
Living in Time
The Philosophy of Henri Bergson
Barry Allen(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 30. July 2023
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-19-767161-0 (ISBN)
Description
Henri Bergson (1859-1941) was once the most famous philosopher in the world, but his reputation waned in the latter half of the 20th century. Barry Allen here makes the case for Bergson as a great philosopher, one whose thought has much to contribute to contemporary philosophical questions. Living in Time presents chapters on each of Bergson's four major works, explaining his theories of time, perception, memory, and panpsychic consciousness, his innovative concept of virtual existence, his objection to Darwin, his controversy with Einstein, his philosophy of creative evolution, and his social philosophy of closed and open society.
In particular Allen focusses on Bergson's powerful ideas on time. Classical arguments for determinism fallaciously apply spatial concepts to consciousness; once we take time seriously, which means acknowledging its reality as duration and its difference from space, Bergson showed that the arguments for determinism become insupportable. Bergson's ideas on time and evolution offer a comparison with Nietzsche, which Allen develops, exposing both philosophical concurrence and systematic difference. The book's conclusion discusses the question of Bergson and naturalism and summarizes the ontology of the virtual that emerges as a core part of Bergson's thought.
In particular Allen focusses on Bergson's powerful ideas on time. Classical arguments for determinism fallaciously apply spatial concepts to consciousness; once we take time seriously, which means acknowledging its reality as duration and its difference from space, Bergson showed that the arguments for determinism become insupportable. Bergson's ideas on time and evolution offer a comparison with Nietzsche, which Allen develops, exposing both philosophical concurrence and systematic difference. The book's conclusion discusses the question of Bergson and naturalism and summarizes the ontology of the virtual that emerges as a core part of Bergson's thought.
Reviews / Votes
For practically the first time I get a sense of why Bergson is so important and why his thinking, in some quarters at least, got so much respect. * Michael Ruse, Florida State University * Allen gives an excellent introduction to Bergson's thought that brings him into conversation with other thinkers, both historical and contemporary. Famously, Bergson argued against Kant that we can know the thing-in-itself through intuition. Allen does an excellent job explaining how this works for Bergson. * James Mclachlan, Process Studies *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
4 b/w figures
Dimensions
Height: 212 mm
Width: 146 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
422 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-767161-0 (9780197671610)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2023
OUP eBook
€19.49
Available for download

E-Book
05/2023
OUP eBook
€19.49
Available for download
Person
Barry Allen is Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. He has held visiting appointments at universities in Jerusalem, Shanghai, Istanbul, and Hong Kong, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He is the author of Empiricisms and Vanishing Into Things: Knowledge in Chinese Tradition.
Author
Distinguished University Professor of PhilosophyDistinguished University Professor of Philosophy, McMaster University
Content
Introduction
Chapter One. Taking Time Seriously
Chapter Two. Making Memory Matter
Chapter Three. Elan Vital
Chapter Four. Open and Closed
Conclusion
Index
Chapter One. Taking Time Seriously
Chapter Two. Making Memory Matter
Chapter Three. Elan Vital
Chapter Four. Open and Closed
Conclusion
Index