ABSTRACT
At a f i rs t g l ance , t h e w o r k of t h e e m i n e n t scient is t f r o m t h e O r d e r of J e s u i t s a p p e a r s to b e h e t e r o g e n e o u s . H e p u r s u e d m a n y in t e re s t s a n d f ie lds . B u t if o n e goes d e e p e r i n t o h is w o r k , t h e n a g r e a t int e r n a l u n i t y is r e v e a l e d . S o m e f u n d a m e n t a l i d e a s b e c o m e visible w h i c h p o i n t to a c e n t r a l issue. At t h e c o r e of h is e f f o r t s a r e t h e c o n c e p t i o n s of G o d , m a n , a n d u n i v e r s e . H e t r ies to d i scover t h e c o n n e c t i o n s b e t w e e n t h e m . T h i s b e c o m e s str ikingly c lear in his m a i n w o r k " M a n in C o s m o s " [1]. H e r e T e i l h a r d d e C h a r d i n ass imi la tes s o m e re su l t s of m o d e r n n a t u r a l sciences , especia l ly t h e i d e a of d e v e l o p m e n t : t h e p h y l o g e n e s i s of life, consc iousnes s a n d , f inal ly, of m a n ' s i n t e l l ec tua l l i fe to a r r ive a t a n impres s ive , s u m m a r i z i n g , selfc o n t a i n e d overa l l view. D u e to t h e i n f l u e n c e t h a t was b r o u g h t to b e a r by a g r e a t n u m b e r of i m p o r t a n t scient is ts a n d p u b l i c p e r s o n - ali t ies, t h e b o o k c o u l d b e p u b l i s h e d a f t e r h is d e a t h (its p u b l i c a t i o n h a d b e e n b a n n e d by t h e o r d e r ) . T h a t th is b a n was d e c l a r e d o n g r o u n d s of c h u r c h d o g m a will b e s h o w n by o u r analysis of t h e m a i n i d e a s of th i s b o o k . B u t o n e will a lso b e ab l e to i m a g i n e t h a t th is w o r k will b e p r o c e s s e d still m o r e d e e p l y by r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e ca tho l i c c h u r c h a n d will p r o v i d e a basis f o r a t h e o l o g i c a l a d a p t a t i o n to m o d e r n c o g n i t i o n in n a t u r a l sc ient i f ic r e s e a r c h a n d in t e c h n o l o g i c a l d e v e l o p m e n t . B u t i n d e p e n d e n t l y of t h e t heo log i ca l con t rove r sy [3], th i s w o r k h a s ce r t a in ly g iven m a n y incen t ives to t h i n k i n g . 3 W e u s e d T e i l h a r d d e C h a r d i n ' s n o o s p h e r e c o n c e p t i o n in p a r t i c u l a r a n d its i n t e r p r e t a t i o n by V e r n a d s k y in o u r inves t iga t ions o n t h e "Scient i f ic F o u n d a t i o n s f o r O p t i m i z i n g H u m a n Li fe P rocesses" a n d o n t h e
w o r k b a s e d o n it a t t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e of A p p l i e d S y s t e m s Ana lys i s [4]. A f t e r p r e s e n t i n g T e i l h a r d d e C h a r d i n ' s f u n d a m e n t a l p o s i t i o n a n d its i n f l u e n c e o n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e n o o s p h e r e c o n c e p t i o n by V e r n a d s k y , w e s h o u l d l ike t o c r o s s - e x a m i n e it in a c r i t i ca l m a n n e r :
- f r o m t h e v i e w p o i n t of p r e s e n t - d a y n a t u r a l sc ience , e spec ia l ly o f t h e t h e o r y o f s e l f - o r g a n i s a t i o n ;
- f r o m t h e v i e w p o i n t o f h o w t o u n d e r s t a n d i n f o r m a t i o n a n d t h e p r o b l e m s o f i n f o r m a t i c s ; a n d
- f r o m t h e v i e w p o i n t o f p r e s e n t - d a y socia l r e q u i r e m e n t s .
