The Veil of Isis: An Essay on the History of the Idea of Nature

by Pierre Hadot, Michael Chase (Translator)

Nearly twenty-five hundred years ago the Greek thinker Heraclitus supposedly uttered the cryptic words "Phusis kruptesthai philei." How the aphorism, usually translated as "Nature loves to hide," has haunted Western culture ever since is the subject of this engaging study by Pierre Hadot. Taking the allegorical figure of the veiled goddess Isis as a guide, and drawing on the work of both the ancients and later thinkers such as Goethe, Rilke, Wittgenstein, and Heidegger, Hadot traces successive interpretations of Heraclitus' words. Over time, Hadot finds, "Nature loves to hide" has meant that all that lives tends to die; that Nature wraps herself in myths; and (for Heidegger) that Being unveils as it veils itself. Meanwhile the pronouncement has been used to explain everything from the opacity of the natural world to our modern angst.

From these kaleidoscopic exegeses and usages emerge two contradictory approaches to nature: the Promethean, or experimental-questing, approach, which embraces technology as a means of tearing the veil from Nature and revealing her secrets; and the Orphic, or contemplative-poetic, approach, according to which such a denuding of Nature is a grave trespass. In place of these two attitudes Hadot proposes one suggested by the Romantic vision of Rousseau, Goethe, and Schelling, who saw in the veiled Isis an allegorical expression of the sublime. "Nature is art and art is nature," Hadot writes, inviting us to embrace Isis and all she represents: art makes us intensely aware of how completely we ourselves are not merely surrounded by nature but also part of nature.

Genres: Philosophy, History, Nature, Nonfiction, Essays, History Of Science, Art

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Pierre Hadot (né à Paris, le 21 février 1922 - mort à Orsay, le 25 avril 2010) est un philosophe, historien et philologue français, spécialiste de l'antiquité, profond connaisseur de la période hellénistique et en particulier du néoplatonisme et de Plotin. Pierre Hadot est l'auteur d'une œuvre développée notamment autour de la notion d'exercice spirituel et de philosophie comme manière de vivre.

Spécialiste de Plotin et du stoïcisme, en particulier de Marc-Aurèle, il est un de ceux qui ont accompagné le retour à la philosophie antique, considérée comme pratique, manière de vivre et exercice spirituel. Ses livres, très agréables à lire et d'une très grande érudition, manifestent constamment un rapport avec l'existence, l'expérience, voire la poésie, la littérature et le mysticisme.

Reviews

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pierre Hadot me hace fascinarme por cada tema que toca, por cada filósofo que menciona. En general, me devuelve siempre al entusiasmo por la filosofía.
En este libro, parte de un aforismo de Heráclito, habitualmente traducido como “la naturaleza ama esconderse”, para trazar un recorrido de 2500 años de historia de la filosofía occidental alrededor de la cuestión de la naturaleza. Cuestión que es inseparable de otros temas que emergen a lo largo del libro: la ciencia, la magia, Dios, el arte, la mística, la concepción de la existencia misma. Todos estos temas aparecen condensados aquí, con especial atención al Platón del Timeo y sus influencias posteriores, el neoplatonismo y Goethe, entre otros.
Se trata de un libro plagado de referencias, erudito, y a la vez de fácil lectura (con paciencia para poder procesar la gran cantidad de información que presenta, eso sí) gracias a la prosa de Hadot, tan sencilla, directa, clara y sintética.
Lo he leído capítulo a capítulo con gran entusiasmo y me he dejado maravillar por los tantos fragmentos y citas realmente hermosos de leer que recoge. Se lo recomendaría a cualquier persona interesada por la filosofía del arte y de la naturaleza, y creo que podría disfrutar de estas páginas sin conocimientos especializados previos.

[Guillermo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hadot reflexiona sobre dos tendencias que han marcado la historia del pensamiento occidental: la de violentar la naturaleza para extraer de ella lo que está oculto y el intento de acompañar a la propia Naturaleza en su proceso mismo de creación. Prometeo frente a Orfeo.

[Katelis Viglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nature loves to hide". The history of notion of nature in Western Thought. The main division of the book is between orphic and prometheic attitude of mind; the first is based on the respect toward nature; in the second, the violent and hostile exploitation of it, throught technique, magic and mechanical experiment is included. In the orphic category the revelation of nature's secrets comes through reason, poetry and Art.
The modern agony made the relation with nature more emotional, ambivalent, provoking terror, admiration and pleasure. The opening to mystery was still included in the revelation of Isis's statue in the 19th cent. But, according to Hadot, in contemporary world, we aren't talk anymore about the mystery of nature and Isis has gone with her voile to the land of dreams.
Even Martin Heidegger transferred the mystery of nature to the mystery of Being. At the end of the book, the writer proposes, repeating the words of Holderling, that we must become one with all living creatures and come back, throught the happy oblivion of self, to the Whole of Nature.

[Rhys · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and elegant exploration of the idea of Nature.

"Since Plato, the fruit of the contemplation of nature and its study had been called “greatness of soul.” For him, the soul that never ceases contemplating the totality of time and being could not contain within it any pettiness or baseness; it looked down upon human affairs from above and did not fear death."

I enjoyed the discussion around the balance of the 'solemn attention' of those measuring the footsteps of Nature, and the 'sacred shudder' when in the presence of its unfathomability and inaccessibility. I also appreciated the 'decency' of discovering the 'truth' of Nature though leaving her veils on - by leaving alone its 'vital illusions': "We no longer believe that the truth is still the truth, if its veils are taken away from it. ... For us today it is a question of decency, that one doesn’t want to see everything it its nudity,..." [Nietzsche]

[Matthew Wilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of tropes of nature in philosophy, circulating around the phrase “Nature loves to hide.” But hide what, and where? What we discover, more often than not, is nature’s blueprints, its screenplay if you will; the elaborate artistic practice known as DNA and RNA. Life’s three acts, it would seem, even to the ancients, are long foretold. The strongest dilator on this subject, not surprisingly, is Nietzsche.

[Ronan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So the author was working on this beast for like 12 years, and it shows. A gateway drug into environmental aesthetics (and just environmental thought in general) that, like proper philosophy, is actually fun to read. Highly recommended.

[Ľuboš · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hadot's extraordinary essay was very challenging to read. It took me nearly a year of (discontinuous) reading to bite through its three hundred pages. The sheer amount of referenced literature and analyzed sources is nearly inconceivable and so is the diversity of motives, theories and thoughts that he analyzes with unrivaled rigor of his long career. At some points I got lost (even repeatedly), sometimes I had to put the book away for a few weeks, because I was too overwhelmed with information. It seemed to me that the essay itself was withholding its secrets as if paying respect to Isis and her veil. Nevertheless, I'm compelled to give it the absolute rating, because all these troubles are mostly due to my lack of historical and philosophical knowledge. This is no popularizing book, it's an honest work of history and philosophy and it deals with a motive hardest to seize. After all, fysis kryptesthai filei.

[Valaida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful essay. I've learned a lot, it shattered my life! I was concerned though by the amount of time Pierre Hadot said he couldn't go deeper into the subjects he was writing about.

[Mariasole · Rating 5 out of 5]

E' un libro eccezionale, che condensa quasi 2500 anni di storia partendo dalla citazione di Eraclito "la natura ama nascondersi" e analizza la trasformazione di tale concetto attraverso il susseguirsi del pensiero filosofico. Della classicità si ripercorrono i tratti più salienti dell'idea della natura per i presocratici e da Platone in poi. Si vedrà come la frase è stata usata per difendere le idee pagane nei primi tempi dell'impero romano cristiano, come la Natura diventa un involucro dove la Divinità nasconde i suoi segreti e gli approcci di filosofi e artisti hanno utilizzato per il loro disvelamento, che l'autore suddivide in prometeici e orfici, i primi tendono ad usare la meccanica, i secondi l'arte e i discorsi razionali. Fino a giungere ai filosofi romantici, per poi concludere con Nietzche e Heidegger. Non è un testo facile, ma con tanta buona pazienza si può andare avanti senza problemi. Il professore Hadot ha creato un'opera per il vasto pubblico su un tema complesso e meraviglioso, posso solo lontanamente immaginare lo sforzo e la dedizione che lo hanno impegnato per tanti anni. Chapeau!

[Kavie · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!

[Etienne Mahieux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cet "essai sur l'histoire de l'idée de nature" comme le dit le sous-titre pourrait aussi se présenter comme l'histoire de la postérité extraordinaire de trois mots d'Héraclite : "phusis kruptesthai philei". D'habitude on traduit "La Nature aime à se cacher". D'après Pierre Hadot on a tort mais, ajoute-t-il avec un sourire, l'histoire des idées, c'est souvent l'histoire des contresens...
C'est donc le début de l'histoire de vingt-cinq siècles d'interprétations parfois diamétralement opposées qui révèlent le contenu que les philosophes donnent à la notion de nature et surtout la diversité des attitudes humaines par rapport à cette nature. En tant qu'elle aurait des secrets à comprendre, Pierre Hadot distingue deux grands types de réactions humaines : la réaction prométhéenne (extirper ces secrets par la violence de l'expérimentation et de la technique) et l'attitude orphique (les découvrir par le biais de la contemplation et de l'art).
L'exposé de Hadot est d'une rare limpidité dans ce domaine, remarquablement rythmé par sa construction qui lui permet de s'adresser aux non-spécialistes. Ce qui peut parfois sembler rapide ou allusif s'éclaire systématiquement quelques chapitres plus loin. Comme on n'échappe jamais tout à fait à sa spécialité de départ, il développe particulièrement ses perspectives sur la philosophie antique, mais aussi sur la pensée allemande. L'angle d'attaque (la pensée de la nature) lui permet d'aller souvent très loin dans la compréhension des auteurs cités (notamment, il m'éclaire Goethe).
L'ouvrage a vingt ans. Or notre rapport à la nature est en train, me semble-t-il, d'évoluer en raison de la crise écologique. Hadot s'arrête à l'existentialisme : on aimerait qu'un disciple se lève pour continuer l'enquête...

[Valentín Serrano García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como con casi todos los ensayos de Pierre Hadot que han caído en mis manos, lo mínimo que puede decirse de "El velo de Isis" es que destila sabiduría artesanal.

Hadot quizás no sea un filósofo original al estilo de un Heidegger o un Derrida y, sin embargo, expone los fundamentos del pensamiento teórico (y práctico, su gran baza) grecorromano como pocos lo han conseguido. Aliñado todo de humildad y detallismo, regusto poético y bagaje erudito escanciado con delicadeza, este opúsculo se paladea con placer...y cuando parece que se ha apagado la inspiración, reaparece el candil de la sorpresa.

Aunque no tan imponente como su monumental "La ciudad interior", ni tan agudamente místico como "Wittgenstein y los limites del lenguaje", se trata de una obra sobresaliente, de recopilación y exposición, sobre los modos de entender la naturaleza y, además, engalanado con un velo literario y espiritual

[Minäpäminä · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like it says on the tin, it's a history of an idea. Very much a springboard for further studies, but excellent as such. It's mostly quotations but they seem to be carefully chosen. I do feel it could've been either a 100 pages shorter or longer; either more in-depth or more concise.

The basic distinction Hadot makes is between a Promethean and an Orphic attitude towards nature, the former seeking to subjugate and use nature for the good of mankind, while the latter acts toward nature with awe and reverence, cultivating an aesthetic relationship with it. To use Martin Buber's terminology, the Promethean relationship is an I-It, while the Orphic is an I-Thou.

[Xavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pido, por favor, que se habiliten temporalmente más estrellas porque las necesito. Maravillado por la capacidad expositiva de Hadot: escribe sin necesidad de deslumbrarte ni hacerte sentir inferior y, sin embargo, te alumbra con su conocimiento. Admirado por su tesis sobre la idea de Naturaleza a lo largo de la historia de la filosofía que parte del aforismo de Heráclito “a la naturaleza le gusta esconderse”. Creo que es uno de esos libros de los que sales distinto, ya sabéis cuáles son, al menos para mí ha sido así.

[Adrián · Rating 5 out of 5]

"«Comprender la forma» es en última instancia ser capaz de reproducir el acto mismo por medio del cual la naturaleza crea esa forma. Ya Plotino había dicho que las artes no imitan directamente lo que se ve, sino que se remontan a las razones, a los 'logoi', de donde resulta el efecto visible del proceso natural, lo que equivale a decir que el artista se casa, en cierto sentido, con el proceso de génesis de las fornas y opera como él. Goethe decía: «Supongo que los artistas griegos procedían según las leyes de la naturaleza misma, leyes cuyas huellas sigo».".

[Magdalena en su sepulcro · Rating 5 out of 5]

El velo epidermis:

"Savoir vivre, c'est savoir se construire, se créer un univers dans lequel on puisse vivre, un univers de formes, de sons, d'illusions aussi, de mensonges, de mythes. "Créer, pour nous, c'est voiler la vérité de la nature" [...] respecter la pudeur de la Nature, c'est en fait savoir qu'elle doit rester [...] artistiquement voilée."

"nous sommes nous-mêmes cette nature infinie et indicible"

[Luca Scoca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Da questo meraviglioso saggio traspare tutta l’intensità di una ricerca durata una vita e concretizzatasi poco a poco.
La qualità dell’approfondimento è degna dei grandi dotti, così come encomiabile è l’onestà intellettuale nell’affrontare quei pochi passaggi in cui Hadot afferma di star oltrepassando il suo ambito di competenze e non voler cadere in banalizzazioni.
“Andare al di là di me e di te. Sentire in modo cosmico” (Nietzsche)

[Tibling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tres complet, Pierre Hadot fait une doxograhie exhaustive sur la nature, de Démocrite à Heidegger, en y ajoutant toujours sa sensibilité, tournée vers la contemplation et le mystère. La distinction entre approche Prométhéenne et Orphéenne laisse songeur, et la troisième partie sur l'art, l'esthétique, l'expérience et le mystère est à relire.
Dernière phrase de Nietzsche : "Aller par-delà moi-même et toi-même. Éprouver de façon cosmique".

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am glad I ploughed through this, though it was not too much fun.

[Nello Maruca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro davvero ben fatto, estremamente interessante. Ottimo per una lettura, non adatto a uno studio sistematico, ma il testo stesso non ne ha la pretesa.

[Joshua Kuebler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read slowly to fully appreciate the depth of this lesser known gem.

[Shulamith Farhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should really reread this. The gist is obviously right, but I'd have trouble recapitulating the details.

[Purepazaak · Rating 2 out of 5]

unsurprising that a work of such scope is piecemeal. still worthy for the attempt.

[Booker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is about the idea of nature through history. It has some interesting parts and it's worth reading, but it doesn't contain any philosophy as a way of life.

[José Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilloso ensayo sobre la naturaleza, toca muchos aspectos sobre esta, pero son dos los aspectos mas importantes referidos a la actitud que ha tenido el hombre respecto de la naturaleza y que tienen como génesis para el desarrollo de este ensayo la enigmática frase de Heráclito "la naturaleza ama esconderse". El autor refleja muy bien ambas actitudes al señalar que "Zeus quiere reservarse el secreto del fuego de la naturaleza y Prometeo busca arrancárselo". Y respecto a la otra actitud, dice a partir de la caída de Ícaro, "Es peligroso elevarse a pretensiones demasiado altas".

Muy en resumidas cuentas la primera actitud es la de Francis Bacon, la que trata de arrancarle o violentar a la naturaleza sus secretos, lo que de hay de verdad en ella (estamos hablando del universo reloj de Oreste , la física y la ciencia) y esta actitud nace de percibir a la naturaleza como hostil. La segunda actitud (principalmente de los románticos alemanes y que los griegos ya habían señalado) no trata de arrancar lo que hay de verdad, sino mas bien es una actitud contemplativa y de gozo ante el misterio de la existencia, es decir del asombro ante la aparición y el existir. Porque el misterio es impenetrable "la naturaleza ama esconderse".

[Mavibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good didactic book about the history of the idea of nature in Western thought. You won't learn much if you are already familiar with the subject but it is still a pleasing way to freshen up. You could also go look at a flower, but who has ever seen one of those?

[Laura]

wow do i want to hide away to read this ...

[I-kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

given up on finishing it. I think reading half of it was enough; the book gets a bit repetitive from the discussion of Bacon onwards, and I just couldn't continue....