Human Destiny

by Pierre Lecomte du Noüy

Book by Du Nouy, Le Comte

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Metaphysics, Evolution

289 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1947

Reviews

[Will Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part this is a brilliant book. I found myself reading certain parts repeatedly because they were so profound. It is interesting to read Noüy's vision for humanity in 1947, right after the end of WWII. At one point he talks about how the radio has opened the world up and will allow human destiny to grow. I can only imagine, if he were to see the world today, where the Internet sets the explosion of human potential at such close proximity, his disappointment in the number of cat videos. We have not evolved much as a race since 1947 and maybe we have de-evolved.

My only criticism of the book is the 'God in the gaps' reasoning. The book tries to make a scientific case for God but falls very short. Even more disappointing is that the author concludes the God who is responsible for the events that can't be explained by chance is the Christian God. I have no qualms with God or Christianity, or someone venturing to 'prove' his faith but the book fell short at this task and would have been exceptional if he would have left it out. With that said, I would love for this book to be widely read by Christian churches. Maybe it would end the ridiculous evolution debate and allow Christianity to truly evolve.

[Steve Kingsbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very complex subject that the author does a reasonably good job of simplifying. The reconciliation of divine creation and evolution is a subject that I've been very interested in for a long time. So when Jane Goodall mentioned in one of her books that she had read this one and recommended it to others I decided to start my study of this subject with this book. Since this book was written so long ago it is quite likely that the scholarly understanding of many of the references in the book have been refined, possibly replaced or dismissed and also that now additional scientific proofs of the reconciliation are now available.

[Robert Blakesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a teenager in high school. Exciting my mind and spirit, it opened me to my life-long conviction that humankind is on a meaningful path of spiritual growth from brokenness to wholeness, and that I wanted to contribute to the process.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does a fantastic job of explaining the basic cosmological principal of why there must be life on other planets, or why there must be a supreme being.

[Haru Fujimura · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be fair to the good professor, who was an accomished physicists, his arguments seem reasonable in a lot of ways given the knowledge he had at the time. However many of the physical arguments are a bit out of date. There is not a good discussion on entropy nor on non equilibrium statistical thermodynamics. In a word, it can't be said that life wont assemble itself on earth given the conditions of the begining of our planet, yet, this may not even be central to his argument.

On the other hand, the point of the whole book could simply be "to be a man is to have self control, and the more self control you have the nobler and more holy you are" I doubt that this is provocative to many, however it is not clear to me, at least, how this ties into evolution, which the other doesn't seem to care that he never actually addresses the problem or subtleties of the human soul. Indeed, far from being a Christian, it seems that he simply is culturally christian and actually believes the soul is emergent from the brain itself, having said nothing to assert that souls are primordial.

Altogether one can admit that the author has some good ideas, but it is likely a case of a physicist going outside his realm of expertise. Unfortunate that he only lived until 1947 or so.

[Magda]

I found this book in my mother's collection, along with my grandfather's detailed comments on the book. My grandfather was a Belgian linguist, interested in all things scientific. The book also contained a letter, addressed to my grandfather, from Mrs Lecomte du Nouy, dated 19 March 1948, New York: "Votre lettre adressée à mon mari vient d'arriver et c'est avec la plus grande douleur que je dois vous apprendre qu'il est mort le 22 septembre. Il aurait certainement été très intéressé par la question que vous lui soumettez. Il était toujours d'avis que la complexité et la forme des molécules d'abluminoïde jouaient un grand rôle..."
I think I now have to read the book, along with his detailed notes!

[Roberta Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I found this. Difficult read, I found the premises fascinating. From the scale of observations to the unity of religion I found myself agreeing wholeheartedly. Written years ago but very relevant to the current age.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! An almost prophetic examination of where we have been and where we must go in order to fulfil our individual dignity.

[Tommy Powell]

This book was in my Mom's collection. It came to me in my Father's estate.

Inscription inside front cover:

Agnes Wright
Laurentian Terrace
360 Sussex St
Ottawa, Ont.
September 1947

[Hisham]

it good