Henri Bergson

Bergson1889Diss2

Bergson1889Diss1

1917 Henri Bergson and daughter Jeanne Bergson

Henri Bergson (1859–1941) was a French philosopher who was influential in the tradition of continental philosophy, particularly during the first half of the 20th century until World War II. Bergson is best known for his ideas on time, memory, and creativity; his philosophy emphasizes the importance of intuition and experience over analytical thought and the inadequacy of science and mathematics to fully understand the complexity of life and consciousness.

Early Life and Education

Henri-Louis Bergson was born in Paris, France, on October 18, 1859, to a Polish Jewish family. His mother was from England, which contributed to Bergson's fluency in English. He was educated at the Lycée Condorcet and was a brilliant student, excelling in classics and philosophy. Bergson pursued higher education at the École Normale Supérieure, where he studied philosophy and graduated in 1881. His doctoral thesis, "Essai sur les données immédiates de la conscience" (Time and Free Will), was published in 1889 and marked the beginning of his career as a philosopher.

Philosophical Contributions

Bergson's philosophy is characterized by his critique of the mechanistic view of the world and the emphasis on the fluid, dynamic nature of reality. He argued that the true essence of life and the universe is change and movement, which he termed "élan vital" or "vital impetus." This concept suggests that life is a continuous creation, not reducible to mechanical or material explanations.

Time and Free Will

In "Time and Free Will," Bergson distinguished between time as measured by clocks, which he called "spatial time," and the subjective experience of time, which he referred to as "duration." Duration, according to Bergson, is the qualitative, continuous flow of time that cannot be divided or measured.

Matter and Memory

In his work "Matter and Memory" (1896), Bergson explored the relationship between the body and the mind, arguing against the Cartesian dualism that separates the two. He proposed that memory is not stored in the brain as static images but is a dynamic process that shapes our perception of reality.

Creative Evolution

Perhaps Bergson's most famous work, "Creative Evolution" (1907), further develops the idea of élan vital. In this book, Bergson argues against Darwinian evolution, suggesting instead that evolution is driven by an inherent life force that propels organisms to innovate and adapt in creative ways.

Impact and Legacy

Bergson's work had a significant impact on various fields, including philosophy, psychology, literature, and theology. He influenced many thinkers and writers, such as William James, Alfred North Whitehead, and Marcel Proust. Bergson was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1927 for his rich and vitalizing ideas and the brilliant skill with which they have been presented.

In later years, Bergson's influence waned, particularly with the rise of analytic philosophy and logical positivism. However, his ideas have seen a resurgence in interest in recent decades, particularly in discussions of time, memory, and consciousness.

Selected Works

• Essai sur les données immédiates de la conscience (Time and Free Will) (1889)
• Matière et mémoire (Matter and Memory) (1896)
• L'Évolution créatrice (Creative Evolution) (1907)
• Les Deux Sources de la morale et de la religion (The Two Sources of Morality and Religion) (1932)

See Also

• Continental philosophy
• Philosophy of time
• Intuition (philosophy)