Pierre Hadot was a French philosopher, historian, and philologist whose work centered on the concept of spiritual exercises and philosophy as a way of life. He specialized in the ancient period, particularly Neoplatonism and Stoicism, emphasizing ancient philosophy as a practical approach to living. His writings, noted for their readability and profound erudition, consistently bridge philosophical ideas with personal experience, literature, and spirituality.
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.
In this book of brilliantly erudite and precise discussions, which also serves as an introduction to Pierre Hadot's more scholarly works, Hadot explains that for the Ancients, philosophy was not reducible to the building of a theoretical system: it was above all a choice about how to live one's life.
Written by the Roman emperor for his own private guidance and self-admonition, the Meditations set forth principles for living a good and just life. Hadot probes Marcus Aurelius's guidelines and convictions and discerns the hitherto unperceived conceptual system that grounds them. schovat popis
Hadot explores Plotinus' philosophical perspectives on the self, existence, love, virtue, gentleness, and solitude. He highlights how Plotinus, influenced by Plato and Aristotle, aimed to embody philosophical principles rather than merely theorizing them. This work delves into the integration of these concepts into a life of philosophical practice, revealing the depth of Plotinus' thought in the context of his predecessors.
In this book of brilliantly erudite and precise discussions, which also serves as an introduction to Pierre Hadot's more scholarly works, Hadot explains that for the Ancients, philosophy was not reducible to the building of a theoretical system: it was above all a choice about how to live one's life.
This book presents a history of spiritual exercises from Socrates to early Christianity, an account of their decline in modern philosophy, and a discussion of the different conceptions of philosophy that have accompanied the trajectory and fate of the theory and practice of spiritual exercises.
A magisterial mappa mundi of the terrain that Pierre Hadot has so productively worked for decades, this ambitious book revises our view of ancient philosophy - and in doing so, proposes that we change the way we see philosophy itself.
"In Don't Forget to Live, the final book penned before his death in 2010, renowned French philosopher Pierre Hadot focuses our attention on Goethe and the long tradition of spiritual exercises. As Hadot explains, the term "spiritual exercise" has nothing to do with religion as we might assume. Instead, spiritual exercises are acts of the intellect, imagination, or will that are characterized by their purpose. Thanks to these exercises, a person strives to transform how they see the world, the self, and the relationship between the two. The exercises do not work to inform, but to form. Hadot begins his remarkable study of Goethe with the spiritual exercise of concentrating on the present moment. This exercise was dear to Goethe and allows us to experience each moment intensely without being distracted by the weight of the past or the mirage of the future. Hadot then explores another exercise, the view from above, in which we actively take a distance from things so as to help us see them in perspective. He then turns our attention to Goethe's poem "Urworte" in which the focus is on hope, a figure who represents a fundamental attitude we should cultivate. Through Hadot's masterful treatment of these three exercises we clearly grasp Goethe's deep love for life despite its pains and fears, and this deep love serves as a powerful reminder for us to live as well"--
Bevor Philosophie eine Sache von Spezialisten und in Reaktion darauf von Kinderbuchautoren wurde, war sie der Formung einer freien Existenz verpflichtet. Pierre Hadot verfolgt diese Tradition von den antiken Ursprüngen über Kierkegaard und Nietzsche bis hin zu Michel Foucault, dessen Auseinandersetzung mit der antiken Philosophie Hadots Schriften und Vorlesungen viel verdankt.
