apostles of integration.pdf

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Vol. 2 June 1964 NO. 1

SYSTEMATICSThe Journal of the Institute for the Comparative Study of

History, Philosophy and the Sciences

APOSTLES OF INTEGRATION

Dr. Victor Cofman

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: The Phenomenon of Man (Collins 1959)Le Milieu Divin (Collins 1960)

Oliver L. Reiser: The Integration of Human Knowledge (Sargent 1958)Nature, Man & God(Univ. of Pittsburgh Press 1951)

John G. Bennett: The Dramatic Universe (Hodder & Stoughton}(1956)-Vol. I. The Foundations of Natural Philosophy

(1961)-Vol. II. The Foundations of Moral Philosophy

The above authors have very diverse backgrounds, Chardin, anthropologist and Jesuit father,

bases his arguments on palaeontology and evolution. Reiser, philosopher and humanist, has onefoot in the field of semantics and cybernetics and gives a sidelong glance at Eastern thought.

Bennett, with an early training in mathematical physics and wide experience in applied scienceand esoteric teachings, roams over the whole field of human (and divine) endeavour.

All three are attempting to add to the prevalent materialist philosophy of the West a 'spiritual'extension-one or more dimensions beyond space-time.

Their aim is a harmonious integration of apparently conflicting factors in Society and within theindividual, a synthesis of opposites. They are individuals with vision, using a scientific-

intuitional approach, a combination of 'head and heart', examples of a 'third culture' about to be

born.

To understand them requires an effort of will, a combination of the scientific-factual and poetic-

mystical attitude, i.e. having one's head in the clouds while keeping one's feet on the ground.

Approaching our task of critical examination on systematic lines, we begin by giving a brief

outline of each of the three systems as a whole.


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Teilhard de Chardin: The Phenomenon of Man

Chardin deals with the evolution of the spirit, parallel with the evolution of matter.

There is a tendency in matter to become more complex. ("complexification"). In this process of

material evolution, 'particles' form atoms, atoms combine into molecules and eventually into

very large 'organic' molecules. Protein molecules gather together into huge chains of specialstructure that can duplicate themselves and form the basis of living matter. Life evolves first as

viruses and single cells, then as multicellular organisms, plants and animals. In the lower animals

specialized cells form a nervous system which grows and deve1cps into a brain. By using hisbrain, man changes his environment and, by co-operating with others, forms social groups.

There exists in nature, in addition to ordinary physical energy another form, namely "inner" or"radial" energy, the amount of which increases as 'complexification' proceeds. Not only does it

increase in quantity but, just as with increase in temperature ice changes into water and water

into steam, so the increase in "inner" energy produces sudden changes in the type of material

structures with which it is associated. One such change occurs when life appears on Earth;

another when self-consciousness appears in man ("hominisation") and a third major change

could be the separation, or independence of the inner energy from the material organism

("Christogenisis").

Chardin has coined the term "noosphere" for the collective psychic or spiritual environment,corresponding to the 'biosphere' standing for the totality of living organisms on the Earth. The

"noosphere" is gradually developing a centre, a world consciousness (the "omega point"), this

process being guided by the eternal Christ principle.

The above is a rough and sketchy outline of Chardin's thesis. In the "Phenomenon of Man" he

marshals an impressive amount of biological and anthropological evidence in support of his

views. One important point which he brings out is that of "convergence" or "involution". Unlikethe "divergence" and multiplication of species which takes place throughout biological evolution

in successful types of organisms, we find that in man the formation of new species has been

prevented by intermarriage and cultural exchange. We find instead the "convergence" of

civilization, which should lead to the "omega point".

O. L. Reiser: The Integration of Human Knowledge

Reiser approaches the problem of integration from the standpoint of scientific humanism as a

believer in collective intelligence, in democracy and in a planetary ethics.


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He outlines the great systems of philosophy, from Platonic idealism to atheistic existentialism

and ends with a pantheistic humanism which aims at combining Eastern mysticism with Western

science.

To build his cosmology Reiser brings together a wealth of material from logic, semantics,

mathematics, cybernetics, science and psychology. He postulates an Unmanifest Universe and aSupreme (Cosmic) Imagination which brings about a spiral evolutionary advance from

elementary particles through atoms, molecules, bodies, cells, organisms and man, towards a

World Sensorium or World Brain.

For Reiser the Earth is an organism at embryonic stage, with a great composite mind beginning

to dawn. Radio, television, long distance transport, etc. are its developing organs. He is a strong

advocate of "Project Prometheus", communication satellites that would encircle the Earthtransmitting information that would build a universal culture. He even looks forward eventually

to "radiation belts of thought", utilizing extra-sensory perception.

The material evolution is accompanied by, and dependent upon corresponding energy fields:electromagnetic, chemical, biological, mental and psychic. These require, in addition to the

space-time of the material universe, another set of four dimensions for the geometry of

consciousness or mental life. An important rle is ascribed to 'spin' (angular momentum) whichoccurs throughout, from cosmic to sub-atomic phenomena, and may play a part in the transition

from one dimension to another.

For the coming new civilization Reiser envisages a non-Aristotelian logic (multi-valued

semantics) involving a fusion of reason and emotion, with individuals having a balanced

personality. He would not be averse to the use of high-energy radiation to bring about mutationsin the human race, provided that they could be guided by a psi-field to produce desirable results.

J.G. Bennett: The Dramatic Universe

Bennett's Cosmology is a very comprehensive attempt at a synthesis of Philosophy, Science and

Religion. It presupposes a wide knowledge on the part of the reader and develops a new form of(symbolic) language which makes demands upon one's power of understanding (Le. upon the

will to understand).

At the basis of Bennett's philosophy is a system of twelve terms (categories): wholeness,

polarity, relatedness, subsistence, potentiality, repetition, structure, individuality, pattern,

creativity, domination and autocracy.

Parallel with these categories are twelve levels of existence, from the lowest unorganized

substratum (hyl') through corpuscles, particles, bodies, viruses (colloids), cells, organisms,

men, planets (biosphere), stars, galaxies, to the total knowable Universe.

There are further twelve qualities of energy in a scale varying from physical to vital and Cosmic

energies. These energies, though related to the twelve levels of existence (which are factual) and


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the twelve categories (which depend upon will to understand) are themselves attributes of twelve

'potencies ofbeing'which graduate from the unipotency of the universal substratum (orhyl) to

the twelfth potency of the Universal Being. Human experience thus consists of a triad: function(fact), being and will.

For the classification of facts Bennett uses six (metrical) dimensions: three dimensions of space,time, and two other dimensions namely, eternity (the region of possibilities) and 'hyparxis' (the

dimension of 'recurrence' or 'ableness-to-be'). Within this framework he classified all natural

sciences and exemplified their main characteristics.

Two more (non-metrical) domains the domain of value and the domain of harmony are

introduced to accommodate the experience of 'Being' and 'Will'.

Between the quantitative domain of fact and the qualitative domain of value Bennett places the

quality of 'emergence', best recognized in the appreciation of a work of art; and the notion of

synchronicity which discloses timeless connections in our experience (cf. C. J. Jung). The burden

of Bennett's philosophy is the spiritual development of the individual. In his present state, man'sconsciousness consists of his 'personality' (mostly acquired characteristics) and his 'essence'

(mainly inborn 'unconscious'). By conscious efforts of will man can acquire the power to work

upon the unconscious self and develop his 'essence'. The essence then becomes divided into threelayers; of these, the 'higher self' is capable of uniting with the 'Cosmic Individuality'

The dyad: opposition or complementarity

The triad: reconciliation.

In Chardin's philosophy the chief dyad is 'material' vs. 'spiritual'. The former is represented by

physical energy and the latter by 'inner' or 'radial' energy which becomes vital energy in plantsand animals and spiritual energy in man. The lower and less complex forms of matter are subject

mainly to physical energy. As 'complexification' proceeds, bodies come increasingly under the

influence of 'radial' (and eventually under the influence of 'vital' and 'spiritual') energy. In the endman should become entirely 'spiritualized'.

Here we have a dyad of opposites; the 'complementarity' of the material and spiritual is brought

out by Chardin in "Le Milieu Divin'", where he makes a strong plea for the acceptance of thephysical world as an integral part of the religious experience.

Reiser's main dyad is Specialization vs. Integration. He constructs a 'Temple of Knowledge',whose pillars are the various sciences, of religion aesthetics. These rest upon a foundation of

mathematics, including the Sciences, logic and semantics and are topped by philosophy and

wisdom (social planning).

There are several other important dyads in Reiser's integrative system: in each case he suggests a

'reconciling' factor which forms a 'triad': the socio-political dyad, capitalism vs. communism,

would be reconciled by a third term, humanistic socialism, the scientific-religious opposition bymeans of a humanistic religion; the mind-heart (or reason-emotion) dyad would be overcome by

a multi-valued logic or multiple-interpretation symbolic language; and the East-West


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philosophical opposition would be transformed into "the two poles of an armature" representing

the World Brain.

Bennett's main dyad is between the domains of "fact" and of "value". His triads are exemplified

by a comprehensive analysis of the laws of Will-human, infra-human and super-human

The 'tetrad' of Integration

We recognize in the above diagram several of the dyads we have already met, especially if wereplace some of the terms with equivalent ones (e.g. intellectscience; subconscious--religion;

individualcapitalism; society-communism).

The tetrad, however, draws attention to further relationships among its terms. Beyond the first

stage of integration between the intellect and the deeper part of consciousness (Chardin's 'soul';Reiser's 'emotions'; Bennett's 'essence'), there comes a further integration between the psyche of

the individual and that of society (humanity). This can be upon a collective conscious level(Reiser's World Brain or psi-field) or upon a deeper (or higher) level of universal consciousness

(Chardin's noosphere and omega-point).

Bennett has three tetrads (or groups of energies): physical, vital, and cosmic (twelve in all),

characteristic of the twelve levels of being, themselves divided into three tetrads: Materiality,

Vitality and Deity. He further develops the theme of 'creation' in terms of three tetrads.


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The pentad of potentiality (spiritualization).

Chardin's account of increase in spiritualization (or inner energy) in living entities can be

expressed as a pentad, the terms ABCDE representing plants, animals, man, omega-point and

Christ respectivelyIn Reiser's evolutionary series, the five terms: plant, animal, man, world-brain and cosmic

imagination can be likewise treated as a pentad. Bennett has a series of seven pentads dealing

with the "spiritualization" of existence. The terms of his middle (fourth) pentad are 'germs',

animals, man 'demiurge', Cosmic Individual.

It should be noted that, in the pentads of Chardin and Reiser most terms have a material

component (plants, animals and man in the case of Chardin; plant, animal man and World Brainin the case of Reiser); in Bennett's pentad all five terms refer to non-material essences belonging

to different categories of being. Man's task in Bennett's system is to raise his essence to a

higher level so as to make it fit to be absorbed in the Cosmic Individuality.

The 'Hexad' of actualization: Recurrence, Emergence

ComplexificationNegative entropy,

Evolution,

Higher dimensions.

The concept of emergence is one which recurs upon different levels in the theories which we

are considering. The emergence of new qualities, of new dimensions, follows upon theintegration of parts into new whole, which acquire additional characteristics.

It is true that what is new in an integrated whole can be said to have existed potentially in theconstituent parts (hence Chardin's assumption that some form of consciousness or inner energy

exists in inanimate matter); but we only become aware of the emergence of the new quality when

the potentiality becomes realized.

Complexification' is a basic principle in Chardin's philosophy. It represents an increase in order

or organization, an improbable stare which may be equated with negative entropy, "the stuff of

life". It deserves in biological science a status comparable with the second law ofthermodynamics (the increase in entropy). The well-known dialectical principle of "change of

quality with increase in quantity" is overshadowed by the principle of emergence of new

qualities upon integration and complexification'.1

The Heptad: The Process of Integration.

1It is perhaps necessary to mention here that some of the terms are used by the authors with different connotations.'Emergence' as used above, applies to Chardin-Reiser usage; for Bennett, it has a more specialized meaning. The terms

evolution and involution are usedby Chardin and Bennett with different meaning. The reader has to be always on the

lookout for variations in the meaning of words used by various authors, and even by the same author on different

occasions a fact which hardly needs be stressed for students of multi-valued logic and symbolic expression.


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The stages of material integration from sub-atom to man, as seen by all three authors, could be

expressed on a seven-fold scale: elementary particles, atoms, molecules, enzymes (bodies' Reiser) cells, organisms, man.

The application of the seven-stage principle to other aspects of integration cultural, political,

economic, religious, etc. could give valuable insights as to the stage which humanity has nowreached in each case and might even supply answers to such questions as:

What do the present revolutionary trends in literature and in art portend?

Is a World Government 'round the corner'?

Does humanity need to develop, as Reiser advocates, new 'archetypes' in thecollective consciousness? (Perhaps 'neotypes' would be a more suitable term).

What part will mystical experience and / or 'revealed truth' play in the next stage ofpsychic development?

Does interplanetary travel indicate the beginning of a new cycle (a new 'octave') inhuman evolution?

Or, will some 'shock' such as atomic warfare or other world catastrophe be anecessary factor towards further advance?

Summary and Conclusion

It is noteworthy that the application of the systematic progression of terms in this instance has

led us from the dyad with its opposition of the two aspects of individual consciousness theintellect and the subconscious to their reconciliation in the triad, the subsequent integration

with the consciousness of humanity in the tetrad, the evolution of the spirit throughout the living

world in the pentad, the development of 'inner' (spiritual) energy in the whole of nature

(including the inorganic world) through complexification in the Hexad, to the entire process ofintegration in theHeptad

There is little doubt that humanity is in the throes of an integrative process. We should begrateful to those who, like Chardin, Reiser and Bennett, accepting the risk of being looked at

askance by their colleagues, are treading the thorny path of progress.

ENVOY The Octad: A new beginning

The principal argument against integration is that our present knowledge is incomplete andincreasing at a fast rate; therefore, it is argued, attempts at integration are premature and harmful

since any universal framework may act as a 'straight jacket' limiting the freedom of the thinker.

The answer to this objection is that consciously or unconsciously frameworks which limit

investigation are already in existence (cf. science and psi-research) and that the proposed systems

of integration are 'open' systems subject to expansion and change.

Even so, perhaps what is needed is a super-integrative system, capable not only of 'evolving' but

also of 'revolving'-not in a circle, but in an expanding logarithmic spiral. Such a system would


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accept as a basic principle that 'the opposite is likewise true' and show that, beyond given limits,

every one of its framework assumptions can and must change. It would be able and expected to

fit within its framework allintegrative systems.

Perhaps the first step towards such an aim would be to take each of the three systems we have

considered and, keeping their basic framework, develop them so that they include the importantfeatures of the other two.

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