AN EVALUATION OF HENRI BERGSON’S MORAL PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

The idea of morality is in the nature and consciousness of every man. When it comes to moral judgments, the case is different. Moral disagreements abound in the history of philosophy. Man has always been poised with the question, what is morality? There have been several questions on the objectivity and subjectivity of morality, however one can only speak from a point of view. Henri Bergson is seen as a revival in moral theory over the past two decades. Recently there is an increased attention to Bergson’s controversial book The Two Sources of Morality and Religion. In this work, he made a distinction between open and closed morality, according to him, open morality is an open society that is democratic and liberal in the sense that it includes everyone while closed morality, is a closed society that is authoritarian and inhumane. Open morality upholds freedom and universality while closed morality operates under the rule of authority, hierarchy and immobility. However, Bergson pointed out that there has never been nor ever could be either a truly open society or a fully closed one - these are ideal limits. In other words, closed morality upholds obedience before the law. Critics have pointed out that there is no clear statement of how real duration, the flow of consciousness, and the vital impetus are related. The notion of Bergson’s ‘open and closed morality’ can be applauded in its multiplicity because it encompasses everyone. Is morality supposed to be strict and static or dynamic? What is Bergson’s theory of open and closed morality? If Bergson’s theory of open and closed morality has not been completely realized, what is the prevalent implication to the society today? Which society according to Bergson is best for man and his society? The researcher adopts the analytic method of research and aims to properly examine the notion of Henri Bergson’s idea of open and closed morality so as to have a better understanding of the concept. The researcher aims to sieve out the notion of morality as it relates with the society on one hand and on the other hand, examine what it entails in the philosophy of Henri Bergson. At the end of the research, the researcher aims to answer the question of morality and how it relates with the society through open and closed morality in Bergson; also, the suitable moral society according to Bergson will become glaringly clear.