Bergson's Philosophy of Will and the War of 1914-1918.
Journal of the history of ideas July 1, 2016 Mark Sinclair 16 citations
Henri Bergson's wartime speeches of 1914 drew on his philosophy of creative evolution to contrast France and Germany: France, as a nation of creative life, could renew itself, while Germany, despite its technological strength, was a mechanistic power destined to exhaust itself. This paper argues that Bergson's mobilization of his philosophy relied on his concept of will—life as a creative principle is will, and he opposed to Germany a controllable, commandable willpower. Understanding this is essential for interpreting Bergson's later thoughts on technology, modernity, and mysticism.