In Henri Bergson’s philosophy, duration (durée) is a key concept that refers to the qualitative, lived experience of time, as opposed to the quantitative, measurable time of clocks and science. For Bergson, duration captures the fluid, continuous flow of time as we actually experience it, which cannot be reduced to discrete, countable moments.
Here’s what Bergson means by duration in more detail:
1. Qualitative, Not Quantitative: Bergson argues that time is often treated in a spatialized, quantitative way—divided into equal, measurable units, like seconds or minutes, which he believes is an abstraction imposed by human thought. Duration, however, refers to time as it is lived, where each moment is interconnected with the next in a continuous flow. Unlike clock time, which breaks time into segments, duration is indivisible and qualitative.
2. Experience of Time as Continuous Flow: According to Bergson, when we reflect on our experience, time doesn’t feel like a series of distinct moments but rather a flow or a seamless progression. For instance, our perception of time while engaged in deep thought or emotion doesn’t follow the regular ticking of a clock. Instead, moments blend into one another in a way that defies strict measurement. Duration is this internal, subjective time of consciousness, always evolving and moving forward.
3. Elan Vital and Creative Evolution: Duration plays a crucial role in Bergson’s broader metaphysical ideas, particularly in his concept of élan vital (vital impulse) and creative evolution. He believes that life itself is driven by a creative, dynamic force that unfolds over time, and this unfolding is best understood through duration. Evolution and consciousness, in Bergson’s view, are not mechanical processes reducible to spatialized time but are dynamic, emergent, and creative processes that occur through duration.
4. Memory and Time: Bergson also ties duration closely to memory. In his work Matter and Memory, he distinguishes between two kinds of memory: one that involves habit and repetition, and another that preserves past events as part of an ever-evolving present. Duration involves this second type of memory, where the past continuously intermingles with the present, influencing our experience without being detached from it.
5. Opposition to Mechanistic Views of Time: Bergson developed the concept of duration in opposition to mechanistic and deterministic views of time, such as those presented by Newtonian physics, which treat time as an objective dimension that can be mathematically divided. He argues that such a view reduces time to something external and detached from human experience, missing the essence of what time truly is. For Bergson, real time is dynamic, fluid, and inseparable from the lived experience of beings.
In summary, Bergson’s concept of duration refers to the non-measurable, continuous flow of time as experienced from within, where past, present, and future are intertwined in a living continuity. It’s a rejection of the static, fragmented view of time imposed by science and a celebration of the dynamic, evolving nature of life and consciousness.
