How did Henri Bergson influence Alfred North Whitehead?

Henri Bergson, a prominent French philosopher, significantly influenced the work of Alfred North Whitehead, particularly regarding the development of his process metaphysics.1

Whitehead was notably influenced by Bergson’s antimechanistic philosophy of change. Specifically, Whitehead adopted the view that events are the fundamental components of nature and that passage, or creative advance, is its most essential feature. These concepts served as a foundation for Whitehead’s later metaphysical system, which sought to interpret all elements of experience through a coherent and logical framework.23

While Whitehead drew inspiration from Bergson’s focus on duration and change, he maintained a distinct philosophical position. Unlike Bergson, who emphasized intuition as the primary method for grasping metaphysical truths, Whitehead was also influenced by Platonism, viewing the specific character of events as being shaped by the ingression of timeless entities. Together, they are recognized as the two great process metaphysicians of the 20th century.231