The Meaning of the War: Life & Matter in Conflict - Tapa blanda

Henri Bergson (18 October 1859 – 4 January 1941) was a French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th century and after WWII in continental philosophy. 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 is also known for having engaged in a debate with Albert Einstein about the nature of time, a debate which eventually contributed to a partial diminishment of Bergson's reputation, until most of his fundamental contributions to French Philosophy were vindicated by the discovery of Quantum Physics. 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.

'The Meaning of the War' is the discourse delivered by Henri Bergson as President of the Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques at its annual public meeting on December 12, 1914. To it is added a short article on the same theme, contributed to the Bulletin des Armées de la République, November 4, 1914.