INTRODUCTION BY SIR JULIAN HUXLEY PREFACE -- p.11

BOOK ONE: BEFORE LIFE CAME

chapter 1. The Stuff of the Universe -- p.39

1. ELEMENTAL MATTER -- p.40 A. Plurality B. Unity C. Energy

2. TOTAL MATTER -- p.43 A. The System B. The Totum C. The Quantum

3. THE EVOLUTION OF MATTER -- p.46 A. The Appearance B. The Numerical Laws

Chapter 2. The Within of Things -- p.53

1. EXISTENCE -- p. 54

2. THE QUALITATIVE laws of GROWTHs -- p.58


A. First Observation B. Second Observation C. Third Observation

3. SPIRITUAL ENERGY -- p. 62


A. The Problem of the Two Energies B. A Line of Solution

CHAPTER 3. The Earth in its Early Stages -- p.67

1. THE WITHOUT -- p.68


A. The Crystallising World B. The Polymerising World

2. THE WITHIN -- p. 71

BOOK TWO: LIFE
CHAPTER 1. The Advent of Life -- p. 77

1. THE TRANSIT TO LIFE -- p.79

A. Micro-organisms and Mega-molecules B. A Forgotten Era C. The Cellular Revolution

2. THE INITIAL MANIFESTATIONS OF LIFE -- p. 90 A. The Milieu B. Smallness and Number C. The Origin of Number D. Inter-relationship and Shape

3. THE SEASON OF LIFE -- p. 96

CHAPTER 2. The Expansion of Life -- p. 103

1. THE ELEMENTAL MOVEMENTS OF LIFE -- p.104 A. Reproduction B. Multiplication C. Renovation D. Conjugation E. Association F. Controlled Additivity

A COROLLARY: THE WAYS OF LIFE -- p.109

2. THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE LIVING MASS -- p.112 A. Aggregates of Growth B. The Flourishing of Maturity C. Effects of Distance

3. THE TREE OF LIFE -- p.112 A. The Main Lines B. The Dimensions C. The Evidence

Chapter 3. Demeter -- p. 141

1. ariadne’s thread -- p. 142

2. THE RISE OF CONSCIOUSNESS -- p.147

3. THE APPROACH OF TIME -- p. 152

BOOK THREE: THOUGHT

chapter 1. The Birth of Thought -- p. 163

1. THE THRESHOLD OF REFLECTION -- p. 164



A. The Threshold of the Element: the Hominisation of the Individual 164 B. The Threshold of the Phylum: the Hominisation of the Species 174 C. The Threshold of the Terrestrial Planet: The Noosphere 180

2. THE ORIGINAL FORMS -- p. 183

Chapter 2. The Deployment of the Noosphere -- p. 190

1. THE RAMIFYING PHASE OF THE PRE-HOMINIDS -- p.190

2. THE GROUP OF THE NEANDER-THALOIDS -- p. I96

3. the Homo Sapiens complex -- p. 198

4. THE NEOLITHIC METAMORPHOSIS -- p. 202

5. THE PROLONGATIONS OF THE NEOLITHIC AGE AND THE RISE OF THE WEST -- p. 205

Chapter 3. The Modern Earth -- p. 212

1. THE DISCOVERY OF EVOLUTION -- p. 215

A. The Perception of Space-Time 215 B. The Envelopment in Duration 218 C. The Illumination 220

2. THE PROBLEM OF ACTION -- p. 225


A. Modern Disquiet 225 B. The Requirements of the Future 228 C. The Dilemma and the Choice 231

BOOK FOUR: SURVIVAL

CHAPTER I. The Collective Issue -- p. 237

1. THE CONFLUENCE OF THOUGHT -- p. 239

A. Forced Coalescence B. Mega-Synthesis

2. THE SPIRIT OF THE EARTH -- p. 245 A. Mankind B. Knowledge C. Unanimity

Chapter 2. Beyond the Collective: the Hyper-Personal -- p.254

1. the convergence of the person AND THE OMEGA POINT - p.257

A. The Personal Universe B. The Personalising Universe

2. LOVE AS ENERGY - p.264

3. THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE OMEGA POINT - p.267

Chapter 3. The Ultimate Earth -- p. 273

1. PROGNOSTICS TO BE SET ASIDE -- p. 274

2. THE APPROACHES -- p. 276
A. The Organisation of Research B. The Discovery of the Human Object C. The Conjunction of Science and Religion

3. THE ULTIMATE -- p. 285

epilogue: The Christian Phenomenon -- p. 291

postscript: The Essence of the Phenomenon of Man -- p. 299

appendix: Some Remarks on the Place and Part of Evil in a World in Evolution -- p. 309

INDEX -- p. 313

Diagrams -- p. 123 1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TETRAPODS IN GRADES I23 2. THE ‘tree OF life’ AFTER CUENOT I35 3. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRIMATES 155 4. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN LAYER 192