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The Phenomenon of Man
 
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The Phenomenon of Man (Paperback)

by Teilhard De Chardin (Author), Julian Huxley (Introduction)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: HarperPerennial (31 Mar 1975)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 006090495X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060904951
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13.2 x 2.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 266,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #54 in  Books > Science & Nature > Reference > Evolution
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Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Man's place in the natural order, 31 Dec 2003
By A Customer
Teilhard’s "The Phenomenon of Man" remains one of the seminal works of the 20th Century. Written 50 years ago it is still scientifically far ahead of most modern evolutionary science, discerning an underlying pattern in evolution, beyond Darwinism, which few seem to be able to grasp. In particular, Teilhard traces the significance of the phenomenon of human consciousness as part of the cosmic order, and thus the rise of human civilisation as an integral aspect of nature.

It is curious that the perception of design and teleological order in nature should be such a challenge to science and to Christianity. Current evolutionary science generally resists any kind of shape to evolution beyond a certain level, while Christianity too often remains stuck in a dualism between Creator and the created order, and philosophy seems generally stuck in the area of Cartesian subjectivity. Even modern ecology can find no real place for humanity in the cosmos. It is because Teilhard probes far beyond these limited perspectives that his work is challenging and controversial.

It is often said that The Phenomenon of Man is a very difficult book to read, that it is abstruse or merely rhetorical. But it is difficult only because it is a larger and more comprehensive scientific vision than we are accustomed to. It challenges the limits that most scientific thinking unnecessarily imposes on reality, as well as the limits that sociology and religious dogma likewise impose upon human nature and the place of humanity within the scheme of nature. These limits arise because of the question of the nature of consciousness, which is either dismissed as an epiphenomena or else reduced to mere chemistry. Teilhard’s proposal that consciousness is a primary ordering principle of natural evolution therefore clashes with the prejudices of most contemporary thinking. Yet it is obvious that if the place of man within the natural scheme of things is to be understood, consciousness and its possibilities cannot be left out of account. It is because Teilhard takes on this question that his book seems difficult.

It is time for a new generation of readers to take up Teilhard’s thought, in a calmer atmosphere than that of its first publication in which it was distorted by both opponents and by enthusiasts alike. The Phenomenon of Man is neither a "mystical vision" nor scientific reductionism. It is simply a larger perspective of natural observation than most studies of evolution are prepared to undertake.

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An experience of intellect and argument, 14 April 1999
By A Customer
The reading of this book is an experience in itself. I approached the Phenomenon of Man with some skepticism, as most people will, since it conforms to neither Darwinian or Creationist dogma. Its putative teleology within a spiritual framework is a dissent from both views. What you notice, though, is the immense intellect behind this work. The process of formal argument anticipates and answers the counter arguments as soon as they are posed. You feel as if you are on tracks led to an inevitable conclusion. The book itself becomes analogous to the process de Chardin is proposing. It is finally the homogeneity of the spirit rather than the heterogenous complexification of the natural world which is the ultimate subject of this book. A merging of consciousness in the image of Christ is the conlusion, hardly conforming to Church doctrine of the sovereignty of the individual or free will, which led to the authors problems with the Roman Curia.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Teilhard the Great Pioneer of our century, 3 Jun 1999
By A Customer
In the most serious intent to transcend dualism Teilhard de Chardin not only put the bases for a new worldview but also made the most clear distintion between the without of things and the within of things. In this way he opened the doors to start thinking in a new concept of unity in which the qualitative aspect of reality is just as important as the quantitative. Another important Teilhard contribution is the concept of "The Perception of Space-time" not as a linear-mathematical framework but as a new sphere of reality he also called DURATION as Bergson did...In the last century...has been taking place in our minds: the definite access of consciouness to a scale of new dimensions; and in consequence the birth of an entirely new universe.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Teilhard de Chardin is a must read for those in conflict.
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Published on 15 Aug 2005 by bernie

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4.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU'RE HERE.. (using the internet) YOU SHOULD READ THIS!
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