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Chapter 8 - Bergson and Social Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2019

By
Alexandre Lefebvre  and
Melanie White
Edited by
Alexandre Lefebvre  and
Nils F. Schott
Alexandre Lefebvre
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
Nils F. Schott
Affiliation:
Collège universitaire de SciencesPo
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Summary

The chapter presents Bergson as an underacknowledged yet first-rate social theorist, demonstrating that in Two Sources Bergson is in extensive, albeit implicit, dialogue with his two great predecessors in the tradition -Émile Durkheim and Auguste Comte - and that his encounter with them turns on three questions at the heart of sociology as a unique field of inquiry: first, what binds people together in society? second, what is the origin of society? and third, what is the nature of social change? By working through Bergson’s engagement with these key authors and themes, the chapter presents Bergson’s own original theory of society and sociability, which, as with all his work, centers on creativity, but this time in connection with personal and collective transformation.

Keywords

The Two Sources of Morality and Religionsocial theorysociologyÉmile DurkheimAuguste Comteclosed societyopen society
Type
Chapter
Information
Interpreting Bergson
Critical Essays
 , pp. 139 - 154
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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