CONTENTS PREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER I. — LIFE OF BERGSON CHAPTER II. — THE REALITY OF CHANGE CHAPTER III. — PERCEPTION CHAPTER IV. — MEMORY CHAPTER V. — THE RELATION OF SOUL AND BODY CHAPTER VI. — TIME—TRUE AND FALSE CHAPTER VII. — FREEDOM OF THE WILL CHAPTER VIII. — EVOLUTION CHAPTER IX. — THE GOSPEL OF INTUITION CHAPTER X. — ETHICAL AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS CHAPTER XI. — RELATION TO RELIGION AND THEOLOGY CHAPTER XII. — REFLECTIONS APPENDIX. — BIBLIOGRAPHY The aim of this little work is pra

THE UNIVERSITY, LIVERPOOL March, 1920 The stir caused in the civilized world by the writings of Bergson, particularly during the past decade, is evidenced by the volume of the stream of exposition and comment which has flowed and is still flowing. If the French were to be tempted to set up, after the German manner, a Bergson-Archiv they would be in no embarrassment for material, as the Appendix to this book—limited though it wisely is—will show. Mr. Gunn, undaunted by all this, makes a further,

This huge vision of time and motion, of a mighty world which is always becoming, always changing, growing, striving, and wherein the word of power is not law, but life, has captured the modern imagination no less than the modern intellect. It lights with its splendour the patient discoveries of science. It casts a new radiance on theology, ethics and art. It gives meaning to some of our deepest instincts, our strangest and least explicable tendencies. But above and beyond all this, it lifts the

Birth and education—Teaches at Clermont-Ferrand—Les donnees immediates de la conscience—Matiere et Memoire—Chair of Greek Philosophy, then of Modern Philosophy, College de France—L'Evolution creatrice—Relations with William James—Visits England and America—Popularity—Neo-Catholics and Syndicalists—Election to Academie francaise—War-work— L'Energie spirituelle. Bergson's life has been the quiet and uneventful one of a French professor, the chief landmarks in it being the publication of his three

Fundamental in Bergson's philosophy. We are surrounded by changes—we ourselves change—Belief in change—Simplicity of change—Immobility is composite and relative—All movement is indivisible. The fallacy of "states"—Intellect loves the static—Life is dynamic—Change, the very stuff of life, constitutes reality. Throughout the history of thought we find that the prevailing philosophies have always reflected some of the characteristics of their time. For instance, in those periods when, as historians

Images as data—Nerves, afferent and efferent, cannot beget images, nor can the brain give rise to representations—All our perception relative to action. Denial of this involves the fallacies of Idealism or of Realism—Perception and knowledge—Physiological data—Zone of indetermination—"Pure" perception—Memory and Perception. From the study of Change we are led on to a consideration of the problems connected with our perception of the external world, which has its roots in change. These problems h

Definition—Two forms—memorizing power related to habit; recalling power or "pure" memory. Is memory a function of the brain?—Pathological Phenomena. Memory something other than merely a function of the brain. The "Box" theory—Memory records everything—Dreams—The well-balanced mind—Memory a manifestation of spirit. The importance of Memory is recognized by all persons—whether psychologists or not. At the present time there is a growing interest in systems of memory-training offered to the public,

The hypothesis of Psycho-physical Parallelism—Not to be accepted uncritically—Bergson opposes it, and shows the hypothesis to rest on a confusion of terms. Bergson against Epiphenomenalism—Soul-life unique and wider than the brain—Telepathy, subconscious action and psychical research—Souls and survival. For philosophy in general, and for psychology in particular, the problem of the relation of soul and body has prime significance, and moreover, it is a problem with which each of us is acquainted

Our ordinary conception of Time false because it is spatial and homogeneous—Real Time (la duree) not spatial or homogeneous—Flow of consciousness a qualitative multiplicity—The real self and the external self. La duree and the life of the self—No repetition—Personality and the accumulation of experience-Change and la duree as vital elements in the universe. For any proper understanding of Bergson's thought, it is necessary to grasp his views regarding Time, for they are fundamental factors in hi

Spirit of man revolts from physical and psychological determinism—Former examined and rejected—The latter more subtle—Vice of "associationism"—Psychology without a self. Condemnation of psychological determinism—Room for freedom—The self in action—Astronomical forecasts—Foreseeableness of any human action impossible—Human wills centres of indetermination—Not all our acts free—True freedom, self-determination. Before passing on to an examination of Bergson's treatment of Evolution, we must consid

Work of Darwin and Spencer—Bergson's L'Evolution creatrice—Life—L'elan vital—Evolution not progress in a straight line—Adaptation an insufficient explanation—Falsity of mechanistic view—Finalist conception of reality as fulfilling a plan false—Success along certain lines only—Torpor, Instinct, and Intelligence—Genesis of matter—Humanity the crown of evolution—Contingency and Freedom—The Future is being created. Since the publication of Darwin's famous work on The Origin of Species in 1859, the c

Intelligence and Intuition not opposed—Intellectual sympathy—Synthesis and analysis. "Understanding as one loves"—Concepts—Intellect not final—Man's spirit and intuitions—Joy, creative power and art—Value of Intuitive Philosophy. We now approach the grand climax of Bergson's philosophy, his doctrine of Intuition, which he preaches with all the vigour of an evangelist. Our study of his treatment of Change, of Perception, of la duree, and of Instinct, has prepared us for an investigation of what h

Anti-intellectualism and the State—Syndicalism—Class war, "direct action." Sorel advocates General Strike—Bergson cited in support—Unfair use of Bergson's view of reality—His ethic—Value of Will and Creativeness; not a supporter of impulse. Development of personality. Intuitive mind of woman. Change and the moral life. Bergson has not written explicitly upon Ethics. In some quarters, however, so much has been made of Bergson as a supporter of certain ethical tendencies and certain social movemen

Avoidance of theological terms—Intuition and faith—God and Change—Deity not omnipotent but creative and immanent—God as "Creator of creators"—Problem of teleology—Stimulus to theology—The need for restatements of the nature of God—Men as products and instruments of divine activity—Immortality. We have seen that Bergson holds no special brief for science, for, as has been shown, he opposes many of the hypotheses to which science clings. Consequently, some persons possessing only a superficial acq

Bergson not systematic—His style—Difficult to classify—Empirical and spiritual—Value of his ideas on Change, the nature of Mind, of Freedom—Difficulties in his evolutionary theory—Ethical lack—Need for supplement-Emphasis on Will, Creativeness, Human Progress and Possibilities. In concluding this study of Bergson's philosophy, it remains to sum up and to review its general merits and deficiencies. We must remember, in fairness to Bergson, that he does not profess to offer us A SYSTEM of philosop

The books and articles which have appeared, dealing with Bergson's thought, are truly legion. Three bibliographies have already been compiled, one in each of the countries: England, America and Germany, which are of value and merit attention. In 1910, Mr. F. L. Pogson, M.A., prefixed to Time and Free Will (the English translation of the Essai sur les donnees immediates de la conscience) a comprehensive bibliography, giving a list of Bergson's own published works, and numerous articles contribute

BERGSON'S OWN WRITINGS CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED Three articles, bearing the titles "Memoire et reconaissance," "Perception et matiere" and "L'Idee de neant," which appeared respectively in Revue philosophique (1896), Revue de metaphysique et de morale (1896) and Revue philosophique (1906) have been omitted from their places in the above list because they were subsequently incorporated into the larger works Matiere et Memoire and L'Evolution creatrice....

(b) English and American Publications...

(b) English and American Publications...

ABBOTT. "Philosophy of Progress." Outlook, Feb, 1913. AKELY. "Bergson and Science." Philosophical Review, May, 1915. ALEXANDER, H.B. "Socratic Bergson." Mid-West Quarterly, Oct., 1913. ALEXANDER, S. "Matière et Mémoire." Mind, Oct, 1897. ARMSTRONG. "Bergson, Berkeley and Intuition." Philosophical Review, 1914. BABBITT. "Bergson and Rousseau." Nation, Nov., 1912. BALDWIN. "Intuition." American Year Book, 1911. BALFOUR. "Creative Evolution and Philosophic Doubt." Hibbert Journal, Oct, 1911; and Li

As, in the foregoing lists, the English Translations of Bergson's Works are given separately under the heading of the date and title of the original work, they are here set forth together under the title of the publishers with translators' names and the published prices for convenience of reference for English readers or students. The above are all the English Translations which have appeared up to now. The Oxford University Press published in the original French the lectures given at Oxford, La