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Activation Of Energy (Helen & Kurt Wolff Book)

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Chardin takes us through an ontological "proof" of his theory of man. By assigning to humanity the same laws that are assigned to the rest of the universe, Chardin levels the playing field between the exclusivity of matter and spirit. He describes the ascent of life into humanity, and posits that if the same essential rule of the universe applies in the future as it does today, that there is an Omega point for humanity. This Omega point is based upon the supposition that complexity and conciousness are directly related, and that life is constantly evolving to favor the more complex, more centered life. At this Omega point, humanity will cease to function as a collection of units, and each individual will place the whole above itself, as cells do to their parent organism.

It is interesting to note that many of the more recent authors of technological evangelism borrow from the ideas of Chardin. For example, Richard Dawkins, in his vain attempt to mask sociology as biology, posited the existance of "Memes". Dawkins controversial work has inspired many conversations, as it attributes qualities previously regarded as solely human, to ideas, or memes. Matching discreet biology to sociology is somehow "magically" performed in Dawkins analysis. Chardin's superior logic, pre-dating Dawkin's misinterperation, notes that rather than looking at memes and meme-groups as direct results of evolutionary pressure, they are instead relegated to a portion of the conciousness of the universe, no more in combat with each other than a liver cell is in combat with a nerve cell.

While the more scientifically-oriented Dawkins concerns himself with observed statistical behavior, stating that it is a result of evolution, Chardin addresses the elephant in the living room, the unmoved mover of evolution.

Chardin wrote all this years before computers took thier ascendance as the main form of communication in developed countries. It's intersting to note that among respective futurist subcultures, the Satanic and atheist subcultures have adopted Dawkins as one of their pets, (likely against his will) while Chardin spends inordinant amounts of time weaving Christianity into his theories, making assumptions about Christianity by view of his all-embracing evolution of mankind, but never leaning on the faith of Christians to prop his theory up.

To this reader, the bottom line is that if I'm going to read something written by someone an order of magnitude more intelligent, I ought to be sure the message that is being sent is one I want to receive. Chardin proposes an idea that can't help but grow, cannot be dis-proved, contains both an emotional/logically appropriate response to both the pleasures and pains of the world. He absorbs Dawkins, before there was a Dawkins, Chardin had already superceded him.

Enough of my predudice, please, check out Chardin and Dawkins and form your own immutable opinions.

Teilhard de Chardins writings has changed my idea of the world. Chardin has discovered something, that all of humanity is in desperate need of knowing. This book, like all the others that he wrote, is (though written in the midst of the fifthies) amazingly up to date. Like many other scientists (Copernicus,Galilei, Kepler a.s.o )Chardins theories wasn't taken serious. Today we do know that the planet is a whole, and that all matter in universe is intouch with each other. We also know that everything evolve. Universe itself evolve. Why would not the human mind. I truly believes, that the world need to take a serious look into Chardins world of thoughts. We are in the midst of an global crisis. We have to take another step, or disappear from the surface of the earth. The earth will not compromise with species that wreck her fragile balance, or break down her echo-system. In other words; "the choice is between suicide and worship" (P. Teilhard de Chardin). We have to respond to the call and do what we can to reach another state of mind. Pierre Teilhard de Chardins work can help us do that.

This series of Essays by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin should have been shared sixty years ago, when they were first written. Unfortunately at that time Fr. Teilhard was under interdiction by the Hierarchy of the Church and his Jesuit superiors for his extremely forward-looking and therefore unorthodox perspectives on Evolution and other aspects of the overlap between spirituality and science, and therefore much of his work was only published after his death.

These essays are extremely valuable, however, in expanding his ideas of complexity consciousness, the development of the noosphere, and other vital aspects of what has become foundational theology for the present day. It is to be hoped that as more and more people read his writing and reflect upon it in view of the culmination of so many of his predictions, its value and power will truly be recognized.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was a French theologian, Jesuit priest, and paleontologist/geologist who took part in the discovery of Peking Man, and was later unjustly accused by Stephen Jay Gould of participating in the Peking Man fraud (see Gould's book The Panda's Thumb: More Reflections in Natural History, and see Charles Blinderman's book The Piltdown Inquest for a refutation). Teilhard was forbidden to publish his writings during his lifetime, the 1950 encyclical 'Humani Generis' condemned several of his opinions, and in 1962, the Holy Office issued a 'Monitum' or warning that his books contained ambiguities' and 'serious errors,' that offended Catholic doctrine. But more recently, Pope John Paul II cited Teilhard approvingly, as has Benedict XVI.

This book, like its companion volume Human Energy (Harvest Book), as well as his masterwork The Phenomenon of Man, were only published posthumously.

Here are some representative quotations from the book:

"Taken as static facts and in isolation, pain and perversity are meaningless. Taken as dynamic factors in a system that is fluid and feeling its way, they are both vindicated and transfigured."

"Nevertheless, for all the control exercised by the polarizing action of Omega, convergence is effected only by means of divergencies that allow life to TRY EVERYTHING."

"It is from not having sufficiently noted this law of alteration ... that some readers have thought that they could detect 'pantheism' or 'naturalism' in the various essays in which I have tried to define the line followed by modern man in his quest for God."

"And yet, within the Church, under the shadow of the monasteries, do not two distinct species of the faithful gather together, impelled to the same religious act ... by two diametrically opposite motives? In one case it is through an excess, in the other through a lack, of vitality: in one, it is in order to sublimate something with which they are filled to overflowing, in the other it is to make up for something they lack."

"No longer simply a religion of individuals and of heaven, but a religion of mankind and of the earth---that is what we are looking for at this moment, as the oxygen without which we cannot breathe."

"Like the powerful rockets that modern man so daringly launches in his attack on inter-stellar space, a cosmos in controlled movement cannot conceivably progress except by leaving behind it a more or less dense trail of smoke. Evil is thus a SECONDARY effect, an inevitable by-product of the progress of a universe in evolution."

Teilhard is a man of words. He speaks easy. He is very knowledgable on biology, and on evolution. This book is a problem. This guy starts off with writings from Beijing as the second world war is about to begin. He is all about evolution, and that this war is helpful to the evolution of mankind. I nearly faint. How can somebody even explain this? But Teilhard is a different kind of fella: he tells you in ever kinder words that Nazis, Russians, Americans are all the same: WE ARE HUMANS. Teilhard is a biologist by nature and buy vision: he takes all the issues on a cosmic level, and there, we are united. We must obey the laws of university: get together, be kind, be united. That's what biology tells us - according to Mr Teilhard de Chardin. De Chardin is completely crazy, because he does not take into consideration our human spirit: we compete because we are edudated like that. De Chardin is completely sane, because he undertands that we are, each of us, unique, and we want to go for the sun, salvation, because we want to be complete human beings.

Activation of Energy is a great book because it tells you how to be human; there is an energy within the book itself that is enormous. The fact that it takes you to a different level of consciousness is in itself a value. ...

This book will make you think differently about yourself. As part of the universe, you have to contribute to evolution. ...

Father Teilhard was a Jesuit priest, biologist and philosopher during the first half of the 20th Century. This book is a collection of his unpublished works from about 1938 to his death in 1955. Fr. Teilhard focused on his theory of the Omega Point - essentially a continuous evolution and incresing complexity of life that brings us closer to the Godhead - or the Omega Point. His challenge of trying to reconcile his Catholic faith, biology and emergent atomic science leads him to many interesting and controversial theories that made his approach condemned by the Church and Scientific communities alike.

Taken as scientific philosophy, however - instead of pure science or pure theology, Fr. Teilhard gives much to think about. Evolution is a never ending process. We continue to strive to improve physically, mentally, pyschically. His optimism on the potential of man and the eventual evolution of man beyond his current state reflect a unique view.

This was my first exposure to Fr. Teilhard, and some background will be helpful before diving into this work. I had to look up some of his base philosophy elseweher to come to grips with his definitions of things like Omega Point and noosphere, which were not defined in the book. Nevertheless, it is a good read, worth the effort, and will make you think - which is what good philosophy does.