Time and Free Will (ePub)

Henri Bergson (1859-1941) was a French philosopher renowned for his innovative and influential contributions to the fields of metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language, among others. His work is marked by an enduring fascination with the nature of time and consciousness, themes that he explores with depth and originality throughout his career. Born in Paris, Bergson's education was distinguished, culminating in his attendance at the prestigious École Normale Supérieure. A gifted student, he quickly made his mark in philosophical circles with his first major work, 'Essai sur les données immédiates de la conscience' (1889), later translated as 'Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness.' In this seminal text, Bergson articulates his innovative concept of 'duration,' a continuous flow of time that is deeply intertwined with one's subjective experience, in contradistinction to the quantitative, measurable time of science. Rejecting the deterministic implications of mechanistic science, Bergson argued for the reality of free will, positing that freedom is a direct experience that can be intuited in the immediacy of consciousness. His style is marked by an eloquence and clarity that has made his works accessible and resonant outside the bounds of academic philosophy, as he sought to address the pressing intellectual and spiritual concerns of his contemporaries. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1927 in recognition of his rich and dynamic contributions to thought. His other notable works include 'Matière et mémoire' (1896) and 'L'Évolution créatrice' (1907), each further cementing his status as a pivotal figure in the development of 20th-century philosophy.