Podcasts about hadot

Ruben Endendijk in gesprek met universitair hoofddocent Franse Letterkunde Alexander Roose (Universiteit van Gent) over de 'Essays' van Michel de Montaigne.--Steun DNW en word patroon op http://www.petjeaf.com/denieuwewereld.Liever direct overmaken? Maak dan uw gift over naar NL61 RABO 0357 5828 61 t.n.v. Stichting De Nieuwe Wereld. Crypto's doneren kan via https://commerce.coinbase.com/pay/79870e0f-f817-463e-bde7-a5a8cb08c09f-- Bronnen en links bij deze uitzending: - Bestel het boek 'De vrolijke wijsheid' hier: https://www.boom.nl/filosofie/100-459_De-vrolijke-wijsheid-Zoeken-denken-en-leven-met-Michel-de-Montaigne- Bestel de nieuwe editie van de 'Essays' hier (verschijnt op 16 juni '25): https://www.boom.nl/zoeken/100-17644_Essays- Bestel hier het boek van Pierre Hadot: https://www.amboanthos.nl/boek/filosofie-als-een-manier-van-leven/- Een eerder gesprek over Hadot met Pablo Lamberti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1N2YCmsYkI&t=87s- Bestel 'De rerum natura' hier: https://www.historischeuitgeverij.nl/hu.php?is=4247

This lecture discusses the 20th century philosopher and historian of ideas, Pierre Hadot, and focuses on chapter 4 of his book, Philosophy As a Way of Life. He discusses how Christianity was explicitly identified by a number of early Christian thinkers as a "philosophy". This continued on through the middle ages, where Christian monasticism was also termed "Christian philosophy". Hadot points out that not only is there considerable continuity as well as contrast between the emergent Christian philosophy and pre-Christian pagan schools, but that they all are philosophies as ways of life. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life - amzn.to/39kPA8Y

This lecture discusses the 20th century philosopher and historian of ideas, Pierre Hadot, and focuses on chapter 11 of his book, Philosophy As a Way of Life. He discusses the short history Hadot provides us with, in which ancient philosophy was oriented around what he calls "philosophy as a way of life", including Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy. Christian philosophy develops in west in two directions, that of the Church Fathers and monastic authors, where it remains philosophy as a way of life, and philosophy understood more and more as theory or as an instrument for theology, found in the Universities and taking the shape of Scholasticism. In the modern period, while there are still some philosophers and movements who go past that model of philosophy, the majority of it remains within that perspective. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life - amzn.to/39kPA8Y

This lecture discusses the 20th century philosopher and historian of ideas, Pierre Hadot, and focuses on chapter 7 of his book, Philosophy As a Way of Life. He discusses the criticisms Hadot levies against Michel Foucault's views, which center upon his making the self too central a focus in his discussions of philosophical practices as "technologies of the self", and in overlooking important philosophical traditions and schools of antiquity. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 3000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life - amzn.to/39kPA8Y

Giorgio Leonardi"La filosofia come educazione degli adulti"Testi, prospettive, dialoghi .Pierre HadotMarietti1820www.mariettieditore.itTraduzione di Giorgio Leonardi.«Il filosofo non insegna agli uomini un mestiere particolare, e neanche li prepara a una professione particolare, ma cerca di trasformare la loro sensibilità, il loro carattere, il loro modo di vedere il mondo o di rapportarsi con gli altri uomini. Si potrebbe dire che insegna loro il mestiere dell'uomo». Se il compito della filosofia è più quello di educare che di informare, allora la filosofia è proprio l'educazione degli adulti. È in questi termini che Pierre Hadot evoca una concezione della filosofia come stile di vita che tutta la sua opera ha brillantemente contribuito a far rivivere. Grande lettore di filosofi antichi, da Socrate e Platone a Epitteto, Marco Aurelio e Plotino, ma anche di filosofi moderni e contemporanei, da Montaigne e Cartesio a Nietzsche e Merleau-Ponty, in questa raccolta di testi – rari o inediti – Hadot rilegge la storia del pensiero per aiutarci a riorientare la nostra vita e a reimparare a vedere il mondo. Siamo dunque pronti a farci (tras)formare dalla filosofia?Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) è uno dei più importanti studiosi di filosofia antica, ha insegnato all'École pratique des hautes études e al Collège de France, in cui fu nominato professore emerito nel 1991. Tra le pubblicazioni apparse in lingua itealiana: La cittadella interiore. Introduzione ai «Pensieri» di Marco Aurelio (Vita e Pensiero, 1996); Che cos'è la filosofia antica? (Einaudi, 1998 e 2010); Esercizi spirituali e filosofia antica (Einaudi, 2005); Ricordati di vivere. Goethe e la tradizione degli esercizi spirituali (Cortina, 2009).IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarewww.ilpostodelleparole.itDiventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.

Dieses Mal geht es auf dem Sofa um Übungen aus der Philosophie. Anfangs gibt es einen allgemeinen Kommentar zum Thema. Und dann reden wir über zwei konkrete Übungen. Die eine heißt die Dichotomie der Kontrolle. Die andere Nächtliche Betrachtung. Literatur aus dem Podcast: Epiktet, Handbüchlein der Moral (Encheiridion), verschiedene Ausgaben. Hadot, Pierre: ENGLISCH: Philosophie as a Way of Life, Oxford, Blackwell 1995. DEUTSCH: Philosophie als Lebensform. Antike und moderne Exerzitien der Weisheit, Fischer Verlag. Pigliucci, Massimo (zusammen mit Gregory Lopez): DEUTSCH: Gelassen bleiben mit den Stoikern: 52 Lektionen für ein gutes Leben, München, Pieper Verlag 2020. ORIGINAL: Live like a Stoic. 52 Exercises for Cultivating a Good Live, London, Routledge 2019. Rabbow, Paul: Seelenführung. Methodik der Exerzitien in der Antike. München, Kösel Verlag.1954 (nur antiquarisch zu beziehen). Seneca, Über den Zorn. verschiedene Ausgaben.

durée : 00:03:10 - Le Pourquoi du comment : philo - par : Frédéric Worms - Pierre Hadot ou la notion d'exercice spirituel et de la philosophie comme manière de vivre.

Sokrates, een wonderlijk figuur. Wie was Sokrates precies? Waarom bestond zijn leven uit het ondervragen van mensen? Wat verstond hij onder 'filosoferen'? In deze aflevering gaan we op zoek naar antwoorden aan de hand van de meesterlijke 'Verdedigingsrede van Sokrates', geschreven door Plato. In deze aflevering gebruik ik de ‘Verdedigingsrede van Sokrates', geschreven door Plato, vertaald door Gerard Wijdeveld, uitgegeven bij Athenaeum—Polak & Van Gennep te Amsterdam, 1974. Voor een hedendaagse vertaling én mooie bundeling van teksten over de figuur van Sokrates, zie 'Sokrates' leven en dood', uitgegeven bij Athenaeum en beschikbaar via https://www.athenaeum.nl/boek?authortitle=plato/sokrates-leven-en-dood--9789025312114. Het schilderij van Jacques-Louis David vind je op deze Wikipedia-pagina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Socrates. Voor het debat tussen Michel Foucault en Pierre Hadot, zie bijvoorbeeld Hadot's 'Reflections on the Idea of the "Cultivation of the Self"'. Benieuwd naar mijn scriptie over dit debat? Stuur me dan een berichtje via 'Vriend van de Show', en ik stuur je graag mijn scriptie op! VERGEET DIT NIET: BEN JIJ AL VRIEND VAN DE SHOW? Ga snel naar https://vriendvandeshow.nl/eenwereldaanliteratuur en word mijn vriend! Voor leuke bonuscontent, inbreng, en wat extra bemoediging voor mij! Vragen of opmerkingen? Stuur een mail naar eenwereldaanliteratuur@gmail.com

Los Miserables Autor: Víctor Hugo Primera Parte: Fantine Libro cuarto A veces encomendar es entregar Cap II : Primer esbozo de dos caras que no son trigo limpio. El ratón que había caído en la trampa era muy poca cosa, pero el gato se alegra incluso cuando el ratón es flaco. ¿Quiénes eran los Thénardier? Digamos algo ahora mismo, sin esperar más. Ya completaremos el croquis más adelante. Eran seres que pertenecían a esa especie bastarda que se compone de gente zafia que ha ido a más y de gente inteligente que ha ido a menos, que se halla entre la llamada clase media y la llamada clase inferior y que combina algunos de los fallos de ésta con casi todos los vicios de aquélla, careciendo del generoso impulso del obrero y del orden honrado del burgués. Eran de esos caracteres enanos que, si por casualidad los calienta algún fuego oscuro, se vuelven con facilidad monstruosos. La mujer tenía un fondo bestial; y el hombre, calaña de granuja. Ambos eran harto probablemente capaces de esa especie de progreso repulsivo que se encamina hacia el mal. Existen almas de cangrejo, que retroceden continuamente hacia las tinieblas, que van marcha atrás por la vida, y no hacia adelante, y utilizan la experiencia para incrementar la deformidad, empeorando continuamente e impregnándose cada vez más de una perversidad en ascenso. Aquel hombre y aquella mujer tenían un alma de ésas. Thénardier, sobre todo, pondría en apuros a un fisonomista. Basta con mirar a ciertos hombres para desconfiar de ellos, porque se los nota tenebrosos se los mire por donde se los mire. Vistos por detrás, son inquietos; vistos por delante, amenazadores. Lo desconocido mora en ellos. Ni es posible responder de lo que hicieron ni de lo que harán. La sombra que llevan en la mirada los delata. En cuanto se los oye decir una palabra o se los ve hacer un gesto, se intuyen sombríos secretos en su pasado y sombríos misterios en su futuro. El Thénardier que nos ocupa, si nos fiamos de lo que contaba, había sido soldado: sargento, a lo que decía; era probable que hubiera participado en la campaña de 1815, e incluso se había portado con bastante valor, por lo visto. Ya veremos más adelante qué sucedió en realidad. El rótulo de su taberna hacía alusión a uno de sus hechos de armas. Lo había pintado personalmente porque sabía hacer un poco de todo, pero mal. Eran los años en que la antigua novela clásica, que tras haber sido Clelia no era ya más que Lodoiska, siempre noble, aunque cada vez más vulgar, degradada de la señorita de Scudéri a la señora de Bournon-Malarme y de la señora de Lafayette a la señora Barthélemy-Hadot, incendiaba las almas amantes de las porteras de París y causaba incluso ciertos estragos en el extrarradio. A la señora Thénardier le llegaba la inteligencia al punto justo para leer esa clase de libros. Se nutría de ellos. Ahogaba en ellos los pocos sesos que tenía; de ello sacó, mientras fue muy joven, e incluso algo más adelante, algo así como una actitud reflexiva ante su marido, granuja con cierto fondo, golfo letrado a no ser por la ausencia de gramática, zafio y agudo al tiempo, pero, en lo tocante a lo sentimental, lector de Pigault-Lebrun, y, «en todo lo referido al bello sexo», como decía en su jerga, palurdo correcto y sin mezcla alguna. Le llevaba a su mujer doce o quince años. Más adelante, cuando la melena novelescamente lacia como un sauce llorón se le empezó a poner gris, cuando la personalidad de la Harpía se separó del personaje de Pamela, la Thénardier no fue ya sino una mujer muy mala que se había deleitado con novelas estúpidas. No se leen sandeces con impunidad. La consecuencia fue que su hija mayor se llamaba Éponine. En cuanto a la pequeña, la pobre niña estuvo a punto de llamarse Gulnare; le debió a no sé qué feliz diversión, obra de una novela de Ducray-Duminil, llamarse nada más Azelma.

Levent Kavas, Eski Yunan felsefesine odaklanan konuşma serisini sürdürüyor: "Eskiçağ felsefesi hep bir 'okullar felsefesi' miydi? Wilamowitz-Moellendorff Usener'e, Lynch ikisine de karşı; Hadot bu işe ne der? Aylakların biraradalığı neye benzer? Kamu felsefeye ne karışır, felsefe kamuya ne karışır? Felsefeye ilişkin ilk yasa, felsefecilerin ilk iş bırakışı, ilk toplu göçü, ilk büyük sürgünü. Marcus Aurelius felsefecileri ödeneğe bağlayınca Loukianos nasıl dalgasını geçer? İskenderiye ölmüş Hermeias'ın ücretini ödemeyi neden sürdürür?"

A new duo, Matt and Joe from Earth-69 (an alternate dimension characterized by anti-podcast totalitarianism and shameless hedonism) hijack the podcast! Together they'll speak truth to power as they break down the essential qualities of a Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Setting and reveal the fate of Earth-69's version of Joe Rogan and his luscious locks. You don't wanna miss it. Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes! Sources: Baker et al. Eberron Campaign Setting. Wizards of the Coast. 2004. Brown and Denning. Dark Sun Boxed Set. TSR. 1991. The Burnt World of Athas: The official Dark Sun website. 2022. "Exandria". Critical Role Wiki. 2022. Greenwood et al. Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. Wizards of the Coast. 2001. Hadot, Pierre. Philosophy as a Way of Life: Spiritual Exercises from Socrates to Foucault. Wiley-Blackwell. 1995. Puslow and Ryan. "Dungeons & Dragons Will Return to Dragonlance and Spelljammer This Year". IGN. 2022. Swartz and Bradley. Possible Worlds: An Introduction to Logic and Its Philosophy. Hackett Pub Co. Inc. 1979. Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 1954-1955. Tolkien, J. R. R. & Tolkien, Christopher. the Silmarillion. 1977.

What defined a Stoic above all else was the choice of a life in which every thought, every desire, and every action would be guided by no other law than that of universal Reason. ~ Pierre Hadot[i] The Stoics placed a rational, divine, and providentially ordered cosmos at the center of their philosophical system and relied on it to guide their every thought, desire, and action. For the Stoic, Nature is the measure of all things. Therefore, the Stoics argued to experience well-being (eudaimonia), we must live in agreement with Nature. [i] Hadot, P., & Chase, M. (1998). The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, p. 308 FULL TRANSCRIPT COMING SOON

This lecture discusses the 20th century philosopher and historian of ideas, Pierre Hadot, and focuses on chapter 3 of his book, Philosophy As a Way of Life. This lecture discusses the interrelation between philosophical writing and spiritual exercises. Taking into account genres, motivations, and uses of philosophical writings is centrally important, in Hadot's view To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 1500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life - https://amzn.to/39kPA8Y

This lecture discusses the 20th century philosopher and historian of ideas, Pierre Hadot, and focuses on chapter 3 of his book, Philosophy As a Way of Life. This lecture discusses the four main interconnected types of spiritual exercises Hadot distinguishes within ancient philosophy. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 1500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life - https://amzn.to/39kPA8Y

This lecture discusses the 20th century philosopher and historian of ideas, Pierre Hadot, and focuses on chapter 3 of his book, Philosophy As a Way of Life. This lecture discusses Hadot's contention that philosophy as developed, understood, and practiced in antiquity involved what can best be described as an entire range of "spiritual exercises". To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 1500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Purchase Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life - https://amzn.to/39kPA8Y

La saggezza antica di Marco Aurelio, uno strumento essenziale per vivere meglio anche oggi. I libri consigliati di e su Marco Aurelio 1) Pensieri: https://amzn.to/3gPgwl8 2) La cittadella interiore, Hadot: https://amzn.to/3qm37Em 3) L'imperatore che scoprì la saggezza, Grimal: https://amzn.to/3qpcp2h 4) La miseria della filosofia, Fraschetti: https://amzn.to/3qrQTKu In Live due volte al giorno qui ➤➤➤ https://www.twitch.tv/dailycogitoIl canale Youtube ➤➤➤ https://www.youtube.com/c/RiccardoDalFerroLa mia newsletter ➤➤➤ http://eepurl.com/c-LKfzTutti i prossimi eventi (online e non) ➤➤➤ https://rickdufer.com/eventi/La Community di Patreon ➤➤➤ https://www.patreon.com/rickduferLa chat di Discord ➤➤➤ https://discord.gg/vs3reA2kInstagram ➤➤➤ https://www.instagram.com/rickdufer/Tutti i miei libri ➤➤➤ http://bit.ly/libduferIl nostro negozio ➤➤➤ https://www.dailycogito.org/Daily Cogito si fa in tre:ogni giorno in Live su Twitch, alle 7 in podcast e la sera sul canale YouTube,Per combattere la zombificazione.La voce della sigla è di Marco Benedetti.La musica è "Shake Down" di Jules Gaia, da Epidemic Sound

Nathan Gilmour joins Mysterion to discuss ways of reading Scripture from antiquity to our modern period.  Along the way they touch on everything from Aristotle to Dante to Walter Brueggemann.

Marcus Aurelius said that pain either affects the body or the soul. What’s the difference? “The soul can choose not to be affected, preserving its own serenity, its own tranquillity. All our decisions, urges, desires, aversions lie within. No evil can touch them.” Pierre Hadot’s metaphor for this was the “inner citadel.” Hadot said that Marcus worked to create a soul, a core, an inner fortress that fate, chaos, hysterics, vice, and outside influences could never penetrate or break down. Ada Palmer—a historian, professor, and novelist—knows the importance of building an inner citadel. In addition to the tummults of academia, publishing, and constant deadlines, Ada is also disabled and suffers from chronic pain. She says that, sounding like Hadot, “Stoicism is about achieving interior tranquillity.” Hadot said that Marcus wrote to himself to strengthen the walls of his citadel, to achieve interior tranquility. In our interview with Ada for DailyStoic.com, we asked her about how she does it:I use a variety of different techniques to battle the gloom, "morbid thinking," and other mental effects of chronic pain. I self-monitor carefully, keeping an inner lookout for when I find myself dwelling on something that's upsetting me, and I have a sort of triage of responses. I ask myself (A) can I find an actionable solution to the problem? If not (B) can I get myself to stop worrying about the problem and let go? Can I laugh at the problem? Can I ask myself whether this will really matter in a year or five years? Sometimes that alone can break the spell, but if it doesn't this is where I find the maxims, especially the vivid images, often help. One of my favorites is the stoic image of life as being like being a guest at a banquet. Many great platters are being passed around for you to take from, but occasionally one arrives already empty, everyone else has already taken it all. It's easy to be angry, and it is unfair, but the food wasn't yours to begin with, it was a gift from your host, and you didn't really need it, there is plenty of other food. Sometimes just thinking about that can make me less upset by something. It's amazing how that kind of reframing, zooming out, or changing perspective can sometimes dispel the stormy thoughts that are really what are causing one's unhappiness. Cultivating your inner citadel doesn’t mean reaching a point where one is immune to life’s disturbances. It’s about having your systems in place, your battle-tested line of defense, ready to fend them off when they inevitably do show up. For Marcus, it was journaling. For Ada, it’s stopping, reframing, changing perspectives. What is it for you?

Enligt den franske filosofihistorikern Pierre Hadot (1922-2010) var de antika filosofiskolorna - Platons och Aristoteles till exempel - framförallt ett sätt att leva. Filosofi var inte bara teori utan i hög grad en slags "terapi" och det som bearbetades var ens grundläggande existentiella förhållningssätt till tillvaron, sig själv och andra människor.  Filosofiskolorna kan sägas kännetecknas av olika sådana grundläggande förhållningssätt och det filosofiska tänkandet inom en skola sker alltid i dialog med eller mot bakgrund av ett sådant existentiellt förhållningssätt. Det finns likheter mellan hur Hadot beskriver "existentiellt förhållningssätt" och hur den förre påven, Joseph Ratzinger, beskriver vad det är att tro i sin bok Introduktion till kristendomen (se avsnitt 16 av Tro & förnuft-podden): som en slags grundläggande attityd till tillvaron som helhet.  För de antika filosofiskolorna ingick i den filosofiska praktiken vissa "andliga övningar" där man exempelvis tänkte på sig själv i ljuset av en kosmologi: som en del av ett oändligt stort kosmos som antingen styrdes av en förnuftig princip (logos - enligt stoikerna) eller hade en källa i den transcendenta godheten (för platonikerna) - eller styrdes av slumpen (för epikuréerna). Det handlar här om att se sitt liv i ljuset av och i relation till helheten. För Platon, Aristoteles och Nyplatonikerna är filosofins mål en vishet och godhet som inte går att språkligt ringa in, utan som vi har tillgång genom erfarenheter snarare än analyser. Filosofins uppgift är att ändå föra oss närmare den erfarenheten. I detta avsnitt diskuterar Christoffer Skogholt och Erik Åkerlund denna syn på filosofi och hur den kan utmana och berika samtida filosofi och den kristna tron. Den nyplatonske filosofen Plotinus sa att "utan dygderna är Gud bara ett ord". På ett liknande sätt kanske man kan säga att kyrkan ibland har en övertro på hur betydelsefulla orden eller teorierna om Gud är, för att föra människor närmare Gud.

Today’s podcast is an introduction to the concept of Stoic spiritual exercises. Over the next few episodes, I will be covering three Stoic spiritual exercises: the discipline of assent, the discipline of desire, and the discipline of action. These three exercises or disciplines are the core of what I call the path of the prokopton. In episode 5, I covered the concepts of attention (prosoche). In episode 6, I covered what is and is not “up to us,” which is commonly called the dichotomy of control. As I noted in that episode, Pierre Hadot refers to these as the fundamental Stoic spiritual attitude and the fundamental rule of life respectively. Together, they constitute what Hadot calls the Stoic moral attitude, which is the attitude a prokopton takes toward all the events that occur in life. The Stoic spiritual exercises are the practices that develop that moral attitude and lead us farther along the Stoic path toward an excellent character and well-being. Those who are familiar with the writing of the French philosopher Pierre Hadot will recognize the concept of spiritual exercises. It is a constant theme in his books. He did not invent it; however, he applied the term to ancient philosophical practices and thereby illuminated the meaning and significance of these exercises. Before Hadot, the idea of philosophy as a way of life had largely been lost. Modern academic philosophy deviated so far from the concept of philosophy as a way of life that a 2016 critique was able to highlight the “pathologies” of contemporary academic philosophy and point out its complete abandonment of the philosophical practices of Socrates. The authors of that critique write: Universally venerated by contemporary philosophers, the actual philosophic practice of Socrates is rejected or ignored. Socrates could never get a position today in a philosophy (or any other) department.[1] This divergence from the philosophical practices of Socrates is important to twenty-first-century practitioners of Stoicism for two reasons. First, Socrates in the grandfather of Stoicism, and his way of life served as a model for the Stoics. As I noted in episode 4, Zeno, the founder of Stoicism, was inspired to follow the philosophical way of life after reading about the life of Socrates in Xenophon’s Memorabilia. That portrait of Socrates inspired Zeno to ask, “Where can I find men such as these?”Second, because the path of the Stoic prokopton is a spiritual practice—it relies on the transformational power of these spiritual exercises that are largely, if not wholly, ignored by modern academic philosophers. Even where Stoicism is taught in academic environments, it is unlikely that any attention will be paid these practices. Modern academia has little if any tolerance for anything considered spiritual. That is why it was necessary for Pierre Hadot to reintroduce the modern world to the spiritual nature of the ancient philosophical way of life. Philosophy as a way of life is so radically different from the mind-numbing, logic-chopping positivism that turns many people away from philosophy, we can argue it belongs in a different category. As Michael Chase wrote in the introduction of a published set of essays honoring Hadot: Hadot’s work, written in a plain, clear style that lacks the rhetorical flourishes of a Derrida or a Foucault, represents a call for a radical democratization of philosophy. It talks about subjects that matter to people today from all walks of life, which is why it has appealed, arguably, less to professional philosophers than to ordinary working people, and to professionals working in disciplines other than philosophy.[2] If you doubt the difference between Hadot’s approach to the ancient Stoics and that of modern academia, here is an experiment. Read and compare two books, both published in English in 1998 and both dealing with the application of Stoicism in the life of practitioners. The first book,

Epictetus, the freed slave turned Stoic philosopher and teacher, said the following: Some things are within our power, while others are not. Within our power are opinion, motivation, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever is of our own doing; not within our power are our body, our property, reputation, office, and, in a word, whatever is not of our own doing. (Enchiridion 1) In episode 5 of the Stoicism On Fire podcast, I covered the practice of attention (prosoche), which is, according to the philosopher Pierre Hadot, the fundamental Stoic spiritual attitude.[1] In this podcast, I will cover the category of things to which we are to pay attention—those are the things that are within our complete control. The popular term for this concept is the Dichotomy of Control, which Epictetus distinguished as what is and is not“up to us” (eph’ hêmin). Pierre Hadot called this distinction the fundamental rule of life for the Stoic practitioner.[2] Therefore, when we focus our attention on what is “up to us”, we combine the fundamental Stoic spiritual attitude with the fundamental rule of life and end up with what Hadot calls the fundamental Stoic attitude or Stoic moral attitude. This attitude is what enables us to make progress along the Stoic path—the path of the prokopton. Hadot defines this fundamental Stoic attitude in detail. Referring to Enchiridion1.1, Hadot writes: Here, we can glimpse one of the Stoics' most fundamental attitudes: the delimitation of our own sphere of liberty as an impregnable islet of autonomy, in the midst of the vast river of events and of Destiny. What depends on us are thus the acts of our soul, because we can freely choose them. We can judge or not judge, or judge in whatever manner we please; we can desire or not desire; will or not will. By contrast, that which does not depend on us—Epictetus lists our body, honors, riches, and high positions of authority—is everything that depends upon the general course of nature. Our body, first: it is true that we can move it, but we are not completely in control of it. Birth, death, sickness, involuntary movements, sensations of pleasure or of pain: all these are completely independent of our will. As for wealth and honors: we can, to be sure, attempt to acquire them, yet definitive success does not depend upon us, but upon a series of human factors and events which are exterior to us; they are imponderable and do not depend upon our will. Thus, the Stoic delimits a center of autonomy—the soul, as opposed to the body; and a guiding principle (hegemonikon) as opposed to the rest of the soul. It is within this guiding principle that freedom and our true self are located.[3] The key phrase in that passage from Hadot’s book The Inner Citadel is “the impregnable islet of autonomy.” As we consider what is and is not “up to us” it is easy to see this fundamental rule of life as limiting. However, throughout the Discourses and Enchiridion, Epictetus teaches this rule for the opposite reason. It is by understanding what is and is not “up to us” that we can find true freedom. It is not an accident that Epictetus, a freed slave, emphasizes this rule and the freedom it provides—he understood the nature and value of true freedom as a result of high life experience. The Stoics understood that externals cannot bring us the well-being we seek. Possessing them is indifferent with regard to our moral character; however, desiring them and pursuing them is the path to psychological anguish. Why? Because they can all be taken away in a moment—in a fire, a life-threatening illness, a hostile take-over of a company, a layoff, a market crash, a divorce, a terrible accident, etc. They may make us temporarily happy, but that is not what the Stoics meant by the Greek word eudaimonia. The eudaimonia of the Stoics was the sense of well-being that comes from the pursuit of virtue, or human excellence in the areas of wisdom, courage, justice, and moderation.

Pierre Hadot was one of the most influential historians of ancient philosophy. In this book, he gives us an incredible look at Marcus Aurelius and his classic Meditations. You can feel Hadot’s incredible intellectual rigor and equally incredible passion for engaged philosophy. It’s inspiring. Big Ideas we explore include spiritual exercises, your inner citadel, your daimōn, amor fate, turning obstacles upside down and carpe areté.

Pierre Hadot was one of the most influential historians of ancient philosophy. In this book, he gives us an incredible look at Marcus Aurelius and his classic Meditations. You can feel Hadot’s incredible intellectual rigor and equally incredible passion for engaged philosophy. It’s inspiring. Big Ideas we explore include spiritual exercises, your inner citadel, your daimōn, amor fate, turning obstacles upside down and carpe areté.