The philosophical studies of Yamaguchi University Volume 30
published_at 2023-03-23
In this paper I will consider <rétrospectivité> as a positive element of the Bergsonian notion of <durée>.
Around 1930 Henri Bergson borrows from Vladimir Jankélévitch a concept of <illusion de rétrospectivité>, which means a lack of understanding about <durée>. However, his usage of the concept seems not to be true to Jankélévitch’s, in that he regards <rétrospectivité> as a positive element of <durée>.
In my opinion, Bergson’s infidelity to Jankélévitch, so to speak, is based on his interest in <histoire>, as far as the mysticism is concerned, which bears fruit in The Two Sources of Morality and Religion (1932). As regards this, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, who criticizes Bergson for his misunderstanding <histoire>, provides an important clue.