BERGSON HENRI: (1859-1941) French Philosopher. A major influential Thinker. Awarded Nobel Prize ...

BERGSON HENRI: (1859-1941) French Philosopher. A major influential Thinker. Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature, 1927. A very good with interesting content A.L.S. H. Bergson, two pages, 8vo, Paris, 15th May 1938, on his personal printed stationery, 47 Boulevard Beauséjour, to Abel Hermant, in French. Bergson thanks his correspondent and friend for his kind article published referring to his essay Le Rire ("Laughter"), stating in part `Cher ami, ous avez fait un grand honneur à mon petit livre en le citant dans votre joli article. Il aura d´ailleurs servi la cause des bonnes lettres en vous fournissant l´occasion d´expliquer comment vous ne faites que votre devoir en donnant le signal du rire quand votre adversaire est risible. Il me semble surtout que c´est surtout par son obstination que l´erreur devient sottise´ (Translation: "Dear friend, you have done great honour to my little book by citing it in your lovely article. It will also have served the cause of the good letters by providing you with the opportunity to explain how you are only doing your duty by giving the signal to laugh when your opponent is laughable. Above all, it seems to me that it is mainly through obstinacy that error becomes stupidity") Bergson concludes his first paragraph with a Latin quote, saying `Perseverare diabolicum!´ ("Persevere diabolically") Bergson further again refers to the second part of his correspondent´s article, stating `La seconde partie de l´article traite d´un sujet important, sur lequel je souhaite que vous ayez éveillé l´attention des éducateurs. Il s´agit des professeurs qui font de l´esprit aux dépens de leurs élèves. Ce sont souvent des professeurs "chahutés", soit que les élèves se vengent ainsi de ce qui leur fait l´effet (comme vous le montrez si bien) d´une petite lâcheté, soit que leur professeur leur apparaisse comme un homme qui cherche à se tailler un succès personnel, à briller. Or rien ne déplaît d´avantage à des élèves assemblés. Ils estiment, non sans raison, qu´il doit penser à eux, et non pas à lui´ (Translation: "The second part of the article deals with an important subject, to which I hope you have alerted educators. These are teachers who are witty at the expense of their students. They are often "heckled" teachers, either because the students take revenge on what appears to them (as you show so well) as a little cowardice, or because their teacher appears to them as a man who seeks to carve out personal success, to shine. But nothing displeases assembled students more than this. They believe, not without reason, that he must think of them, and not of himself") Small tape repair to the folded edge small tear. With blank integral leaf. About VG

Le Rire: Essai sur la signification du comique ("Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic") is a collection of three essays by French philosopher Henri Bergson first published in 1900.