Matter and Memory - Forgotten Books

1 :HUMANITIESPRESS, ,research,crz ticzsmorreview,aspermittedundertheCopyri ghtAct,I956,nopartofthispublicationmaybe reproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortr ansmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electron ic,electrical,chemical,mechanical,optica l,photocopying,recordingorotherwise, NOTETHIS translationofMonsieurBergson sMatiereatM moirehasbeenmadefromthefiftheditionof190 8, , sattentiontothefactthatallthemarginalnot esarepeculiartotheEnglisheditionandthat, althoughMonsieurBergsonhasbeengoodenough torevisethem,heisnotresponsiblefortheiri nsertionorcharacter, ,andtriestodeterminetherelationoftheonet otheotherbythestudyofadefiniteexample, ,then, ,ontheotherhand,itdealswithbodyandmindin suchawayas,wehope,tolessengreatly,ifnott oovercome,thetheoreticaldifficultieswhic hhavealwaysbesetdualism,andwhichcauseit, thoughsuggestedbytheimmediateverdictofco nsciousnessandadoptedbycommonsense, ,forthemostpart,totheconception,nowreali stic,nowidealistic, ,thatitisamistaketoreducemattertotheperc eptionwhichwehaveofit,amistakealsotomake ofitathingabletoproduceinusperceptions, ,inourView,isanaggregateof images.

2 Andbyimagewemeanacertainexistencewhichis morethanthatwhichtheidealistcallsarepres entation,butlessthanthatwhichtherealistc allsathing,-anXIxiiINTRODUCTION existenceplacedhalf-waybetweenthethingan dtherepresentation. ,whichheseesandtouches,existsonlyinhismi ndandforhismind,oreven,moregenerally,exi stsonlyformind, ,ontheotherhand,weshouldastonishhimquite asmuchbytellinghimthattheobjectisentirel ydifferentfromthatwhichisperceivedinit,t hatithasneitherthecolourascribedtoitbyth eeye, ,theresistance,are,forhim,intheobjectthe yarenotstatesofourmind; ,then,theobjectexistsinitself,and,ontheo therhand,theobjectis,initself,pictorial, asweperceiveitimageitis, ,sinceitisperceivedasanimage,themindwoul dmakeofit,initself, , ,however, ,inthecourseofthisfirstchapter,Objection sariseinhismindagainstanyoftheviewsthatw eputforward, ,asagainstthemechanicalphilosophers, ,forthis,itwasnecessarytoplacematterwith inthemind, ,nodoubt, ,inordertobringitnearertous, ,Berkeleywasunabletoaccountforthesuccess ofphysics,and,whereasDescarteshadsetupth emathematicalrelationsbetweenphenomenaas theirveryessence, ,toshowthereasonofthismathematicalordera ndtogivebacktoourphysicsasolidfoundation ataskinwhich,however, ,onthispointatleast,wouldhavebeenunneces sary;thehumanmind,inthisdirectionatleast ,wouldnothavebeenledtolimititsownrange".

3 Metaphysicswouldnothavebeensacrificedtop hysics,ifphilosophyhadbeencontenttoleave matterhalfwaybetweentheplacetowhichDesca rteshaddrivenitandthattowhichBerkeleydre witback toleaveit,infact, ,aswesaidbefore,wetreatofmatteronlyinsof arasitconcernstheproblemdealtwithinourse condandthirdchapters, ,thoughithasbeenafavouritethemethroughou tthehistoryofphilosophy, ,andthosewhichspeakvaguelyofthebodyasani nstrumentofthesoul,thereremainshardlyany otherconceptionofthepsychophysiologicalr elationthanthehypothesisofepiphenomenali smorthatofparallelism, whichinpractice Imeanintheinterpretationofparticularfact s ,indeed,thoughtisregardedasamerefunction ofthebrainandthestateofconsciousnessasan epiphenomenonofthestateofthebrain,orwhet hermentalstatesandbrainstatesareheldtobe twoversions,intwodifferentlanguages,ofon eandthesameoriginal,ineithercaseitislaid downthat,couldwepenetrateintotheinsideof abrainatworkandbeholdthedanceoftheatomsw hichmakeupthecortex,andif,ontheotherhand ,wepossessedthekeytopsycho-physiology, ,indeed, ,whenexaminedwithoutanypreconceivedidea, ,for,ifthenailispulledout, ,then,thattheshapeofthenailgivesusthesha peofthecoat,orinanywaycorrespondstoit?

4 NOmoreareweentitledtoconclude,becausethe physicalfactishungontoacerebralstate, ,itentersuponanunmistakablyviciouscircle for,ifscienceinterxviINTRODUCTION pretsconnexion,whichisafact,assignifying parallelism,whichisanhypothesis(andanhyp othesistowhichitisdifficulttoattachanint elligiblemeaningitdoesso,consciouslyorun consciously,forreasonsofaphilosophicorde r:itisbecausesciencehasbeenaccustomedbya certaintypeofphilosophytobelievethatther eisnohypothesismoreprobable,moreinaccord ancewiththeinterestsofscientificenquiryN ow,assoonaswedo,indeed,applytopositivefa ctsforsuchinformationasmayhelpustosolvet heproblem, ,becausememory weshalltrytoproveitinthecourseofthiswork ,'atanyrate,willdenythat,amongallthefact scapableofthrowinglightonthepsycho-physi ologicalrelation,thosewhichconcernmemory ,whetherinthenormalorinthepathologicalst ate, (considertheenormousmassofobservationsco llectedinregardtothevariouskindsofaphasi a),butnowhereelsehaveanatomy, ,withoutpreconceivedideaandonthefirmgrou ndoffacts,theclassicalproblemoftherelati onsofWehavelaidstressonthisparticularpoi ntinanessayon Leparalogismepsycho physiologique(RevuedeM taphysiqueadcMorale,Nov.))

5 ,INTRODUCTION xviisoulandbody,willsoonseethisproblemas centeringuponthesubjectofmemory,andevenm oreparticularlyuponthememoryofwordsitisf romthisquarter,undoubtedly, ,thepsychicalstateseemstoustobe,inmostca ses, , ,Thisthoughtisaccompaniedbyimages, ,intheformofasketchoratendency,ofthemove mentsbywhichtheseimageswouldbeactedorpla yedinspace, would,thatistosay,impressparticularattit udesuponthebody, ,ofallthethoughtwhichisunrolling,this,in ourview, ,wouldprobablyObtainfulldetailsofthesesk etched-out,orprepared,movements; ,didhepossessthekeytopsycho-physiology, ,therelationofthementaltothecerebralisno taconstant,anymorethanitisasimple, ,themovementsoftheplayerstellusmoreorles saboutitnearlyeverything,ifitisapantomim enexttonothing, ,inshort,diverstonesofmentallife,or,inot herwords,ourpsychiclifemaybelivedatdiffe rentheights,nownearertoaction,nowfurther removedfromit, theidea,indeed, ,fromourpointofview,tobeagreaterdilatati onofthewholepersonality,which,normallyna rroweddownbyaction,expandswiththeunscrew ingoftheviceinwhichithasalloweditselftob esqueezed,and,alwayswholeandundivided, ,aninwarddisorder,adiseaseoftheperINTROD UCTION xixsonality,appearstous,fromourpointofvi ew,tobeanunloosingorabreakingofthetiewhi chbindsthispsychiclifetoitsmotoraccompan iment.

6 Asalsothatwhichdeniesthelocalizationofth ememory-imagesofwordsandexplainsaphasiaq uiteotherwisethanbysuchlocalization, ,universallyadmitted,believedtobeunshake able,hasbeenconsiderablyshakeninthelastf ewyears,chieflybyreasonsofananatomicalor der, 'ginalstudyofneurosesmadebyProfessorPier reJanethasledhim,oflateyears,toexplainal lpsychasthenieformsofdiseasebythesesamec onsiderationsofpsychictensionandofattent iontorealitywhichwerethenpresumedtobemet aphysical. Intruth, ,anymorethantometaphysics,therighttomake itselfintoanindependentscience,webelieve thateachofthesetwosciencesshouldsetprobl emstotheotherandcan,inameasure, ,L AphasiedeBroca,Paris,1908; ,LesobsessionsetlaPsychasth nie,Paris,1903; ,ifpsychologyhasforitsObjectthestudyofth ehumanmindworkingforpracticalutility,and ifmetaphysicsisbutthissamemindstrivingto transcendtheconditionsofusefulactionandt ocomebacktoitselfastoapurecreativeenergy ?

7 Manyproblemswhichappearforeigntoeachothe raslongasweareboundbytheletteroftheterms inwhichthesetwosciencesstatethem, ,atthebeginningofourenquiry,thattherecou ldbeanyconnexionbetweentheanalyticalstud yofmemoryandthequestion,whicharedebatedb etweenrealistsandidealistssorbetweenmech anistsanddynamists, ,itisevenintimateand,ifwetakeitintoaccou nt,acardinalmetaphysicalproblemiscarried intotheopenfieldofObservation,whereitmay besolvedprogressively, ,whichisduetothecomplexityofrealityitsel f, , ,wheretheycreatefictitiousproblems, ,October, ,233-238;DescriptionoftheMethod,238 245;IndivisibilityOfmovement,246 253:Realmovement,254-259;Perceptionandma tter,259-267;Durationandtension,267 277;Extensityandextension,277 291;Soulandbody,291 332 Index333 , ,inthevaguestsenseoftheword,imagespercei vedwhenmysensesareOpenedtothem, ,and,asaperfectknowledgeoftheselawswould probablyallowustocalculateandtoforeseewh atwillhappenineachoftheseimages, ,inthatIdonotknowitonlyfromwithoutbyperc eptions, 133vminetheconditionsInWtl , :itseemstomethateachofthemcontains,after itskind,aninvitationtoact, :Ifindmovementsbegun,butnotexecuted,thei ndicationofamoreorlessusefuldecision, ,IcomparemyrecollectionsIrememberthateve rywhereintheorganicworld,IhavethoughtIsa wthissamesensibilityappearattheverymomen twhennature,havingconferredupontheliving beingthepowerofmobilityinspace,giveswarn ingtothespecies,bymeansofsensation,ofthe generaldangerswhichthreatenit, ,Iinterrogatemyconsciousnessastothepartw hichitplaysinaffection.

8 Consciousnessrepliesthatitispresentindee d,intheformoffeelingorofsensation,atallt hestepsinwhichIbelievethatItaketheinitia tive,andthatitfadesanddisappearsassoonas myactivity,bybecomingautomatic, ,eitheralltheseappearancesaredeceptive,o rtheactinwhichtheaffectivestateissuesisn otoneofthosewhichmightberigorouslydeduce dfromantecedentphenomena,asamovementfrom amovement; ;IwillformulatepurelyandsimplywhatIfeela ndwhatIsee:Allseemstotakeplaceasif,inthi saggregateofimageswhichIcalltheuniverse, nothingreallynewcouldhappenexceptthrough themediumofcertainparticularimages, ,inbodiessimilartomyown, ,thenefferentnerveswhichstartfromthecent re,conductthedisturbancetotheperiphery, ,sothecentripetalmovements,oratleastsome ofthem, ,thebrainisanimage,thedisturbancetravell ingthroughtheYetthebtaini'sensorynervesa ndpropagatedinthegflgnagg, s whichItermcerebraldisturbancereally1 Thewordrepresentationisusedthroughoutthi sbookintheFrenchsense,asmeaningamentalpi cture,whichmentalpictureisveryoftenperce ption.

9 (Translators note.) ,itwouldcontaintheminonewayoranother, , ,onthecontrary,thatthesetwoimages,thebra inandthecerebraldisturbance,vanish:exhyp othesiyoueffaceonlythese,thatistosayvery little, ,thatistosaythewholeuniverse, , ,then, ,thenmybody,and,lastly, $333? ,then,intheaggregateofthematerialworld,a nimagewhich01mmREALANDVIRTUALACTION5acts likeotherimages,receivingandgivingbackmo vement,with,perhaps,thisdifferenceonly,t hatmybodyappearstochoose,withincertainli mits, ,andmynervoussysteminparticular,begetthe wholeorapartofmyrepresentationoftheunive rse?Youmaysaythatmybodyismatter,orthatit isanimagethewordisofnoimportance,Ifitism atter,itisapartofthematerialworldandthem aterialworld,consequently,existsaroundit andwithoutit. Ifitisanimage,thatimagecangivebutwhathas beenputintoit,andsinceitis,byhypothesis, theimageofmybodyonly, ,anobjectdestinedtomoveotherobjects,is,t hen, 01),tshesurlrounidmgobjects, , Asarule,anyimageinfluencesotherimagesina mannerwhichisdetermined,333359andevencal culable,throughwhatareWfim ,soneitherhasitanyneedtoexploretheregion roundaboutit.

10 Necessaryactionwilltakeplaceautomaticall y, ,and,consequently, ,theseimagesmustdisplayinsomeway,uponthe aspectwhichtheypresenttomybody, ,Inotethatthesize,shape,eventhecolour,of externalobjectsismodifiedaccordingasmybo dyapproachesorrecedesfromthem;thatthestr engthofanodour,theintensityofasound,incr easesordiminisheswithdistance;finally,th atthisverydistancerepresents,aboveall,th emeasureinwhichsurroundingbodiesareinsur ed,insomesort, , , ,then,tomybody,aswouldamirror,itseventua linfluence; . ,ifnotthatmyperceptiondisplays,inthemids toftheimageworld,aswouldtheiroutwardrefl exionorshadow,theeventualorpossibleactio nsofmybody?Nowthesystemofimagesinwhichth escalpelhaseffectedonlyaninsignificantch angeiswhatisgenerallycalledthematerialwo rldand,ontheotherhand, ,provisionally,thesetwodefinitions:Icall mattertheaggregateofimages,andperception ofmatterthesesameimagesreferredtotheeven tualactionofoneparticularimage, ,withitscentripetalandcenThebraini,trifu galnerves,withitsnervecentres.