GASTON BACHELARD
PREFACE BY NORTHROP FRYEIntroduction
_—
ye a
—
We have oply to spa of an objet om hike thar we are
ting objecrive" Ber, beease we chase ein he fis poe, the
objet roves mote about than we do abou ie Wht we
‘onder ra be our funduearal ie concerning she worl re
‘often iniecions of the emmaturey of our minds. Soceines
‘we standin wonder before «chosen objec, we bald up hypoth
‘Ges and severe inthis way we form conwizions wich have
“ll the appearance of toe kvowledge ve the ial source
impuce? te fire impress snot a fundameral ert. fo pine
fof fac, cenie abjectivny ispossbe only 3f one has broken
fit wih the immediate object if one hes refused eo yi co
the sdaccon ofthe ita choice, if one has eecked and con-
traded the choughne which sre fom one's Est obsevatin
Any objecsve examination, when dely verified) refute the
ers of the fire comer oh the objece"To star with, evy-
‘hing mue be ealled ito quezon: snsdon, commen sxe
luge However constant, even ecymology, for words, which
remade for singing and enctnntiag arly sake contact with
‘hough Fa foen marveling st the objec, abjectivethooght
‘mos rest itera. Wahout eis mig vigilance we wooldPrete Foe
ever adpe a ely objesveartade. When we ae desing
sb er sql ny beter, we noted ah
Bred on Syrpatiy Bur when conroned thse wend
ow ies nor ous ish sere none oft srs os
aed by any fou oy, we mits al oot enhosnng
Yee ros repress ur perso Feng The es of poe and
A ence ae oppsed one athe boy te une Al Se
ilowpy em hope to accompli to make poetry and cence, “Thee inuitons lead to form inmate convictions about
omplematary? to unte then two welldeheed open
4 problem which relly shuld be solved by tit measurement
We sonic oppose, shen, wo the enthisanes poetic ad the oe "
fad experinenaton,
fc sete ind nd forthe scnaennd ache Tone o yey books Tacenpted to descr a comes
of pany arciahy hey precauron ten woh bet phenomena, acetal th of ene
‘We are ging to sudy apron tht o oo hs aged ‘bjestviaton. Here Ishuwed ow geometry an agers ped
tm approach abjesivly, on in which thelial harm of the Sly contro th sce Tose an} pgp oh
‘es is tog hai sl hs the pesto warp the minds perineesion ight be call lnc 2 selene ph ei
of the cles hikes and wo keep bringing them bal tothe row the oer anno leger the ans of ebjers bo
Boric fold ia which dreams replace aout and poems conceal tht of sabjecevity—tae vould Me wo expire in ender to
{heorens Tht problem isthe pychalogeal prob pred by ioneate the double penpecves hat might be amached to all
{2 amiss about A. Ir sem to me 8 fn pycho problens connected “with the Knowledge of any. pareulac
legal in mie that T do noe se to speak of 2 pape Feat, even a welldefined rat. 1f we weve cotrete nou
ana r, hearing abou he ea enplicaton of saber and object chen
Canteporryscieace has sion completely ngleced the tse shuld stenpe we make a ele gtncion betes she
‘wal primal problem that the phenomena of fe pose fer esi man andthe thinker, without, however, ny rei hope
fe juoed mind. Inthe cone of tne she shapes ene ff ever being abl to cake a ols dvinetion berween che.
Jn chery revtbooks fave Become sore and sharers In any ene tis the pensive man whom we wah ty heres
16 ded a pood many tern holy on cheney whoo then pesely sre hy hs epi complewltade a
ici sponte to find any moenon of fame or fe Foe ae Aime when the fice but bghay ae if were the very
Senger resi for sere Fie, tha ering unmet oie, voice of shi sltude. We shal avg, them many opporanite
the object which impel se hee shad of ny {show the dangers shat ise ipresions ympatee are=
ster pheomena ro forger oes any pespecse fr seca lon, sd exert reve ld Yor tue tfc Iowa.
snvesiguio. Te sem then, at eel be iste om a= We sal ely be able o observe the observer and so are st
Peychoigil pose of view ro ence the way in wi Th the principles indeling shi valueladen eather ths yp
‘Phenomercogil vale hr beome inflated and to edly hoe tied form of steersnun the volved gang ino tie
4: problem which had beens prime concer of ene serch, ‘Foal, his sighly hyposied condi, toe sarpeisegly
{er centuries was sudenly broken dow ito sles peng conatanein allie watcher, highly conve to yeh.
SE ite wow ever having been salves. When have cal ivesigaon, A wie’ evening wich the Wind howl
done on many ocesions, one sks chewed petit snl este Hi
erin ess "Wha ye ee eine gn
logical answers which urconsiouly repeat the sox sncene
fede phn hai The Emon for toe at
the questi ts fallen wichin a roe chat is ealyparclly objece
teva gone in which personal intuxons and scene exper
went areinceringle. Asa maces of fay, we al demonstrate
thac oor itn oF Sre—more perhaps ua of eay thee pe
horisaoo-tare hevwly chuged "vith flies frm the pePoctomays of Fre Inroction
ing around the house and righ fre wichin i al thai required je assranoss other than mre possession, and powers of conv
tore thegrirng wou give viet io mores an onows {er ha me wat enh nso, re
Ie hemmed veo he dying winter enen AEE pons hese au totes Banes!
Whisheacnteae hans ts Bor we hive aleady si enough to bring Lane w de
Tos hear che We ered ae sees eating of a pyclnanayr ofthe sere cose
Saget sonnel ge relrad co the kabeledge of fe phenomens, oF moe
Fase feta appeal of ice, Kil be by specie age
se dc we sll nae clear our general hes
ix song this book i ety to rite when we go abou
it ine opon tne i mee oo be ute Impose Wo ge ft ‘We would ke, however 88 faer tomar by way
welforgazel swtre To devs ap pane hus ea wang, When or ras has Stel reading ths Sook ~
i an entepri mpose offline fe puzury SES wy hoe crested he nw Te wll at
‘alt inthe eBe of sek Theos, whch cae be weed os Se ete rf, perp, bt er wl Be che pie
{he hier pla bese the codon cht vere tise eid forthe teed eave sed When we tar?
the pas fae no ben cltned by cocnporry scene ftwards Upon cusses wer ae from eu Wheo we
tection. Eves the seers, whes aot prctsng his specaky, fay oUt incr experiments, we ineviably eoneradce objective
‘rus tothe rie see of tau Fost ould bea te fapine gai mom be copes ta i ts bok when
endecaling co ce the historia ceclomene of = thought ultot our pesonl ccpoene we ve demonersing haan
hich bas always run counter to the texchings of the hiseory tog. Our work i offered, then, as an example of that special
af sSene Intel we ul devos par f ur fo to showing preheat we uve wld fom eel bas for all
tht reverie takes up the sime primitive themes tine and agai? Spee seadis. Ie isan ilsracion of the general cheses put
4d aways opera 5 wo in primis madi forvard in our scone oak The Formation of be Ste
Spe ofthe ssc of prema ough an exe ae ef ‘ind (La Fvston i Fort sti). The pedaony ef
the Ging af sense erperinenes Semineicrasion would te improved if we cold detox
Sort ese sire yin i wen freely how the fat el by hese trs*
4c wold be oly too ey 0 ius the prea of oe Ipdnoon ewe oe be dele owe we wea,
worship, Whar appears, oweven to he 2 wont projet th, se vine and aod i the sane Way Wat we fave Tele
isto emblsh esc pesnene oft iay fe Te ne ack. even
She bre
fore the close tae document we ae sng io out own fone ‘which receive an incite emocona value and lead ebjeetive
{he move frceuly will iedemanerte our tness, Owe sms ll esearch the audy of nomgencral chines aze ess cely
be to tack down In hizoreal record she permanent dachment Aloable—les claly jective and objeedve—shan Bre But
that nda a eitane to psy ehilgial evel, thet evel neverthles shey gon bear 2 elie samp che false weit of *
the old man inthe young child he young chil nee od mam fngusoned vanes [wold be more eiiele bu also more
thealchemist inthe engines Butsnce for uy he pat teres rusia to ane psychownlyis to ermine the bas for cetin
Ignorance just as eevti eeprom ftiy, on som wl be a ther amie stoma ls iediate and hence kes afctve com.Pryhowmipa of Foe
seu, from he sme pie of view at paychowaljis of objec
tive Knowledge, che notions of totaly of syseny of elane,
volation and development One would have mo eroble
in dacovesing car nderying sch ations aster hetero
evens wales, iniect bot of an undeniably sfecive saute
To al chee examples one would find beneath he theo, ure
‘orks eal aceepeed by scisnts and plowphers, connie
‘ons tha ae often ie iigensons, These unguetonel coon
om ae a many exthnvoon father that bed the proper
lusinacon thatthe mind must bald up in any projcs ofthe
dscasive reson, Eseryone should see to destey wi hin
self these blindly accepced consort. Everyone mast [era
to escape fom the siidity of the mental ahs fumed by
‘contact with file experencee Everyone mont deo ev
sfally dan hs Sic empeest
Becepines of fit iui
To sum up whi we do ae sek o inert the reader, we
sould fee rewarded for oar effrs if we crm erate Nid vo
Date an cxecise a whch we are ¢ maser fo igh se one
Sel No progres spose inthe seston of cbjeare a
fe without this slferitca irony Finally, ic should be seed
that we have ced ony avery anall parson of the decunmers
thar we have compiled in te couse of our endl sadigy ie
the ld scenic Books of the serersent and eightcet cee
“turks. Asa rl, his sort work ba mece olin te sare
cad been solely a quesion of recording mpd olncotony,
KE woald hive been ony to easy to have wet a geval
) Fire and Respect:
_—
The Prometheus Complex
Fire and hae provide modes of explanation in the ie
dared domains becuse hey fave been for the acco for
Unfoetele acne, for spe and dese penal expe
ona: Fite thus pvlegedibenonenon shih crm aba
Sythe ahs age oy may eee if
thar changer qpilly i eplaind y fie Freseahe ules
flemenc sine an ie onic Tier in OOF RE.
ire 1 Freee dep ofthe serie and
‘offer ie wih che wrath of love: Oris cn go back d
fo the soars and ide thee, tet appt. ike fe
ad vengeance, Among ll pena, eis ly the oy
Among all pe
shi he con Oc so deftly saris ahe-opposng
Te genotnor and rere. Les cockery and sprays
Tepes forthe god ising per by teeth,
yer te pes any desbetence whe Ge hd wes play
{io co tos fen ei wabeig and ks pee Tes
Sry an seein bt gd a cn
Gorn ust oneot te pencper of wien explo
‘Wet mene for hs na ans kes on, eter he