ABSTRACT
Henri Bergson (1859–1941) is widely regarded as one of the most original and important philosophers of the twentieth century. His work explored a rich panoply of subjects, including time, memory, free will and humour and we owe the popular term élan vital to a fundamental insight of Bergson’s. His books provoked responses from some of the leading thinkers and philosophers of his time, including Albert Einstein, William James and Bertrand Russell, and he is acknowledged as a fundamental influence on Marcel Proust.
The Bergsonian Mind is an outstanding, wide-ranging volume covering the major aspects of Bergson’s thought, from his early influences to his continued relevance and legacy. Thirty-six chapters by an international team of leading Bergson scholars are divided into five clear parts:
- Sources and Scene
- Mind and World
- Ethics and Politics
- Reception
- Bergson and Contemporary Thought.
In these sections fundamental topics are examined, including time, freedom and determinism, memory, perception, evolutionary theory, pragmatism and art. Bergson’s impact beyond philosophy is also explored in chapters on Bergson and spiritualism, physics, biology, cinema and post-colonial thought.
An indispensable resource for anyone in Philosophy studying and researching Bergson’s work, The Bergsonian Mind will also interest those in related disciplines, such as Literature, Religion, Sociology and French Studies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|39 pages
Sources and scene
part II|206 pages
Mind and world
chapter 8|14 pages
Character and personality
chapter 19|14 pages
Infinite divisibility vs. absolute indivisibility
part III|44 pages
Ethics and politics
part IV|97 pages
Reception
part V|103 pages
Bergson and contemporary thought