French Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition

Abstract

Abstract It is not uncommon for analytic philosophers to hold a dim view of non-analytic philosophy in general, and French philosophy in particular. The full story of why this is the case is complex, but this chapter focuses on a pivotal early episode within it: Russell’s engagement with Bergson. Given Russell’s enduring influence on analytic philosophy, his criticisms of Bergson influenced the attitudes of generations of analytic philosophers to Bergson and French philosophy more broadly. However, as Russell’s views evolved, they often did so in distinctly Bergsonian ways. Russell and Bergson may have started off in different places, but rather than diverging in different directions on a number of major issues they rapidly came to converge. Unfortunately, few people seem to have recognized this—would history have been different if they had?