What Is Ancient Philosophy?
by Pierre Hadot
Hadot's thesis that ancient philosophy was a way of life with spiritual exercises, not a body of doctrine, traced through the Greek and Roman schools. It underlies much of the modern Stoicism revival and is demanding but rewarding.
Read it if…
you want the scholarly root of the idea that philosophy is practice.
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Skip it if…
you want applied Stoicism; this is history of ideas.
Try instead: The Stoic Mindset →
Three things you will actually use
- Philosophy was lived, not just argued.
- Exercises transform the self.
- Choose a way of life, then the doctrines follow.
Do this first
Read the chapter on spiritual exercises and adopt one for a month.
Our verdict
Demanding root text.
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