In the Greco-Roman tradition, philosophy wasn’t just theory—it was a practical journey.
Pierre Hadot, in “Philosophy as a Way of Life,” describes it as a series of spiritual exercises.
These encompass:
Learning How to Live
“Everywhere and at all times, it is up to you to rejoice piously at what is occurring at the present moment, to conduct yourself with justice towards the people who are present here and now.” - Marcus Aurelius
Learning How to Dialogue
“Thus, the Socratic dialogue turns out to be a kind of communal spiritual exercise. In it, the interlocutors are invited to participate in such inner spiritual exercises as examination of conscience and attention to oneself; in other words, they are urged to comply with the famous dictum, Know thyself.” - Pierre Hadot
Learning How to Die
“Believe that each day that has dawned will be your last; then you will receive each unexpected hour with gratitude.” - Horace
Learning How to Read
“Old truths: . . . there are some truths whose meaning will never be exhausted by the generations of man. It is not that they are difficult; on the contrary, they are often extremely simple. Each generation must take up, from scratch, the task of learning to read and to re-read these old truths.” - Pierre Hadot
“Ordinary people don’t know how much time and effort it takes to learn how to read. I’ve spent eighty years at it, and I still can’t say that I’ve reached my goal.” - Goethe