Philosophy in the Bookshop with Emily Herring & Nigel Warburton

Herald of a Restless World

At the dawn of the twentieth century, Henri Bergson became the most famous philosopher on earth. Where prior thinkers sketched out a predictable universe, he asserted the transformative power of consciousness and creativity. An international celebrity, he made headlines around the world debating luminaries like Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein about free will and time. The vision of creative evolution and freedom he presented was so disruptive that the New York Times branded him "the most dangerous man in the world."
In the first English-language biography of Bergson, Emily Herring traces how his celebration of the time-bending uniqueness of individual experience struck a chord with those shaken by modern technological and social change. Bergson captivated a society in flux like no other. Long after he faded from public view, his insights into memory, time, joy and creativity continue to shape our perceptions to this day. Herald of a Restless World is an electrifying portrait of a singular intellect.

Emily Herring

Emily Herring is a writer based in Paris. She studied philosophy at the Sorbonne and received her PhD in the history and philosophy of science from the University of Leeds. Her work has appeared in the TLS and Aeon. Herald of a Restless World:The Life and Times of Henri Bergson is her first book.

Nigel Warburton

Nigel Warburton is a public Philosopher and the author of several books. He is the co-host of Philosophy Bites with David Edmondson and host of our Philosophy in the Bookshop series, not in it's 11th year.

Host or Publisher Blackwell's, Broad Street Oxford