Hadot's "Philosophy as a Way of Life" Part 1: Method

Hyde Park, London 2012 - Laura Anderson

Chapter 1:  Forms of Life and Forms of Discourse in Ancient Philosophy

• Close connection between Green and Latin, philology and philosophy, Hellenism and Christianity. (50)
• Must remember that the bulk of Hellenistic literature, especially philosophy texts have been lost, and we are working with only a small percentage of what was initially produced. (53)
• The only way we can get around the gaps in the literature and ideas is to look at the period as a whole in order to interpret the evolution of thought (55)
• There appears to be a division between philosophers and non-philosophers as philosophers live outside the 'normal world' (atopia) (56)
• Each school of philosophy holds an almost inaccessible vision of perfection that they strive to achieve (57)
• Meditation is an "exercise of reason". (59)
• Memorization and assimilation of the fundamental domas and ruls of life of the school (59)
•  More than any other literature, philosophical works are linked to oral transmission because ancient philosophy is above all oral in character.  (62)
• Works that were written are closely linked to the activity of teaching (63)
• "To learn to philosophize is to learn to die" (68)
• Focus on the present moment. "While we are speaking, jealous time has flown; seize today without placing your trust in tomorrow" (69)

Chapter 2:  Philosophy, Exegesis, and Creative Mistakes

• Instruction consisted above all in critically analysing and reinterpreting Plato and Aristotle (72)
• Both Judaism and Christianity sought to present themselves as philosophies, the Bible acting as the great text for analysis, if not criticism. (72)
• Philosophy was considered exegesis, the search for truth (73)
• Authentic texts, in their obscurity was considered to be the result of a technique used by a  master, who wished to hint at a great many things an once, and therefor enclose the truth in his formulations.  Any potential meaning was consequently held to be true. (73)
• Mistakes and misunderstandings (eg. neoplatonism) have advanced philosophy, even as it is difficult for modern scholars to acknowledge this apparent break in progressive logic (75)

Works Cited: 
Hadot, Pierre. Philosophy as a Way of Life.  trans. Michael Chase. ed Arnold I. Davidson. Malden: Blackwell. 1995. 47- 78. Print.