The Inner Citadel

Ancient Wisdom Made Modern

Doing Philosophy

Noted

Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) was a French philosopher. Early in his career he became a novice priest and a philologist — a scholar in ancient texts and mysticism. Global fame has come to his writings on philosophy, defined in the way one lives day-to-day. My introduction to him was The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.

Philosophy as a Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault was published in 1995 based on earlier works written by Hadot in French. He wanted to help people ”love a few old truths” and to move philosophy from the ivory tower to an understanding of a way to live, via ancient schools of thought: Platonist, Aristotelian, Stoic, Epicurean, or the Cynics.

Quotes

For us, nature’s final accomplishment is contemplation, becoming aware, and a way of living in harmony with nature.

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From the point of view of the imminence of death, one thing counts, and one alone: to strive always to have the essential rules of life present in one’s mind, and to keep placing oneself in the fundamental disposition of the philosopher, which consists essentially in controlling one’s inner discourse, in doing only that which is of benefit to the human community, and in accepting the events brought to us by the course of the Nature of the All.

Ancient philosophy proposed to mankind an art of living. By contrast, modern philosophy appears above all as the construction of a technical jargon reserved for specialists.

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Every person - whether Greek or Barbarian - who is in training for wisdom, leading a blameless, irreproachable life, chooses neither to commit injustice nor return it unto others, but to avoid the company of busybodies, and hold in contempt the places where they spend their time - courts, councils, marketplaces, assemblies - in short, every kind of meeting or reunion of thoughtless people. People such as these, who find their joy in virtue, celebrate a festival their whole life long.

Pierre Hadot

Reflection

It seems from both the painting above and the photo of Hadot that one thing is essential in studying philosophy: one must have a hand on the brow. But what is “doing philosophy?” Well, the best I can come up with is going with what the word philosophy means — love of wisdom. Just doing it, trying to understand myself, the world around me, and my relationship to Nature and to those nearest to me.

For Stoics the love of wisdom is guided by the virtues of courage, temperance or moderation, justice and wisdom. Wisdom is the binder of the all the virtues. Being fearless when things are tough, making sane decisions on how to live, being just and thoughtful in our social lives: all of these take wisdom.

Hadot worked in the ivory tower as an academic philosopher, but he also gave a great gift in helping all of us to see philosophy as a “street” thing. After several years of studying philosophy, reading, listening, pondering with hand to head, I still have a hard time calling myself a philosopher — but that is what I am. Over the years I have had this refrain: I want to be a good person. Hmmm….that sounds like a philosopher’s cry.

Resources

https://iep.utm.edu/hadot/

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Pierre-Hadot/