What Is Ancient Philosophy? [Paperback]

Pierre Hadot (Author), Michael Chase (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0674013735 | ISBN-13: 978-0674013735 | Publication Date: March 15, 2004

A magisterial mappa mundi of the terrain that Pierre Hadot has so productively worked for decades, this ambitious work revises our view of ancient philosophy--and in doing so, proposes that we change the way we see philosophy itself. Hadot takes ancient philosophy out of its customary realm of names, dates, and arid abstractions and plants it squarely in the thick of life. Through a meticulous historical reading, he shows how the various schools, trends, and ideas of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy all tended toward one goal: to provide a means for achieving happiness in this life, by transforming the individual's mode of perceiving and being in the world.

Most pressing for Hadot is the question of how the ancients conceived of philosophy. He argues in great detail, systematically covering the ideas of the earliest Greek thinkers, Hellenistic philosophy, and late antiquity, that ancient philosophers were concerned not just to develop philosophical theories, but to practice philosophy as a way of life-a way of life to be suggested, illuminated, and justified by their philosophical "discourse." For the ancients, philosophical theory and the philosophical way of life were inseparably linked.

What Is Ancient Philosophy? also explains why this connection broke down, most conspicuously in the case of academic, professional philosophers, especially under the influence of Christianity. Finally, Hadot turns to the question of whether and how this connection might be reestablished. Even as it brings ancient thoughts and thinkers to life, this invigorating work provides direction for those who wish to improve their lives by means of genuine philosophical thought.

(20020808)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A prominent historian of ancient thought, Pierre Hadot (Philosophy as a Way of Life) revisits the work of Plato, Aristotle, the Hellenistic schools and the philosophical schools of imperial Rome in What Is Ancient Philosophy? He provides an overview of the evolution of ancient thought, focusing particularly on the role of philosophical theory in the lives of the thinkers. Showing how the ancients endeavored to live by their philosophy, Hadot reflects on the rift between theory and practice that came about with the professionalization of philosophy in the Christian era. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

First published in France in 1995, Hadot's overview of ancient philosophy (that is, Greek and Roman philosophy) is quite possibly one of the best one-volume works on the subject to have appeared in English in a very long time, not only for the clarity with which it is written (Chase's translation reads exceptionally smoothly) but also for the point of view Hadot takes. In keeping with Socrates' dictum that the unexamined life is not worth living, Hadot (Philosophy as a Way of Life) places each philosopher or movement discussed firmly within its cultural and intellectual context and shows that philosophy was not simply a process for creating theories but, more importantly, a way of life for many. Hadot argues further that this connection between philosophical theory and practice ultimately broke down when Christianity came to dominate the Western world. Hadot closes the book by pointing to two dangers that the (modern) philosopher must avoid. The first is to think that philosophical discourse is sufficient in itself, without reference to a philosophical way of life. The second, and for Hadot the more important, is "to believe that one can do without philosophical reflection. The philosophical way of life must be justified in rational, motivated discourse, and such discourse is inseparable from the way of life." Hadot eloquently provides such discourse; highly recommended. Terry Skeats, Bishop's Univ. Lib., Lennoxville, Quebec
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (March 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674013735
• ISBN-13: 978-0674013735
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #160,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A crucial book, October 24, 2003

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"mythologue" - See all my reviews

This review is from: What Is Ancient Philosophy? (Hardcover)

Pierre Hadot's approach, which studies the ancient Greek philosophers with an emphasis on the existential choice that lies at the heart of their philosophical life, is generally well respected but also rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Some have entirely subsumed philosophy under the category of 'philosophical discourse', and thus consider the ancient notion of philosophia with skepticism; others might accuse Hadot of turning his back to modernity and its urgent interrogations, choosing instead to seek refuge in a remote past; theorists of a supposed 'crisis of values' who have apparently disqualified the ancients regarding ethics, or proponents of 'applied ethics' who have taken a similar road. What is ironic is that those who adopt a secular point of view and fear that Hadot wants to bring ancient philosophy dangerously close to a religious, monastic life, tend to use arguments very similar to those of the Christians who gradually stripped that philosophy of its ethical, spiritual roots (Hadot writes about this latter theme here). Meanwhile, one should note that Hadot's book is anything but dogmatic: the author does not posit a 'peak' of philosophy and then an unremediable decadence afterwards; he rather argues that the notion of philosophy as a way of life has in fact survived, however unevenly, throughout the history of philosophy. Thus, the object of the book is less some sort of remote past and ideas, but a very healthy and living line of thought that still feeds modern thinkers and can obviously enable us to face the problems modernity entails. This crucial book should be read by every philosopher.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ancient philosophy on its own terms, February 21, 2006

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Curtis Steinmetz (just outside the beltway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What Is Ancient Philosophy? (Paperback)

The crucial thing about this book is that its author, while a noted practicing Philospher himself, clearly understands, and can clearly explain, the deep divide between what passes for Philosophy today and what it once was. Ancient Philosophy was a way of looking at one's life, and a way of living one's life. But don't expect a new-agey self-help book, either! This is not a book of platitudes - it is a thoughtful and at times difficult book.

The main focus of the book is on the development of Platonism and Stoicism - but Hadot takes us on a few side-roads as well. There is a great deal of attention given to later Platonism in particular. This aspect of the book is what makes it so important, in my opinion. Hadot tells the story of how the "Hellenes" circled their philosophical and spiritual wagons in the waning days of Classical Civlization - so-called Late Antiquity. But there is no sentimentality or histrionics.

If you are like me then as soon as you finish this book you will get and read Aurelius' "Meditations" - and then promptly move on to reading Plato. More than anything else this book is a perfect starting point for reading Plato.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy as a way of life, February 2, 2004

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Ted Shigematsu (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What Is Ancient Philosophy? (Hardcover)

Pierre Hadot's thesis is that the ancient Greek philosophical schools did not view philosophy merely as an abstract theoretical discipline, but as a transformative spiritual path. He also shows how this view became incorporated into Christianity and how it has definite similarities to Buddhism and Taoism. Ancient Greek philosophy has much to teach us, and Plato would have agreed with Marx that philosophy should not just interpret the world, but also change it. A fairly easy book to read, and (if you are interested in philosophy) enjoyable.