Bergson believes that morality is biological and evolutionary in its nature. He presents it as a system that is both open and closed at the same time, he shows the two sides of morality as moral obligation and moral aspiration. Moral obligation is grounded in our current identity and is thus closed whereas moral aspiration shows the potential for growth and is therefore open. For Bergson one cannot exist without the other, closed morality is obedience to the law and open morality is reliant upon the call and attraction of heroes which Bergson sometimes calls Mystics.
Bergson describes heroes as ‘persons who represent the best there is in humanity’ (Bergson,H, The Two Sources of Morality and Religion) they can be living or dead but they serve the purpose of acting as role models to help draw out societies potential and help it move forward. For Bergson Heroes are creative figures, who are able to push at the boundaries of life and social morality inspiring change through their actions. Bergson states that to be in touch with creation we have to be creative and by following the examples of heroic figures we are able to become creative ourselves allowing society to evolve.
Reference
Bergson, H, The Two Sources of Morality and Religion, University of Notre Dame Press, 1977.
David Howarth (N0227425)
Thank you David, a very good and clear and accurate account of the question of heroism, what I like about your account is that it blends the exhortation for creativity with the reality of creativity. In many ways what attracts us to heroes is that they are the best and optimum version of humanity, but furthermore, and importantly, this is attuned to the creative drive, and in some instances an evolutionary necessity for Bergson. Attraction to the best, and the immortal in us provides the link to that which allows us to survive, which in itself is a strange type of immortality i.e. as manifested in reproduction and procreation. So thanks for drawing this to our attention.
ReplyDeleteOne other thing that always fascinates me about philosophers, particularly in the French tradition is their resistance to a radical separation of both the is and the ought. In this sense for Bergson the closed system of prescriptions is always in a tension with the open system of creativity.
Any thoughts?
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