Google the words: “humanity is the goal of evolution.” and the fourth entry I found is a work, Progress, put out by the Univ. of Wisc. in 1899. This particular quotation may be attributed to H. H. Powers, Stanford Univ. in “Sociology and Evolution.” It is actually the words before “Humanity….” that are quite pertinent, “But evolution may as easily be retrogressive as progressive as these words are commonly understood. Nor is it legitimate to assume that humanity is the goal of evolution.” Powers continues, “Humanity is one of the products of evolution….” Also cited are Christian de Duve (Nobel Laureate) and Steven J. Gould, both ‘Darwinian,’ but both reject any ”strict teleological argument” [or ‘rightness’] associated with evolution.
As for Chardin, like Ratboy, I remembered reading The Phenomenon of Man in a Seminar at St. Olaf College (c 1971) on “Christian Anthropology” [or ‘How Christians go about understanding themselves as men or mankind and must respond to those outside the Faith’...for those of you in Rio Linda.] and I followed up with some of his others. His key word for goal is “Omega Point.” It’s worth Googling, for the info, but learning about Chardin’s bio & his ‘answer, if it is that, was one for a question no one was asking, seriously, at least at that time. The pope called him naughty, confusing, and forbad him to teach or publish, and he thus became a hero to the Left, hippies, and “Liberal Theologians” in the English translation if not the French world. He’s too flakey for me, but a good example ex generis.
As to parasites, or Fred Hoyle’s “panspermia” the same negative to the teleological aspirants may be be applied convincingly. Further the introduction of the parasite argument puts us back at square one with nowhere to go. “Oh, Damn!” the crowd murmurs.
For differing reasons I side with Issac Assimov. Darwinists, have a theory, strictly by definition is only a hypothesis, not a fact at their disposal which they elevated by unscientific method to an article of faith. In all likelihood we are as an intelligent race quite alone in this galaxy sez Assimov, and in the universe sez I. Darwinism an aesthetic, not a scientific, solution to the conundrum of loneliness. Sursum corda, lift up your hearts, human life is an inalienable right so let’s everyone go pursue some happiness.