PIERRE TEILHARD DE CHARDIN 7

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Human Phenomenon: A New Edition and Translation of Le phenomene humain by Sarah Appleton-Weber, with a foreword by Brian Swimme (Brighton, England. & Portland, Oregon: Sussex Academic Press, 1999) ("These pages represent an effort to see and to show what the human being becomes, what the human being requires, if placed wholly and completely in the context of appearance." "Why should we try to see? And why turn our eyes more particularly toward the human object?" "Seeing. One could say that the whole of life lies in seeing--if  not ultimately, at least essentially. To be more is to be more united--and this sums up and is the very conclusion of the work to follow. But unity grows, an we will affirm this again, only if it is supported by an increase of consciousness, of vision. That is probably why the history of the living world can be reduced to the elaboration of ever more perfect eyes at the heart of a cosmos where it is always possible to discern more. Are not the perfection of an animal and the supremacy of the thinking being measured by the penetration and power of synthesis of their glance? To try to see more and to see better is not, therefore, just a fantasy, curiosity, or a luxury. See or perish. This is the situation imposed on every element of the universe by the mysterious gift of existence. And thus, to a higher degree, this is the human condition." Id. at 3.),