Bergson and Superman

Bergson asserts that Philosophy "should be an effort to go beyond the human state", and, indeed, he refers to the product of the evolutionary transcendence of man as "superman". This Superman is a possessor of "supra-consciousness", i. e. Intuition, which Bergson characterizes as pure "creative activity". Though he does not cite Nietzsche, the implicit reference to the latter seems likely. In any case, the comparison is not flattering to Bergson. For, Nietzsche's concept of Superman entails a clear distinction from the all-too-human, the transition from which is also a transformation, i. e. to life-affirming, ressentiment-free conduct. In contrast, nothing new emerges in the attainment of Bergsonian supra-consciousness. First, Intuition is no more than 'vision', so it itself generates nothing new, even when its object is a creative process. Second, a transition from Intellect to Intuition does not affect its subject--even mechanical, repetitive inner states appear to Intuition as part of the continual flow of Duration. The general problem for Bergson is that by isolating Intuition from practical activity, he segregates it from all activity, and, hence, from creativity, without which it is difficult to ascribe to any mode of Consciousness the novelty that his concept of superiority requires.