Perpetual Present: Henri Bergson and Atemporal Duration

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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that adjusting Stump and Kretzmann’s “atemporal duration” with la durée, a key concept in the philosophy of Henri Bergson (1859-1941), can respond to the most significant objections aimed at Stump and Kretzmann’s re-interpretation of Boethian eternity. This paper deals with three of these objections: the incoherence of the notion of “atemporal duration,” the impossibility of this duration being time-like and the problems involved in conceiving it as being related to temporal duration by a relation of analogy. I conclude that “atemporal duration” (which has unfortunately come to be regarded with suspicion by most analytic philosophers of religion) – when combined with Bergson’s durée to become an “atemporal durée” – is a coherent understanding of divine eternity.

Publication Date
2019-09-22
Online Publication Date
2019-05-27
Acceptance Date
2018-11-20
Keywords
Journal Title
European Journal for Philosophy of Religion
Journal ISSN
1689-8311
Volume Title
11
Publisher
Sponsorship
AHRC (1928601)