This paper introduces a symposium of three other papers on the work of Henri Bergson, which develop his idea of creative evolution and argue for the continuing relevance and vitality of Bergson's work for contemporary organization studies. Bergson's corpus is reviewed, along with some suggestions as to his relevance for contemporary organization theory. It is argued that Bergson's work would view organization as part of its object, a process that is changed by that engagement in non-dialectical conversation with it. Organizing, then, is a reply to the object, an act that creates its own possibility. Calculative and formalistic organization theory fails to take into account the importance of intuition as a form of knowing, responsive to the shifting nature of both its object and itself over time, which a casual organization theory, on Bergsonian lines, would do. However, there is no Bergsonian system or programme to be offered here-merely an introduction to some of the rich veins of ideas in his work, and an invitation to engage with them-an invitation, which, like all invitations, invites reply.
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2.
Ansell Pearson, Keith (1999) `Bergson and Creative Evolution/Involution: Exposing the Transcendental Illusion of Organismic Life', in John Mullarkey The New Bergson, pp. 146-167. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
3.
Axelrod, Robert and Cohen, Michael D. (2001) Harnessing Complexity: Organizational Implications of a Scientific Frontier. New York: Basic Books.
4.
Bergson, Henri (1889/1910) Time and Free Will: An Essay on the Immediate Data of Consciousness. London: George Allen & Unwin.
5.
Bergson, Henri (1896/1991) Matter and Memory. New York: Zone Books.
6.
Bergson, Henri (1900/1999) Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic. Los Angeles, CA: Green Integer.
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10.
Bergson, Henri (1907/1998) Creative Evolution. Mineola, NY: Dover.
11.
Bergson, Henri (1921/1999) Duration and Simultaneity, with Reference to Einstein's Theory. Manchester: Clinamen Press.
12.
Bergson, Henri (1932/1977) The Two Sources of Morality and Religion. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
13.
Bergson, Henri (1938/1992) The Creative Mind (La pensée et le mouvant: essays et conferences). New York: Citadel Press.
14.
Bergson, Henri (1972) Mélanges, ed. A. Robinet. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
15.
Bergson, Henri (1999) `A letter from Bergson to John Dewey', trans. John Mullarkey, in John Mullarkey (ed.) The New Bergson, pp. 84-87. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
16.
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17.
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18.
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19.
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20.
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21.
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22.
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23.
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28.
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29.
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30.
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31.
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32.
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33.
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34.
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35.
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36.
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37.
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38.
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39.
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40.
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41.
Pilkington, A.E. (1976) Bergson and his Influence: A Reassessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
42.
Rescher, Nicholas (1996) Process Metaphysics: An Introduction to Process Philosophy. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
43.
Russell, Bertrand (1914) The Philosophy of Bergson. London: Macmillan.
44.
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45.
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47.
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