Matter and Memory
by Henri Bergson · Matière et mémoire
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1896
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- French
- Length
- Medium · 260 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Formidable5 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendMatter and Memory, translated by N. M. Paul and W. S. PalmerZone Books, 1991The authorised translation in a well-made edition; the one scholars cite.
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Bergson's attempt to solve the problem of mind and body by rethinking both. He begins from images, of which the body is one, and argues that perception is not a picture in the brain but a selection from matter made in view of action. Memory is of two kinds, the habit memory stored in the body and the pure memory of the past which survives in itself and is recalled as needed. Evidence from aphasia and the recognition of objects is used to argue that the brain is an organ of action, not a store of thoughts.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Matter and Memory are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
