Bergson'S Philosophy of Biology: Virtual and the Vital

In Reconstructing Bergson's Philosophy of Biology, Tano S. Posteraro offers a fresh perspective on Henri Bergson's evolutionary metaphysics by critically reappraising his engagements with evolutionary theory. He demonstrates that Bergson's philosophy is not limited to phenomenology but encompasses a systematic approach to biology, making him a pioneer in the field. Posteraro's book provides a valuable counterpoint to the traditional understanding of Bergson as a metaphysical vitalist and highlights his interdisciplinary relevance beyond philosophy, literature, and the arts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 31 August 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Reconstructs Bergson's philosophy of biology in dialogue with the life sciences of today

Critically reappraises Bergson's evolutionary metaphysics

Includes summaries, interpretations, and evaluations of Bergson's various engagements with evolutionary theory

Provides a counterpoint to the traditional understanding of Bergson as a phenomenologist

Offers a critical rejoinder to Bergson's reputation as a metaphysical vitalist by bringing his work into dialogue with arguments and issues in the philosophy of science

Makes a strong case for Bergson's interdisciplinary relevance outside of the typical fields of philosophy, literature, and the arts

We are in the midst of a return to Henri Bergson

the French philosopher whose influence touches the fields of continental philosophy, literary theory and art theory.

This revival of interest in his work could even be called a full-blown Bergson renaissance. Tano S. Posteraro contributes to this increasingly serious study of Bergson's philosophy with a tight focus on Bergson's theory of evolution. He presents an alternative Bergson: not a phenomenologist whose central concern is the conscious experience of lived time or the lived body in time, but a systematic philosopher of biology with a robust, prescient, and largely workable evolutionary programme.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474488815