Teilhard the Jesuit and Huxley the agnostic – good friends

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The latest Teilhard Study from the American Teilhard Association features an article by Rasoul Sorkhabi called Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Sir Julian Huxley: A Tale of Two Friends. Teilhardians will know that Huxley, a distinguished scientist who was an agnostic, wrote a remarkable introduction to The Phenomenon of Man when it was first published in English in 1959. Sorkhabi’s article tells the story of the relationship between Teilhard and Huxley. Both men were concerned with human evolution; they began corresponding around 1944 and first met in 1946. They greatly admired each other’s work, despite differing on certain aspects, and indeed admired and liked each other. Their friendship lasted till Teilhard’s death in 1955. Huxley wrote, “He was a wonderful man and I am grateful to have been his colleague and his friend”.

This article is a valuable addition to Teilhard Studies. The American Teilhard Association is at    http://teilharddechardin.org/