Bergson on Intellect, Intuition, and Instinct

Henri Bergson (1859-1941) is an extremely interesting figure.  Bergson contended that in animal (and I would think human) development, there are two traits/emphases/characteristics which are at the heart of things: "instinct" and "intelligence."  Bergson makes an interesting move.  One might think that intelligence would be the key to true philosophy (if choosing between "instinct" and "intellect"). Au contraire!  Rather, it is instinct which is key.  Instinct, over times can/does morphe into "intuition," and it is intuition which is central to philosophy.  So, as Gary Gutting summarizes: "Instinct then becomes intuition, the privileged vehicle of philosophical knowledge" (Gutting, French Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, 72). 

Interesting indeed.  What this does is, in a sense, put intellect in its place.  It does not deny the importance of intellect, but does say that intellect must be seen in relationship to other ways of coming to terms with the world.  I look forward to continuing reading.

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Written by Brad Green Brad Green

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Published: 26 April 2017 26 April 2017

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Henri Bergson and the Creation of the Self

One of the things I have been doing on my research leave is read (surprise!).  Currently I am reading Gary Gutting, French Philosophy in the Twentieth Century.  Besides just interesting, I hope to write one day a biblical theology of knowledge.  That interest has led to reading this and that, including some philosophy.  A few years ago I read Husserl, which led to reading several things by Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre.  The current chapter in Gutting's book is on Henri Bergson.  I thought the following quote was fascinating, and something of a good summary of the modern mood, and the modern notion of the self:

"for a conscious being, to exist is to change, to change is to develop [se murir], to develop is to go on creating oneself endlessly."

 (This is from Bergson's work L'evolution creatrice, and is quoted in Gutting, 66).

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Written by Brad Green Brad Green

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Published: 26 April 2017 26 April 2017

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Dallas Willard and the Unhinging of the American Mind

And while Willard is on the mind, here is the link to a super essay, "The Unhinging of the American Mind: Derrida as Pretext."  I stumbled onto this essay a little over twenty years ago, I believe.  I found it very helpful.  His basic argument is that universities have ceased to be institutions which are interested in passing on knowledge.

He writes:

The heart of the university crisis is, in my view, the simple fact that its institutional structures and processes are no longer organized around knowledge. The life of knowledge is no longer their telos and substance. Knowledge and knowing is not what is had in view or consciously supported by them. The people in charge are in fact only very rarely thinking about knowledge. It is not what the place "is about" in the mental processes of those who determine, or think they determine, curriculum, program and personnel, what is to count as "good work" or bad, and who is to be rewarded in various ways or not.

Given recent events at various universities, Willard's basic point simply continues to be vindicated.  It is a very good read.

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Written by Brad Green Brad Green

Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading

Published: 26 April 2017 26 April 2017

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Dallas Willard on Reason and the Benedict Option

I think anytime I have read Dallas Willard, I have benefitted immensely.  Today I was reading his essay, "How Reason can Survive the Modern University: The Moral Foundations of Morality" (found here).  In light of Rod Dreher's The Benedict Option, I found the following quote very interesting and helpful:

The details are far from clear to me, but I think something like the development of a community of moral understanding in the Christian tradition must be the answer to our current situation. This seems to me the only thing capable of redeeming reason, of providing the moral substance and understanding that can make the life of reason possible. Though I do not share MacIntryre's philosophy of mind and logic, and believe that the understanding and practical appropriation of moral insight is much freer of specific communities than he supposes (There is a human nature, in my view, and it is fairly obvious), I am sure that the restoration of moral knowledge to our academic culture will require a certain community of professionals, academics and intellectuals devoted to that cause over a lengthy period of time.

The essays at Willard's website (here) are a goldmine.  They are free, but I still wish someone would put them all together and publish them.  Tolle lege!

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Written by Brad Green Brad Green

Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading

Published: 26 April 2017 26 April 2017

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