Reality as a perpetual flow

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Henri Bergson’s philosophy of life came from his studies of biology, particularly the works of Charles Darwin. He believed in a universe of constant change in which humanity is merely a passing phase. Like Heraclitus, he saw reality as a continuous flux: changing and evolving.

He claimed that evolution is driven by an ‘élan vital’ – life force – that drives it forward. Life itself is a dynamic process of becoming, which cannot be grasped with the rational mind because it is not objectifiable. Our perception of the world is determined by evolution, and the senses are not there to give us information about the external world but to help us survive. They are therefore only useful for helping us to adapt to our environment. Likewise, we have incomplete knowledge of reality, a subjective view from our own particular point of view, as compared with the objective knowledge available to other creatures. So our knowledge of the world around us is relative to our needs.

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