"From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



since reason arose from it, and since it contains the 

 powers complementary to understanding. The intelli- 

 gence can therefore adapt itself, and will have been only 

 lost for the moment, that it may become greater, 

 stronger, and enriched.' 1 



To break through ' the inviolable circle ' the intelli- 

 gence must set aside its habitual methods of reasoning 

 and give itself up to the magic power of intuition. 

 Renewed, vivified, elated, and transformed by intuition, 

 the intelligence will become a super-intelligence capable 

 even of judging the results of intuition. 



2. CRITICISM OF THE BERGSONIAN PHILOSOPHY 



The Bergsonian philosophy presents to criticism a 

 method and a doctrine. 



Let us examine the method in the first place. 



According to Bergson the great philosophical prob- 

 lems on life, the nature of being and of the universe, 

 lie outside Science, and their solution depends entirely 

 on intuition. 



Intuition, as he understands it, is both instinctive 

 inspiration and introspection. It admits of check by 

 the intelligence, but only if super-intelligent, so to say 

 an intelligence exalted and vivified by intuition. 



This method alone admits of our going beyond 

 known facts and scientific ideas. 



The first questions that arise are: 



1. Is this Bergsonian ' intuition ' something new, 



and does it inaugurate a new method not 

 previously published ? 



2. Must this method be specially retained for 



philosophy as philosophy specialises in this 

 kind of method ? 



1 Le Roy : Ibid. 

 173 



