Psychology and metaphysics in Bergson and William James

• Grant number: 10/11215-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2011
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Philosophy - History of Philosophy
• Principal Investigator: Franklin Leopoldo e Silva
• Grantee: Pablo Enrique Abraham Zunino
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project, besides of consolidating our studies in Bergson's philosophy, aims to update and expand the scope of matters already investigated by establishing a broader dialogue between psychology and metaphysics. To develop this research, we will examine The two sources of morality and religion in the light of findings in our thesis. We believe that in this work, Bergson conceives a new direction for philosophy, in which converges his psychological analysis on duration, his pragmatic theory of knowledge, his method of intuition and his metaphysics of life. This direction, marked by the key of Bergsonian thought on spirituality, we find out the mystical experience. This direction could also explain the intellectual sympathy between Bergson and William James. Studying the last work of Bergson in comparison with The varieties of religious experience, of James, will enable us to better understand the fundamental character of the mystic, that combines contemplation, practice action and verbalizing of the feelings derived from experience. The book of James, because it provides the experimental framework of the concept of mystical state of consciousness emerges as a substantial complement of this research and it limits, at the same time, our object of study. Based on these two conceptions of mysticism, we want to assess to what extent can we reconcile the metaphysical speculation with experience in the field of psychology, showing what they share and what distinguishes them. (AU)