Physicist and the Philosopher

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On April 6, 1922, Albert Einstein and Henri Bergson engaged in a public debate in Paris about the nature of time. Einstein dismissed Bergson's view as a psychological notion, incompatible with the quantitative realities of physics. In contrast, Bergson criticized Einstein's theory as a metaphysical construct that overlooked the intuitive aspects of time. This debate significantly altered our understanding of time and deepened the divide between science and the humanities, a rift that continues today. Jimena Canales explores the revolutionary ideas of both thinkers, detailing their dramatic confrontation and its lasting impact throughout the twentieth century. The clash provoked responses from influential figures like Bertrand Russell and Martin Heidegger and influenced movements such as American pragmatism, logical positivism, phenomenology, and quantum mechanics. Canales also examines how contemporary technologies—wristwatches, radio, and film—shaped public perceptions of time and intensified the debate. Furthermore, she reflects on how both Bergson and Einstein, later in life, contemplated each other's legacies during pivotal historical moments: Bergson during the Nazi occupation of Paris and Einstein amid the first hydrogen bomb explosion. This narrative reveals the trial of scientific truth in a century marked by evolving conceptions of time.