Bergson e il problema del segno : per una storia della filosofia (del linguaggio) francese del '900

The main thesis of this paper is that a deep mistrust in language is widespread in the '900 French philosophy. The origin of such a mistrust is individuated in the peculiar way Bergson describes the effect of language – as a spatial device – on time and durée. According to Bergson, language cannot properly express the durée, both the ‘inner' durée of mental states, and the ‘external' durée of world as becoming and time. In fact, language stops the flow of durée. Therefore, according to Bergson a strong contraposition does exist between intuition, time and durée on one side, and language, sociality and space on the other side. This heritage of mistrust in language is widespread in some of the main '900 French philosophers.[Publisher's text]