An Introduction to Metaphysics

Henri Bergson was a French philosopher who lived from 1859 to 1941. Although Bergson was widely known and extremely popular at the beginning of the 20th century, both Bergson and metaphysics have been eclipsed by a variety of philosophical movements. But things were radically different a century ago when Henri Bergson made his first trip to the United States to lecture at Columbia University. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the enthusiasm generated by his appearance was responsible for the first ever traffic jam in the history of Broadway. Perhaps Bergson’s philosophy will never regain that kind of popularity, but a fresh English translation might open a door for those who wonder why his philosophy once had the power to stop traffic in Manhattan.