Félix Ravaisson (1813-1900) was France’s most influential philosopher in the second half of the 19th-century, and held a number of prestigious posts, including that of Curator of Classical Antiquities at the Louvre. His work was pivotal in the development of modern French philosophy, and it has been celebrated by philosophers such as Bergson and Heidegger. Mark Sinclair is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, and Associate Editor of the British Journal for the History of Philosophy. He is the co-translator of Félix Ravaisson's Of Habit (Continuum, 2008).

• Note on the TextsNote on the TranslatorsEditor’s Introduction1. Of Habit 2. 'Contemporary Philosophy3.Essay on Stoicism4. The Art of Drawing According to Leonardo da Vinci5. On the Teaching of Drawing 6. The Venus de Milo 7. Greek Funerary Moments8. Mysteries: Fragment of a Study of the History of Religions 9. Pascal’s Philosophy 10. Metaphysics and Morals 11. Philosophical TestamentConclusionBibliographyIndex

With the publication of this volume, the availability of Ravaisson's highly original writing is vastly expanded for readers of English. In fact, some of the essays included have been scarce, little-known, or difficult to obtain even in the original French editions (i.e. expensive and fragile) … By reintroducing Ravaisson in such a grand collection, this publication may even rekindle interest in certain lost concepts: the spirit, grace, and artistic beauty. The book may also assist in a renewed conversation among the fields of philology, art history, philosophy, and the history of religions.