Date of Award

1-1-1980

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

The research problem is to examine experience as an epistemological concept in the writings of Teilhard de Chardin using the letter to Father Janssens, dated October 12, 1951, as focus for the study.The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze Teilhard's theory of experience as that theory describes the growth and development of man's mind and defines the process by which man comes to know his own nature and that of the world. The study derives from the theory of experience six specific educational principles.Teilhard's theory of experience is identified as a movement of mind in which progress is made towards a closer realization of the absolute. For Teilhard, closer realization of the absolute means fuller union with the absolute. As progress is made towards union with the absolute, one affectively feels fuller and fuller life within one. One also cognitively realizes more and more of the inter-relationships and dependencies which make up what Teilhard calls the "organic" structure of the world. The theory of experience is described by Teilhard using a metaphor of centration which directs one to a discovery of the absolute as a point of integration deep in one's own interiority and deep within the world.The study tests the action of mind in Teilhard's theory of experience by examining five specific movements of mind which operate in the theory of experience. These movements are: intention, abstraction, perception, memory, and will. The use of language in Teilhard's articulation of his theory of experience is also examined.The six principles derived from the study of Teilhard's theory of experience are considered as epistemological principles which have relevance to educational theory. They are identified as follows: (1) Teilhard's epistemology demands as a starting point the concept of personhood. Educational theory should focus on personhood as it seeks to develop the individual worth of those involved in the process of education. (2) The concept of personhood is tied to a recognition of man's interiority. Educational theory must consider this interiority of man as more central to its purpose than behavior if it wishes to truly promote personhood. (3) Personhood develops most fully not in self-centration but in recognition of the presence of the other. To take full advantage of this principle, educational theory must recognize the epistemological force of both love and service. (4) Centration as a mental promotes an understanding of personhood by focusing on man's need for a unified vision. Centration demands that educational theory recognize the powerful drive for unity and coherence built into man. (5) Mind is active and a causative agent. To take advantage of this principle, educational theory must recognize and investigate the causative value in human acts of such mental movements as perceiving, willing, abstracting, reflecting, and intending. (6) Man's knowing and his capacity for knowing are enriched by the power and force of language. Educational theory must recognize that language's power in fashioning images is an epistemological power which energizes man and enlarges his potential.

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