Bergson

the long version

This is a book about the philosophy of Henri Bergson (1859-1941) which shows how relevant Bergson is to much contemporary philosophy. It does not pretend to be a comprehensive scholarly account. Rather it deals with selected features of his thought and reveals how his approach solves certain key philosophical problems. The book takes as its point of departure Bergson's insistence on precision in philosophy. It then discusses a variety of topics including knowledge and representation, laughter, the nature of time as experienced, how intelligence and language should be construed as a pragmatic product of evolution, and the antinomies of reason represented by magic and religion. This is not just another exposition of Bergson's work. It helps us to understand why Bergson commanded massive international interest in his own day, not only in the academic world, but much more widely, and it shows why he deserves to be read now.