Introduction to Metaphysics
Encyclopedia
An Introduction to Metaphysics (Introduction à la Métaphysique) is a 1903 essay by Henri Bergson
that explores the concept of reality. For Bergson, reality
occurs not in a series of discrete states but as a process similar to that described by process philosophy
or the Greek philosopher Heraclitus
. Reality is fluid and cannot be completely understood through reduction
istic analysis, which he said "implies that we go around an object", gaining knowledge from various perspectives which are relative. Instead, reality can be grasped absolutely only through intuition, which Bergson expressed as "entering into" the object.
The essay is also contained in the collection:
Henri Bergson
Henri-Louis Bergson was a major French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th century. Bergson convinced many thinkers that immediate experience and intuition are more significant than rationalism and science for understanding reality.He was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize...
that explores the concept of reality. For Bergson, reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
occurs not in a series of discrete states but as a process similar to that described by process philosophy
Process philosophy
Process philosophy identifies metaphysical reality with change and dynamism. Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, philosophers have posited true reality as "timeless", based on permanent substances, whilst processes are denied or subordinated to timeless substances...
or the Greek philosopher Heraclitus
Heraclitus
Heraclitus of Ephesus was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher, a native of the Greek city Ephesus, Ionia, on the coast of Asia Minor. He was of distinguished parentage. Little is known about his early life and education, but he regarded himself as self-taught and a pioneer of wisdom...
. Reality is fluid and cannot be completely understood through reduction
Reduction (philosophy)
In philosophy, reduction is the process by which one object, property, concept, theory, etc., is shown to be explicable in terms of another, lower level, entity...
istic analysis, which he said "implies that we go around an object", gaining knowledge from various perspectives which are relative. Instead, reality can be grasped absolutely only through intuition, which Bergson expressed as "entering into" the object.
Publication data
- Henri Bergson. An Introduction to Metaphysics (1903). Hackett Publishing Company 1999: ISBN 0-87220-474-X
The essay is also contained in the collection:
- The Creative Mind: An Introduction to Metaphysics 1923. Citadel Press 1992: ISBN 0-8065-0421-8
- The Creative Mind: An Introduction to Metaphysics 1923. Dover Publications 2007: ISBN 0486454398
External links
- Introduction to Metaphysics at Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...