In this episode, we delve into Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution by Natural Selection and explore the alternative philosophical perspective of Henri Bergson. While Darwin’s mechanistic view emphasizes random mutations and natural selection, Bergson introduces the concept of élan vital—a creative force driving life’s complexity and direction.

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Works Cited

  • Bergson, Henri, and Henri Bergson. Creative Evolution / by Henri Bergson ; Authorized Translation by Arthur Mitchell. 1922, https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.17594.

  • Henri Bergson (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). 3 July 2021, plato.stanford.edu/entries/bergson.

  • “Leigh M. Van Valen.” Encyclopedia Britannica, www.britannica.com/contributor/Leigh-M-Van-Valen/3769.

  • Vaughan, Michael. “Introduction: Henri Bergson’s Creative Evolution.” Sub-stance/SubStance, vol. 36, no. 3, Jan. 2007, pp. 7–24. https://doi.org/10.1353/sub.2007.0051.

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