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Where Are We Going? In The Phenomenon of Man, Teilhard develops a remarkable synthesis of his evolutionary science and his Catholic faith. His holistic view was able to see cosmic, geological, and biological evolution as a single organic process. With human beings, evolution moves to a new level, the development of higher consciousness and a tendency toward a utopian society. For Teilhard, it is inconceivable that the drama of life on earth is an aimless and random process; rather he sees it as directed toward a state of spiritual perfection which he calls the Omega Point. Here all human beings are connected by love, and the resulting perfect cooperation eliminates greed, competition, hatred, and all the major vices. While it is a state difficult to imagine in detail, we can assume that when we finally get there we will be able to recognize and enjoy it. Teilhard stresses the point that without a sense that life is going somewhere, life has no meaning, and without meaning, life is not worth living. The traditionally accepted source of meaning, however, the notion of a personal omnipotent Creator who fashioned the universe at a single moment of time according to a divine blueprint, is inconsistent with empirical evolutionary science. The goal must be found elsewhere. Evolution is seen as moving along by trial and error, always provisional, retaining the successful and discarding the unfit. The process is similar to artistic creativity, where an artist may begin with a rough sketch, elaborating in a tentative way, judging the result, painting over and redoing, time and again. This artistic process cannot be considered merely random and aimless. Without the consciousness of the artist, it could never occur at all. It is the artist who imagines the final product, the thing she is aiming for, the goal of the project. In a similar way, evolutionary creation implies a Creator acting always through evolution itself. All the universe, then, not only participates in the creative process, but becomes itself one with the divine and with the cosmos. In traditional terms, the immanent God is found not only in each human being, but also in the entire universe. Whence comes the goal, then? Drawing the process of evolution toward itself is the other aspect of God, the transcendent God. Being transcendent, it is not so easily imagined or recognized. Nonetheless, it can be experienced as an allurement in ordinary experience. When we are attracted to a scene of natural beauty, a stirring piece of music, a lovely child, a delicious bit of food, we can experience this allure. If we allow ourselves to be present to it, savoring the present moment, we lift ourselves to a loftier and more noble state of mind. We move ourselves along the path to the Omega Point. We also move along with us the entire universe. When we are moved by compassion for victims of a natural disaster, feel righteous indignation over injustice, speak truth to power, we likewise elevate our spiritual state and participate in the work of evolution. When we tread softly on the earth, championing the endangered, living simply, we do the same. We don’t need to be told the difference between “good and evil,” between what helps creation and what erects barriers to it. All we need is awareness, just paying attention. It almost seems too easy. Our culture tells us that anything worth doing takes a lot of effort. It takes planning and dedication. Without pain there is no gain. Surrendering oneself to the allurement seems weakness. But evolution does not work as we think it does. Actually, evolution ekes out its slow progress through steps in which the ultimate goal is disguised as something else, something which seems self-serving. Biologically, for example, the goal of an animal is self-preservation. To this end, seeking food, escaping predators, and defending itself are obviously purposeful. On the other hand, from the point of view of the individual, procreation seems an unnecessary diversion of effort. In view of the inevitability of death, however, reproduction serves a higher-level goal, the preservation of the species. But why need there be death at all? Actually, death became necessary only with the emergence of sexual reproduction. The simplest forms of life reproduce by fission, one cell becoming two, two becoming four, and so forth. As long as the cells can avoid being consumed as food, they cannot be said to die. For higher animals, however, death is essential for evolution; it is the mechanism for getting the old genes off the stage and bringing on the new ones. Death, then, although it would not be chosen as a goal of an individual, nevertheless is an important goal of evolution. But why introduce sex at all? Fission is a much more efficient mode of reproduction. In fission, however, the emergence of new genes, the raw material for natural selection, depends entirely on the slow appearance of mutations. Sexual reproduction, on the other hand, by mixing together the genes of each parent, brings about much more rapidly the variation in characteristics necessary for natural selection. Here again, the ultimate purpose of nature is disguised. Similar considerations apply also to cultural evolution. The earliest societies banded together under a strong leader in order to find protection against marauders, and modern nations still consider self-defense an important benefit of organizing as a state. Actually, the trend towards association and inter-personal relationships is a step toward what Teilhard called communion, a step along the path to the Omega Point. A similar example can be given for spiritual evolution. Altruism seems on the surface to be contrary to natural selection, and in lower animals, in fact, it is so. A group of chimpanzees, for example, which shares their food with hyenas would be at a disadvantage compared with another group which kept their food for themselves. On the other hand, with human beings, capable as we are of reason and reflection, altruism may be experienced as a more noble, therefore more desirable, attitude than selfishness. To the extent that it is so recognized, consciousness is raised and we move, again, toward the Omega Point. We must be aware that the universe, in all its manifestations, is bigger than we are. It will move toward its goal, slowly but surely. We will play our part, perhaps only vaguely aware of its meaning, and the universe will make use of it all. We can trust the universe. To the extent that we are mindful and discerning, we can also trust ourselves. The allure will call us, and we may confidently follow. Dom Roberti |