----Henri Bergson is the author of numerous works including Matter and Memory, Creative Evolution and Time and Free Will. His work has been influential for many thinkers such as Walter Benjamin, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Gilles Deleuze. ----Drew Burk is a graduate and technical director at the European Graduate School. He is the translator of such philosophers as Jean Baudrillard, Jacques Derrida and Paul Virilio. ----What does laughter mean? What is the fundamental element of the laughable? What common ground can be found between the grimace of a clown, a play on words, a similar situation in a burlesque and a scene of high comedy? What method of distillation will invariably yield us the same essence from which so many different products borrow either their obtrusive odor or their delicate perfume? The greatest of thinkers, from Aristotle on down, have tackled this tiny problem, which has a knack of baffling every effort, of slipping away, escaping only to pop up again, as a lively challenge to philosophical speculation.

Mary Ann Gillies shows that French philosopher Henri Bergson played a central role in the development of British literary modernism. While Bergson's influence on modernism has long been debated, this is the first thorough, current examination of the ways

Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic' is a philosophical work written by Henri Bergson. In this influential essay, Bergson explores the nature and significance of laughter in human life. Bergson argues that laughter is a uniquely human phenomenon and seeks to uncover its underlying causes and social functions. The author delves into the comedic elements present in various situations, such as comic characters, wordplay, and incongruity. Through a blend of wit, analysis, and anecdotal examples, Bergson examines how laughter arises from the tension between rigid social norms and the inherent flexibility of human behavior. The book also addresses the psychological and physiological aspects of laughter, exploring its release of pent-up energy and its role in social bonding.

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Henri Bergson was a French philosopher who was influential in the tradition of continental philosophy, especially during the first half of the 20th century until World War II. Bergson is known for his influential arguments that processes of immediate experience and intuition are more significant than abstract rationalism and science for understanding reality. He was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of his rich and vitalizing ideas and the brilliant skill with which they have been presented". In 1930 France awarded him its highest honour, the Grand-Croix de la Legion d'honneur. This meticulously edited Henri Bergson collection is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents: Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness Creative Evolution Meaning of the War: Life & Matter in Conflict Dreams

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