Of Habit

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Flix Ravaisson's seminal philosophical essay, Of Habit, was first published in French in 1838. It traces the origins and development of habit and proposes the principle of habit as the foundation of human nature. This metaphysics of habit steers a path between materialism and idealism in one of the best and most sophisticated treatments of the topic. Ravaisson's work was pivotal in the development of European thought and has had a significant influence on such key thinkers such as Proust, Bergson, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, and Deleuze. This edition makes this important work available to an English-speaking audience for the first time. Clare Carlisle and Mark Sinclair provide a comprehensive introduction to Ravaisson's life, works, and enduring influence that clearly situates Ravaisson's text within the European philosophical tradition. The translation also includes a thorough commentary on the text that illuminates its arguments and its context.

Reviews

'This bears a modest title: Of Habit. But the author sets forth in it a whole philosophy of nature. What is nature How is one to imagine its inner workings What does it conceal under the regular succession of cause and effect ...Ravaisson seeks the solution of this very general problem in a very concrete intuition, the one that we have of our own condition when we contract a habit...These ideas, like many we owe to Ravaisson, have become classic.' Henri Bergson
'This bilingual edition makes available for the first time in English a seminal text of 19th century thought. Admired by the likes of Bergson and Heidegger, Ravaisson's reflections on habit reveal a dexterous and subtle philosophical mind. The editors have done a splendid, professional job in putting this edition together with an adept translation and valuable editorial material including an Introduction and Commentary. The text can be highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of modern European philosophy. At the same time, anyone working in the philosophies of mind, time, and life will greatly profit from engaging with a key modern work of philosophy on habit that remains surprisingly fresh and pertinent.' Keith Ansell-Pearson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick, UK
"This first English translation of French philosopher Ravaisson's essay, first published in 1838, begins with a lengthy introduction to Ravaisson's life, philosophy, and influence on later philosophers and writers. In the essay, included in French alongside the English translation, Ravaisson seeks to show that habit is not a simple, repetitive action but a phenomenon that is apparent in every living being. The more complex the living being, the more influence habit will have on its faculties. For example, in humans, habit is not only part of our natural tendencies but also part of our consciousness. Habits begin as conscious thoughts but slowly turn into involuntary actions. According to Ravaisson, by analyzing this connection through the phenomenon of habit, we are offered a glimpse into the nature of being. Following the essay, Carlisle (philosophy, Univ. of Liverpool; Kierkegaard's Philosophy of Becoming) and Sinclair (Heidegger, Aristotle and the Work of Art) offer thorough commentary examining each section of Ravaisson's essay and give a detailed account of the structure of his philosophical method. Highly recommended for academic libraries." - Scott Duimstra, Library Journal, February 15, 2009
'By the end, Ravaisson has seamlessly carried his reader to a consideration of moral freedom, love, the good and God - revealing the eclectic school of "spiritualist" philosophy of which he was part ... it signalsa natural theology that may interest contemporary theologians, too.' - Mark Vernon, Times Literary Supplement
"Although it arrives long after its original's effects have been felt, this first English translation of Ravission's 1838 Of Habit is in some ways quite timely...Ravaisson reminds us that it is only through habit that freedom becomes more than an ephemeral moment and decisions gain purchase on action. As he emphasizes, habits are at once creative and limiting. They do not follow a single prescribed course but make temporary livable compromises of activity and passivity. Inasmuch as habit traverses all forms of life, such compromises characterize both human society and its intersection with the durations of nonhuman nature." -Kam Shapiro, Theory & Event, Vol. 12, 2009

Author Bio

Felix Ravaisson (1813-1900) was a French philosopher who held a number of prestigious posts, including that of Curator of Classical Antiquities at the Louvre. His work influenced generations of European philosophers, including Henri Bergson, Martin Heidegger and Gilles Deleuze. Clare Carlisle is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool, UK. She is the author of Kierkegaard's Philosophy of Becoming (SUNY Press, 2005). Mark Sinclair is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and Associate Editor (Reviews) at the British Journal for the History of Philosophy.