Bergson and His Philosophy

Bergson and His Philosophy

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Title: Bergson and His Philosophy
Author: J. Alexander Gunn
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BERGSON AND HIS PHILOSOPHY
BY
J. ALEXANDER GUNN, M. A., FELLOW OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF LIVERPOOL
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ALEXANDER MAIR, M. A.,
PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF
LIVERPOOL

CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
I. LIFE OF BERGSON
II. THE REALITY OF CHANGE
III. PERCEPTION
IV. MEMORY
V. THE RELATION OF SOUL AND BODY
VI. TIME-TRUE AND FALSE
VII. FREEDOM OF THE WILL
VIII. EVOLUTION
IX. THE GOSPEL OF INTUITION
X. ETHICAL AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS
XI. RELATION TO RELIGION AND THEOLOGY
XII. REFLECTIONS
APPENDIX: BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

PREFACE
The aim of this little work is practical, and it is put forth in the hope
that it may be useful to the general reader and to the student of
philosophy as an introduction and guide to the study of Bergson's
thought. The war has led many to an interest in philosophy and to a
study of its problems. Few modern thinkers will be found more
fascinating, more suggestive and stimulating than Bergson, and it is
hoped that perusal of the following pages will lead to a study of the
writings of the philosopher himself. This is a work whose primary aim
is the clear exposition of Bergson's ideas, and the arrangement of
chapters has been worked out strictly with that end in view. An account
of his life is prefixed. An up-to-date bibliography is given, mainly to
meet the needs of English readers; all the works of Bergson which have
appeared in England or America are given, and the comprehensive list
of articles is confined to English and American publications. The
concluding chapters endeavour to estimate the value of Bergson's
thought in relation to Politics (especially Syndicalism), Ethics, Religion,
and the development of thought generally.
My thanks are due to Professor Mair, Professor of Philosophy in the
University of Liverpool, for having read the MS. while in course of
preparation, for contributing an introduction, for giving some helpful
criticism and suggestions, and, what is more, for stimulus and
encouragement given over several years of student life.
Professor Bergson has himself expressed his approval of the general
form of treatment, and I am indebted to him for information on a
number of points. To Dr. Gillespie, Professor of Philosophy at Leeds, I
am indebted for a discussion of most of the MS. following the reading
of it. My thanks are also due to Miss Margaret Linn, whose energetic
and careful assistance in preparing the MS. for the press was invaluable.
I wish also to acknowledge kindness shown in supplying information
on certain points in connexion with the bibliography by Mr. F. C.
Nicholson, Librarian of the University of Edinburgh, by Mr. R. Rye,
Librarian to the University of London, and by the University of London
Press. I am grateful to Professor Bergson and to the Delegates of the
Oxford University Press for permission to quote from La Perception du

Changement, the lectures given at Oxford. Further I must acknowledge
permission accorded to me by the English publishers of Bergson's
works to quote passages directly from these authorized translations--To
Messrs. Geo. Allen & Unwin, Ltd. (Time and Free Will and Matter and
Memory), to Messrs. Macmillan & Co., Ltd. (Creative Evolution,
Laughter, Introduction to Metaphysics), and to T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd.
(Dreams). Through the kindness of M. Louis Michaud, the Paris
publisher, I have been enabled to reproduce (from his volume of
selections, Henri