The disturbing charm of the ultrahuman : Teilhard de Chardin and the reception of his thought in the Catholic Church

Bibliogr. s. 105-106

This article offers an analysis of the relationships among Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's thought, transhumanist philosophy, and the doctrine of the Catholic Church. In the first section, we will show the essential features of three different forms of Catholicism, the last of which can be traced back to the theological reflection of the Jesuit priest. In the second section, we will present some salient aspects of Teilhard de Chardin's scientific and political thought, showing how they are perfectly in line with the postulates of contemporary transhumanism. In the third section, we will trace the reception of Teilhard de Chardin's ideas by the ecclesiastical hierarchy, by paying major attention to the official documents of the Catholic Church and to the statements of pontiffs and high prelates. Finally, in the fourth and last section, we will cross the borders of the history of ideas to venture into some general pedagogical reflections.