Introducing Henri Bergson
Barry Allen
May 18, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197671610.003.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Bergson, though once the most famous philosopher in the world and a Nobel laureate, is mostly forgotten among Anglophone philosophers, and that recovering his ideas would enrich philosophy with new problems and concepts. The book defends and extends his theories of time as duration and panpsychic consciousness, plus his views on perception, memory, and "virtual existence." |
Abstract
Abstract Henri Bergson (1859–1941) was for a time the most famous philosopher in the world and one of the few to receive a Nobel Prize for his work. Among Anglophone philosophers, however, he is mostly forgotten, which is a loss, since Bergson was a great philosopher and understanding his ideas would enhance our philosophy with new problems and concepts. Living in Time explains, analyzes, defends, and enlarges upon a selection of philosophical arguments in Bergson’s work and does so in a way that I hope catches the interest of Anglophone readers. These include his theories of time as duration and panpsychic consciousness, as well as original ideas on perception, memory, and virtual existence. This Introduction presents a thematic description of the chapters and their argument.