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Herald of a Restless World
How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People
Description
The first English-language biography of Henri Bergson, the French philosopher who defined individual creativity and transformed twentieth-century thought—a “fascinating biography and magnificent revival of this brilliant thinker” (Skye Cleary, author of How to Be Authentic)
Named a Best Book of 2024 by the New Statesman
At the dawn of the twentieth century, Henri Bergson (1859–1941) became the most famous philosopher on earth. Where prior thinkers sketched out a deterministic, predictable universe, he asserted the transformative power of consciousness and creativity. An international celebrity, he made headlines around the world debating luminaries like Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein about free will and time. The vision of creative evolution and freedom he presented was so disruptive that the New York Times branded him “the most dangerous man in the world.”
In Herald of a Restless World, Emily Herring recovers how Bergson captivated a society in flux. She shows how his celebration of the time-bending uniqueness of individual experience struck a chord with those shaken by modern technological and social change. Long after he faded from public view, his insights into memory, time, laughter, and creativity continue to shape how we see the world around us.
Herald of a Restless World is an electrifying portrait of a singular intellect. Bergson’s extraordinary insight into life’s fundamental questions remains urgent and relevant to this day.
Named a Best Book of 2024 by the New Statesman
At the dawn of the twentieth century, Henri Bergson (1859–1941) became the most famous philosopher on earth. Where prior thinkers sketched out a deterministic, predictable universe, he asserted the transformative power of consciousness and creativity. An international celebrity, he made headlines around the world debating luminaries like Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein about free will and time. The vision of creative evolution and freedom he presented was so disruptive that the New York Times branded him “the most dangerous man in the world.”
In Herald of a Restless World, Emily Herring recovers how Bergson captivated a society in flux. She shows how his celebration of the time-bending uniqueness of individual experience struck a chord with those shaken by modern technological and social change. Long after he faded from public view, his insights into memory, time, laughter, and creativity continue to shape how we see the world around us.
Herald of a Restless World is an electrifying portrait of a singular intellect. Bergson’s extraordinary insight into life’s fundamental questions remains urgent and relevant to this day.
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Praise
“A vivid, graceful biography.”
—New York Times
“Insightful…a much-needed reintroduction of Bergson to English-language readers.”
—Wall Street Journal
“The most intellectually stimulating book I read this year.”
—John Banville, New Statesman
“Very entertaining.”
—The New European
“Written in graceful prose and drawing a clear analogy with contemporary techno-optimism and its discontents, this captivates.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A solidly researched and earnestly accessible portrait of a creative, free-thinking intellect."
—Kirkus
“From perfumed ladies to end-of-life mud baths, this beautifully written book tells the story of a seemingly unassuming, bowler-hatted Frenchman whose philosophy would sweep the world. Its profound ideas—evolution, consciousness, time—are explored with depth and humor in a way that is, appropriately, creative and new. Emily Herring has captured the magic and the mystique of Bergson.”
—Emily Thomas, author of The Meaning of Travel
“Henri Bergson thought nothing could be learned about a philosopher’s ideas by studying their life. Herring proves him very wrong in this engaging biography of the Parisian thinker who accidentally became an international celebrity.”
—Nigel Warburton, author of A Little History of Philosophy
“With flair and verve, Herring unveils the life and philosophy of the enchanting and trailblazing icon of change and creativity: Henri Bergson. The result is a fascinating biography and magnificent revival of this brilliant thinker who was once the most influential philosopher in the world. Herring’s beautifully compelling narrative shows how Bergson’s ideas still hold the power to illuminate the human experience and the meaning of life.”
—Skye Cleary, author of How to Be Authentic
“Thanks to Herring, Bergson is back—and it’s about time.”
—Matthew Sweet, author of Operation Chaos