Intuition of the Instant - Bachelard, Gaston 1884-1962; Rizo-Patron, Eileen (Illinois Northwestern University, 2013)
Appearing in English for the first time, 'Intuition of the Instant', Bachelard's first metaphysical meditation on time and its moral implications was written in 1932 in the wake of Husserls lectures on streaming time-consciousness, Heidegger's 'Being and Time', and Henri Bergsons philosophy of the élan vital. A culmination of Bachelards earlier studies in scientific epistemology, this work builds the epistemic framework that would lead theorists of all stripes to advance knowledge by breaking with accepted modes of thought. Intuition of the Instant sows the seeds of Bachelard's future poetics, most notably in the essay Poetic Instant and Metaphysical Instant (1939) included in this volume, along with an excerpt from Jean Lescure's lecture Introduction to Bachelard's Poetics (1966). Eileen Rizo-Patron's translation offers a key to Bachelard's subsequent works on science, time, and imagination, which remain epistemological touchstones.
Originally published in 1932
Keywords: Philosophy; Tobacco