Joinie A.

Verdeflor (SMA)
Associate in Philosophy

February 10, 2015

Philosophy of Man
Fr. Caballes, SVD

A Summary and Personal Reaction on Co-Reflection, Ultra-Reflection and Man

The entries talk about the evolution of man as Teilhard puts it. It is a presupposed analytic
narrative on the evolution of man not from being a brute animal into a fully-functional human
being but from within the human being itself. What I mean to say is the development of man
from being a primitive being into a modern man of his times. The entry, co-reflection in man
delineates the development of man in terms of making and utilizing tools for his benefit and
advancement. It goes back to the remote times where man uses primitive tools like stones, sticks,
and more of the like to make a living without the necessity to communicate with others around
him so to speak. Until the time where we can say that man has undergone an evolutionary change
when he was able to communicate using a certain language to convey himself to others and so
eventually promote cooperation from his living fellows around him.
The evolution therefore referred to on this particular entry, as Teilhard de Chardin sees it,
is on the culture and civilization of mankind. It exploits the idea that man by nature is subject to
change for his own advantage. That he has the capacity to see and think whats good for himself
unlike any other living creatures on earth. Only man has the skill to look around and analyze
what may be the best use of various objects that surround him. However, unlike animals, man
develops gradually. His physical abilities do not come instantly upon birth like animals do. A
child does not automatically learn how to walk upon his coming out into this world to breath and
live like animals do. This is however what makes a man distinct from animals. Distinct in a way
that although his development is gradual, yet it is in constant progress not unless he dies of
course, different from animals that their development has something like an end or limit as they
grow.
Now, in his modern times, man, even has the intellectual power to create machines not
only as his tool but as an extension of his brain to think, calculate, and manipulate. Indeed, with
the evident growing and seemingly unstoppable soaring of mankind in search of highly scientific
knowledge and truth Teilhard asks where human evolution is heading. He is convinced therefore
that human evolution, our evolution, is no longer focused on material culture and civilization.
What evolves in us now is the layer of our thought, the noosphere, as he calls it. Teilhard sees
the noosphere as the gigantic organism. It is therefore true since human manipulative capacity
nowadays is not only limited to producing high-technological equipment to utilize the resources
of our planet but even going far beyond earth into the infinite space.

Another thing observed by Teilhard is what he calls, double curvature. These are the
two ramifying forces namely: that of the earth and that of the human mind. This phenomenon is
what he observes as the continuing process of evolution, the increasing complexification. This
process, Teilhard believes, leads mankind to increasing consciousness. He reckons it will fuel
mankind to its final threshold, the ultra-reflection. This is where man reaches the peak, the
Point Omega. He believes that during this period man no longer clings on to his individuality,
personal identity, and consciousness. There will be a strong sense of unity and cooperation
among people. Human tendency is on the enhancement of higher values than the physical even
mental. It is the cultivation of love and care for each others being. Love will become the driving
force which will draw mankind towards one another setting aside the prevailing differences of
the present time.
I personally agree on this theory which Teilhard points out. Im not so familiar with the
history of the world but it is I think safe for me to say that the world has achieved changed more
than what we can describe. Hostilities and all sorts of inhuman undertakings were now gradually
declining in the major parts of the world. With the recent catastrophic phenomena people of
different races have shown the most authentic compassionate concern towards the welfare of the
victims and the underprivileged. If Teilhard is right, then, it is I think the concrete beginning of
this Point Omega. The fulfillment is yet to come but surely it is underway. Time will come that
people will no longer be identified neither by the color of their skin nor the race where they
belong. Identification will be more on what people have in the service of humanity.