AT THE HEART OF THE PERIPHERY

In Teilhard’s view, however, evolution is necessarily benign because of the elemental influence that the Christic Incarnation has upon all matter. Cosmologically, in his view, the map allows for only one destination.

The development of my book will examine whether and to what extent the essential philosophical elements assumed by Teilhard’s science permit, foster, favor or inhibit the realization of the utopian vision.

Therefore, we will examine the thought of Teilhard de Chardin as exhibited principally in The Human Phenomenon as to its usefulness as a Big Map leading from the paramesium to paradise. The reader might find it helpful, in this extended examination, to keep Samuel Huntington’s five criteria in mind when examining a map, a model or a paradigm. Is it able to do the following:

1. order and generalize about reality;
2. understand causal relationships among phenomena;
3. anticipate and even predict future developments;
4. distinguish what is important from the unimportant;
5. show us what paths we should take to achieve our goal. (Huntington, p.30)