Teilhard de Chardin and Senghor on the civilization of the universal

Dedication...............................................................................................................ii

Acknowledgement.................................................................................................iii

Résumé.......................................................................................v

0. GENERAL INTRODUCTION..........................................10

0.1. Aim of study...................................................................................................10

0.2. Why these two authors...................................................................................11

0.3. Method of study.............................................................................................12

0.4. Clarifications..................................................................................................13

0.4.1.The Civilization of the Universal................................................................13

0.4.2. Teilhard de Chardin....................................................................................14

0.4.3. Senghor......................................................................................................14

CHAPTER ONE

THE CIVILIZATION OF THE UNIVERSAL

IN TEILHARD DE CHARDIN........................15

INTRODUCTION.....................................16

I.1. The notion of totality in Teilhardian metaphysics..................................17

I.1.1.The problem of the one and the many........................................................19

I.1.2. Omega: the point of universal convergence...............................................21

I.1.3. The attributes of the Omega point.............................................................23

I.1.4. The ultra reflection....................................................................................24

I.2. The foundations of a racial morality..........................................................25

I.2.1. Unity in unanimity. .....................................................................................26

I.2.2. Unity in diversity.........................................................................................27

I.2.3. Complementarity of Races in totalisation...................................................29

I.2.4. Unity and not Identity.........................................................................30

I.3. The present situation and mutual duty of races.......................................32

I.3.1. The conflict situation..................................................................................32

I.3.2. A step towards union...................................................................................33

I.3.3. A reliable hypothesis...................................................................................34

I.3.4. The value and significance of human totalisation..............................35

CONCLUSION...................................................38

CHAPTER TWO

TEILHARD DE CHARDIN ADOPTED AND ADAPTED

BY SENGHOR.................................................39

INTRODUCTION................................40

II.1. The foundations of Senghor's Civilization of the Universal...................41

II.1.1. The complementarity of human races..........................................41

II.1.2. The Negro-African race..........................................................42

II.1.3. The effects of colonisation.......................................................42

II.2. Senghor's African Socialism...................................................44

II.2.1. An Inventory of Traditional Values...........................................44

II.2.2. An Inventory of Western Civilization and its impacts on Africa.........44

II.2.2.1. The Inferiority Complex in the African.....................................45

II.2.2.2. The Split of Personality.......................................................46

II.2.3. An Inventory of our African Resources.......................................46

II.3. The Negro-African vision of the world.......................................48

II.3.1. The Concept of Being...................................................................48

II.3.2. The Concept of Nature...........................................................50

II.3.3. The concept of World..............................................................51

II.3.4. The Concept of God.....................................................................52

II.3.5. The Concept of Man.............................................................52

II.3.6. The Concept of Time............................................................53

II.3.7. African and Teilhardian views.................................................54

II.4. The Negro-African role and contribution to the Civilization............56

II.4.1. Senghor's ideal society...........................................................56

II.4.2. The Communal Dimension of Love in Africa................................59

II.4.3. Africa and Civilization...........................................................61

II.4.4. Africa and Sciences.................................................................61

II.4.5. Africa and Art.....................................................................65

II.4.6. Africa and Religion.................................................................67

II.4.7. Africa and Philosophy.............................................................69

CONCLUSION.......................................74

CHAPTER THREE

EVALUATION OF SENGHOR'S HUMANISM...................75

INTRODUCTION.............................76

III.1. Positive impacts of Senghor's humanism....................................77

III.1.1. Pan-Africanism...................................................................77

III.1.2. The Revalorisation of Traditional value.......................................78

III.1.3. The fight against the Inferiority Complex....................................79

III.2. Negative impacts of Senghor's humanism..................................84

III.2.1. Ethnocentrism....................................................................84

III.2.2. No Revolutionary Praxis........................................................85

III.2.3. The Glorification of the Past...................................................86

III.3. The Civilization of the Universal and Négritude..........................88

III.3.1. What is Négritude?..................................................................................88

III.3.2. Négritude in the light of the Civilization of the Universal.......... .......91

III.3.3.Senghor the Oxymoron..........................................................92

CONCLUSION......................................95

4. GENERAL CONCLUSION.................................96

4.1. The actuality of Teilhard de Chardin and Senghor..............................96

4.2. African art, Globalisation and Industrialisation..................................97

4.3. The Civilization of the Universal: myth or reality?..............................99

5. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY................................101

5.1. Main Sources........................................................................101

5.2. Secondary Sources..................................................................102

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The problem of the One and the Many, which had preoccupied PLATO in the Parmenides, can be well thought-out in relation to human races and cultures. The interaction of human races can be conducted under the sign of unity in diversity. The Civilization of the Universal is a type of humanism which seeks unity and harmony in the whole universe, acknowledging the differences of human races and cultures, while bringing them together through convergence.

0.1. Aim of study

We have decided to work on the Civilization of the Universal because of the growing nature of the degeneracy of morals in our African society in general and our Cameroonian society in particular. This shows itself in the inferiority complex and in the split personality characterising most Africans today. If human races are complementary, as Teilhard de Chardin says, then Africans should strive to know and remain themselves and to work on those cultural values that will help them build up, with other human races, the Civilization of the Universal.

Our work is an attempt to examine the notion of the Civilization of the Universal, basing ourselves on TEILHARD DE CHARDIN and on SENGHOR, the latter adopting and adapting the former, albeit with some imperfections. It aims at calling the attention of Africans on the importance of their cultural and traditional values. How could the African remain himself when influenced by the western world? What could his contribution to the Civilization of the Universal be? How could we abandon the bad effects of colonisation which are inherent in our cultures? That is the problematic of our argument. Because the change in mentality concerns the whole African culture, we will also consider African anthropology, sociology and religion. Consequently our work implies:

· The revalorization of our African cultural and long-established values.

· The fight against neo-colonialism.

· The fight against racism, chauvinism and ethnocentrism.

· The fight against Inferiority Complex.

· The fight against the negative influence of western cultures, which has helped in thrashing most African traditional values.

· The reinforcement of Pan-Africanism.

· The contribution of Africa in the process of Globalisation.

In effect, through the revalorisation of our cultural values of love, solidarity and hospitality, we shall seek a universal unity, a universal brotherhood which was once advocated by the Stoic school of philosophy and which appears clearly in their maxim stating that we are citizens of the world, and that the universe is our fatherland.

0.2. Why these two authors?

We found it interesting to bring together the Reverend Father Marie-Joseph Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Léopold Sédar Senghor, the politician, on an issue that engages the African contribution to globalisation, the rendez-vous ,of giving and receiving, as Senghor calls it. In fact, reading Teilhard de Chardin, we were fascinated by his vision of the world, which lays emphasis on humanism. We then realised that Senghor drew inspiration from the Teilhardian world view in his writings on African humanism notwithstanding some imperfections.

The year 2006 marked the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Léopold Sédar Senghor, poet, cultural thinker, and first President of Independent Senegal. In Teilhard de Chardin, Senghor found a way to develop a synthesis of the Christian concept of a God who is both the source and the aim of life with the African concept of a universal vital force in all creation. This vital force is the base for the essential oneness of all life, life coming from a common source, evolving through a multitude of different shapes and forms but called upon to become aware of its oneness through a planetary consciousness. Teilhard de Chardin also provided a framework for a way to understand the contribution of African society and culture to world civilization. Convergence is a key concept in Teilhard de Chardin's thought. Senghor, who followed Teilhard de Chardin, has been described as the poet and theorist of synthesis against apartness.

At a time when the dialogue among civilizations as well as a possible clash among civilizations is on the world political agenda, it is useful to look at the lasting contribution of Senghor and his application of the philosophy of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to the African context.

0.3. Method of study

In order to attain our goal, library research is our method of study, together with careful consideration of advice, corrections, suggestions and remarks made by our Director, our classmates and friends. Our dissertation is divided into three chapters. In chapter one, we examine the Civilization of the Universal in Teilhard de Chardin. Chapter two is an analysis of Senghor's adaptation of Teilhardian views on the Civilization of the Universal. In chapter three, we set ourselves to evaluate Senghor's considerations. In our general conclusion, we try to actualize our dissertation by presenting the risk of westernisation in the world today. A select bibliography marks the end of our endeavour.

0.4. Important Clarifications

0.4.1. The Civilization of the Universal

The concept «the Civilization of the Universal» was coined by Teilhard de Chardin, who asserted in between the two world wars, that the general movement of civilizations was bringing them towards a panhuman convergence as Richard Laurent OMGBA puts it:

Le terme civilisation de l'universel est emprunté au théologien et philosophe français Pierre Teilhard de Chardin qui tentait de montrer dans l'entre-deux-guerres, que le mouvement général des civilisations les portait vers une convergence panhumaine. ^1(*)

The Civilization of the Universal is the drawing up of all cultures, all civilizations towards a point of universal convergence, the Omega point. As such, there is no civilization which can claim to be the universal civilization. The Civilization of the Universal is globalisation from the cultural point of view. It is the work of all human races, all cultures and all civilizations. It entails not only the recognition of the other but also the knowledge and the recognition of the self. The Civilization of the Universal is a futurist vision of the world that was announced by the French theologian, scholar, and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. His idea was largely spread because of its humanistic and optimistic elements.

It is important to notice that English translations of the works of Teilhard de Chardin as well as the works of Senghor translate la Civilisation de l'Universel by the Civilization of the Universal. In our work, we shall also use the other expressions used by Teilhard de Chardin to express the same thing: panhuman convergence, totalisation, planetisation of humankind and collectivisation of mankind.

0.4.2. Teilhard de Chardin

Marie-Joseph Pierre TEILHARD DE CHARDIN was born in 1881 in France and he died in 1955. He was educated in philosophy and mathematics at the Jesuit College of Mongré, near Lyon. He entered the Jesuit Order in 1889 and was ordained priest in 1911. His philosophical thought is based on humanism. He considered the philosophical problem of the One and the Many which Plato examined in the Parmenides from the point of view of the interaction of human races. Teilhard de Chardin is the philosopher of synthesis and of unity. His philosophy concerns the union that will make humanity a harmonious fusion of civilizations by intellectual, moral, and spiritual improvements. He explains this coming together of civilizations by saying that the most humanized human groups always appear as the product of a synthesis, not segregation.

0.4.3. Senghor

Léopold SEDAR SENGHOR was born in 1906 at Joal in Senegal and he died on December 20^th 2001 at Verson in France. He was a writer, a poet, a catholic Christian, a statesman, first president of the Republic of Senegal, an academician in the French Academy and also a vocational philosopher. His philosophical considerations are a mixture of western and African cultural philosophy. He was fascinated by the writings of Teilhard de Chardin and followed his steps on humanism, considering the role of Africa in the Civilization of the Universal from its cultural resources.

Senghor makes of Teilhardian ideas on culture a dominant principle in his work. Culture, in some ways, determines all the themes that he developed and all are directly or indirectly linked to this central notion. Senghor straightforwardly militates for the Civilization of the Universal expressed by Teilhard de Chardin, whose first vision held the seeds of humanism.

CHAPTER ONE

THE CIVILIZATION OF THE UNIVERSAL IN TEILHARD DE CHARDIN

* ¹Richard Laurent Omgba, « Identité culturelle, civilisation de l'Universel et Mondialisation », in Marcelin Vounda E., (ed.), le Siècle de Senghor, Yaoundé, 2003, p. 47.