
Freedom
Lectures at the College de France, 1904-1905
Henri Bergson(Author)
Bloomsbury Academic (Publisher)
Published on 30. May 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-350-02917-0 (ISBN)
Description
For 15 years, Henri Bergson, the most important French philosopher of the early 20th-century, taught at the College de France. Speaking without notes, most of his classes are now lost to history, but records of a handful of courses fortuitously survived thanks to stenographic transcripts. Conveying Bergson's very voice, these extraordinary documents are finally presented here in English.
The 1904-1905 lectures are dedicated to the topic of freedom, or as Bergson put it, "the evolution of the problem of freedom." Building on the philosophy of freedom from his first book, Time and Free Will, he proposes that freedom is not only a fundamental human experience but characteristic of all life as such. By retracing how ancient and modern philosophers have dealt with the delicate question of freedom, Bergson demonstrates the necessity, and also the radically new character, of his own theory of freedom.
Bergson's lectures are a feast for many audiences. For philosophers, they give a fuller picture of his thought and contain deep reflections on many core topics in philosophy today, from the nature of time to the difference between brain and mind, the relation between memory and perception, and the vindication of freedom over determinism. For intellectual historians, the lectures are a treasure trove: as a slice of the living thought of a great thinker; as an extended analysis of the natural and human sciences of his day; and as a rich commentary on the history of ancient and modern philosophy. Finally, for cultural historians and literary scholars, the lectures were the cultural capital of Belle Epoque France, consumed by elites and a vast educated public. They are also part of an exceedingly rare genre in modern philosophy: spoken, not written, lectures and expressed as a veritable stream of philosophical consciousness that is remarkably structured and analytically lucid.
The 1904-1905 lectures are dedicated to the topic of freedom, or as Bergson put it, "the evolution of the problem of freedom." Building on the philosophy of freedom from his first book, Time and Free Will, he proposes that freedom is not only a fundamental human experience but characteristic of all life as such. By retracing how ancient and modern philosophers have dealt with the delicate question of freedom, Bergson demonstrates the necessity, and also the radically new character, of his own theory of freedom.
Bergson's lectures are a feast for many audiences. For philosophers, they give a fuller picture of his thought and contain deep reflections on many core topics in philosophy today, from the nature of time to the difference between brain and mind, the relation between memory and perception, and the vindication of freedom over determinism. For intellectual historians, the lectures are a treasure trove: as a slice of the living thought of a great thinker; as an extended analysis of the natural and human sciences of his day; and as a rich commentary on the history of ancient and modern philosophy. Finally, for cultural historians and literary scholars, the lectures were the cultural capital of Belle Epoque France, consumed by elites and a vast educated public. They are also part of an exceedingly rare genre in modern philosophy: spoken, not written, lectures and expressed as a veritable stream of philosophical consciousness that is remarkably structured and analytically lucid.
Reviews / Votes
These lectures present a nuanced and multifaceted exploration of the concept of freedom, highlighting its vitalist and dynamic nature. * French Studies * What a gift to the Anglophones! Bergson as teacher! Thanks to the team of distinguished Bergson scholars who prepared this volume with palpable care, it succeeds in presenting "philosophy in the making" to English readers in a way that feels at once rigorous, easy, and... inevitable. This is a precious volume and a must read for anyone interested in Bergson's thought and the historical evolution of philosophy as he sees it. * Suzanne Guerlac Distinguished Professor of French, Emerita, UC Berkeley, USA *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 232 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
452 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-02917-0 (9781350029170)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Henri Bergson | Nils F. Schott | Alexandre Lefebvre
Freedom
Lectures at the ColleGe De France, 1904-1905
E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€25.49
Available for download

Henri Bergson | Nils F. Schott | Alexandre Lefebvre
Freedom
Lectures at the ColleGe De France, 1904-1905
E-Book
05/2024
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Academic
€25.49
Available for download
Persons
Henri Bergson (1859- 1941) was a major French philosopher. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1927 and France's highest honor, the Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur, in 1930.
Alexander Lefebvre (translator) is Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Nils F. Schott (translator) teaches philosophy in the Euro-American Program of the College Universitaire de SciencesPo, France.
Alexander Lefebvre (translator) is Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Nils F. Schott (translator) teaches philosophy in the Euro-American Program of the College Universitaire de SciencesPo, France.
Author
Editor
College Universitaire de SciencesPo, France
University of Sydney, Australia
Content
Series Preface: Henri Bergson at the College de France
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Henri Bergson, Freedomist
1. December 6, 1904
2. December 16, 1904
3. December 22, 1904
4. January 13, 1905
5. January 20, 1905
6. January 27, 1905
7. February 3, 1905
8. February 10, 1905
9. February 17, 1905
10. February 24, 1905
11. March 3, 1905
12. March 10, 1905
13. March 17, 1905
14. March 24, 1905
15. March 31, 1905
16. April 7, 1905
17. April 14, 1905
18. May 5, 1905
19. May 12, 1905
20. May 19, 1905
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Henri Bergson, Freedomist
1. December 6, 1904
2. December 16, 1904
3. December 22, 1904
4. January 13, 1905
5. January 20, 1905
6. January 27, 1905
7. February 3, 1905
8. February 10, 1905
9. February 17, 1905
10. February 24, 1905
11. March 3, 1905
12. March 10, 1905
13. March 17, 1905
14. March 24, 1905
15. March 31, 1905
16. April 7, 1905
17. April 14, 1905
18. May 5, 1905
19. May 12, 1905
20. May 19, 1905
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography