that the ultimate foundation of his system of thought is his fundamental cate- gory of synthesis (integration) and itsembodiment in his adoption of the human personality as the model of the universe.The criticism centers on his arguments for his law ofcomplexity/consciousness and the notion of conscious matter which it presupposes.Indeed, these are the key elements of his vitalism.Teilhard claims that he has established them in a scientific manner.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy, vol. 15, no. 1, 2019 THE PHENOMENON OF MAN, REVISED: EVOLUTION AND I.T. VERSUS EXTINCTION IN THE YEARS TO COME Paul J. Werbos ABSTRACT: The Phenomenon of Man, by Teilhard de Chardin, was a great effort to truly unify hard core science and charismatic spirit, with practical implications for better understanding the dynamics of history and period we are now entering. This paper presents the noosphere species theory -- a radical revision of de Chardin's theory, as is necessary to account for what we now know about natural selection, about the mathematics of intelligent systems and about the great ocean of dark matter and energy connecting the galaxies of our cosmos. The noosphere species theory still emphasizes the possibility and need for a growth in spiritual collective intelligence, but it offers more details on how this growth could be supported and accelerated, and it faces up to the reality that our particular noosphere might or might not survive the difficult challenges arising now. And yet, it accepts that we are not alone. KEYWORDS: Noosphere; Machine learning; Soul; Psi; Backpropagation; Sociobiology; Internet of things; Human-centric internet; Futures; Consciousness; Cycles of history; Evolution 1. Background and Fundamental Principles of a New Vision 1.1 THE CORE VISION OF TEILHARD DE CHARDIN In his seminal manifesto, The Phenomenon of Man [1], Teilhard de Chardin proposed a new vision of humanity and of our destiny, intended to reconcile the core principles of his Catholic beliefs with the core facts proven by science.
    [Show full text]
  • Open Dissertation.Pdf
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School TRANSHUMANISM: EVOLUTIONARY LOGIC, RHETORIC, AND THE FUTURE A Dissertation in English by Andrew Pilsch c 2011 Andrew Pilsch Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2011 The dissertation of Andrew Pilsch was reviewed and approved∗ by the following: Richard Doyle Professor of English Dissertation Advisor, Chair of Committee Jeffrey Nealon Liberal Arts Research Professor of English Mark Morrisson Professor of English and Science, Technology, and Society Robert Yarber Distinguished Professor of Art Mark Morrisson Graduate Program Director Professor of English ∗Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. Abstract This project traces the discursive formation called “transhumanism” through vari- ous incarnations in twentieth century science, philosophy, and science fiction. While subject to no single, clear definition, I follow most of the major thinkers in the topic by defining transhumanism as a discourse surrounding the view of human beings as subject to ongoing evolutionary processes. Humanism, from Descartes forward, has histori- cally viewed the human as stable; transhumanism, instead, views humans as constantly evolving and changing, whether through technological or cultural means. The degree of change, the direction of said change, and the shape the species will take in the distant future, however, are all topics upon which there is little consensus in transhuman circles. In tracing this discourse, I accomplish a number of things. First, previously dis- parate zones of academic inquiry–poststructural philosophy, science studies, literary modernism and postmodernism, etc.–are shown to be united by a common vocabulary when viewed from the perspective of the “evolutionary futurism” suggested by tran- shuman thinkers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Theory of Evolution
    The Theory of Evolution The Theory of Evolution: From a Space Vacuum to Neural Ensembles and Moving Forward By Oleg Bazaluk The Theory of Evolution: From a Space Vacuum to Neural Ensembles and Moving Forward By Oleg Bazaluk Translated by Tamara Blazhevych Proofread by Lloyd Barton This book first published 2016 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2016 by Oleg Bazaluk All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-4438-8721-8 ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-8721-2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ....................................................................................................... vii Introduction ................................................................................................ ix Part I: Historical and Philosophical Analysis of the Evolutionary Theories Chapter One ................................................................................................. 3 The Concept of Evolution Chapter Two .............................................................................................. 11 The Concept of Evolution in the Modern Scientific Theories Chapter Three ...........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Civilization As Noosphere in the Works of Teilhard De Chardin Anthony M
    Comparative Civilizations Review Volume 66 Article 7 Number 66 Spring 2012 4-1-2012 Fire and Force: Civilization as Noosphere in the Works of Teilhard de Chardin Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr Recommended Citation Stevens-Arroyo, Anthony M. (2012) "Fire and Force: Civilization as Noosphere in the Works of Teilhard de Chardin," Comparative Civilizations Review: Vol. 66 : No. 66 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/vol66/iss66/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the All Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Comparative Civilizations Review by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Stevens-Arroyo: Fire and Force: Civilization as Noosphere in the Works of Teilhar 58 Number 66, Spring 2012 Fire and Force: Civilization as Noosphere in the Works of Teilhard de Chardin Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo [email protected] Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire. -Pierre Teilhard de Chardin The French Jesuit, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, was a priest trained as a paleontologist. He became a living proof of the adage that it is luck to be “in the right place at the right time.” In his career, he was witness to the unraveling of the Piltdown Man hoax in 1912 when he was still a student in England and as a mature scientist worked in the unearthing of the Peking Man in 1921, a major event in paleontology that revolutionized much of the early twentieth century thinking about evolution.
    [Show full text]