Untangling Rav Kook’s Epistemology: a Bergsonian Perspective on Perception and Knowledge

This article proposes applying Henri Bergson’s Lebensphilosophie to clarify Rav Kook’s complex epistemology. By utilizing Bergson’s concepts of intuition, instinct, and intellect, the study aims to decode Kook’s ambiguous use of terms like “imagination” and “feeling,” which he inconsistently applies to various levels of perception and knowledge. This approach not only simplifies Kook’s dense terminology but also offers a fresh perspective on his understanding of truth and its apprehension, suggesting that Lebensphilosophie provides a lens that can illuminate the intricacies of Kook’s thought and contribute meaningfully to the discourse on his theory of knowledge.