Originally published in French as "La pensée et le mouvant" in 1934, this book by the Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Henri Bergson provides a unique philosophical perspective on war and conflict, examining the relation between life and matter and its impact on human experience. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Meaning of the War: Life & Matter in Conflict By Henri Bergson

This little volume contains the discourse delivered by M. Bergson as President of the Academie des Sciences Morales et Politiques at its annual public meeting on December 12, 1914. It is the address which preceded the announcement of the prizes and awards bestowed by the Academy. It is now issued in book form with the consent of the author, and his full appreciation of the object, to give it the widest circulation. Although it is brief, it is a message addressed directly to the heart of our people in the crisis of war. To it is added a short article on the same theme, contributed to the Bulletin des Armees de la Republique, November 4, 1914. It has been said that war, with all its terrible evils, is the occasion of at least one good which humanity values as above price: it inspires great poetry. On the other hand, it seems to crush philosophy. Many may think that in this message it is poetry to which M. Bergson is giving expression. It is, however, from the depth of his philosophy that the inspiration is drawn. The full significance of the doctrines he has been teaching, and their whole moral and political bearing, are brought into clear light, focussed, as it were, on the actual present struggle. Yet is there no word that breathes hatred to any person or to any race. It is by the triumph of a spiritual principle that philosophy may hope to free humanity from the oppression of a materialist doctrine. COVER IMAGE used under Creative Commons 2.0: Chambers, Robert W. 1865-1933."

“The Meaning of the War - Life and Matter in Conflict” is a 1915 work within which Henri Bergson explores Germany's policy of 'might is right' as practised by Bismarck, the Prussian empire, and Germany in its long and bloody history of aggression against its neighbours. Contents include: “Life Of Bergson”, “Introduction”, “Life And Matter At War”, and “The Force Which Wastes And That Which Does Not Waste”. Henri-Louis Bergson (1859–1941) was a French-Jewish philosopher. He had a significant influence on the tradition of continental philosophy during the first half of the twentieth century until World War II, and is famous for his idea that immediate experience and intuition are more important than abstract rationalism and science for understanding the nature of reality. In 1927, Bergson received The Nobel Prize in Literature. Other notable works by this author include: “The Philosophy of Poetry: The Genius of Lucretius” (1884), “Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness” (1889), and “Matter and Memory” (1896). This classic work is being republished now in a new edition complete with a Chapter From “Bergson And His Philosophy” by J. Alexander Gunn.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.