A totally original introduction to Bergson's work which positions this key thinker as a major 'philosopher of life'.

A thought-provoking contribution to the renaissance of interest in Bergson, this study brings him to a new generation of readers. Ansell-Pearson contends that there is a Bergsonian revolution, an upheaval in philosophy comparable in significance to those that we are more familiar with, from Kant to Nietzsche and Heidegger, that make up our intellectual modernity. The focus of the text is on Bergson’s conception of philosophy as the discipline that seeks to ‘think beyond the human condition’. Not that we are caught up in an existential predicament when the appeal is made to think beyond the human condition; rather that restricting philosophy to the human condition fails to appreciate the extent to which we are not simply creatures of habit and automatism, but also organisms involved in a creative evolution of becoming. Ansell-Pearson introduces the work of Bergson and core aspects of his innovative modes of thinking; examines his interest in Epicureanism; explores his interest in the self and in time and memory; presents Bergson on ethics and on religion, and illuminates Bergson on the art of life.

"Ansell-Pearson remains one of the most important Bergson scholars writing in English." - The Review of Metaphysics

"Ansell-Pearson (Univ. of Warwick, UK) has written the best introduction to Henri Bergson (1859–1941) now on the market … Ansell-Pearson touches on most of Bergson’s major works and clearly articulates the most crucial Bergsonian concepts. Interest in Bergson is suddenly on the rise, and this volume, which is both spirited and rigorous, will more than meet the needs of newcomers to Bergson’s corpus. But the book is much more than an introduction. It will offer clarity and support to those already immersed in Bergsonian philosophy. In sum, this book demonstrates that Bergson readily addresses 21st-century questions about the human condition. Readers of all stripes will appreciate this volume because it speaks to concerns about freedom and self; time and memory; politics, ethics, and religion; the nature of science and philosophy; and, ultimately, how to live well. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers." - CHOICE

"‘The fruits of Keith Ansell-Pearson’s years of labour to bring Bergson the philosophical attention he deserves reaches an apogee in this book. And the results are brilliant.’" - Times Higher Education Supplement

"Ansell-Pearson's book is unquestionably a remarkable introduction to a large swath of Bergson's work and an invaluable contribution to the ongoing resurgence of interest in Bergson … [A] fresh and lively reading of Bergson's thought and provides us with a significant number of scholarly engagements with Bergson's influences, concepts, and potential further contributions." - Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews