Of Habit

Reviews / Votes

'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 signals a 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