| 1987 | Philosophy as a way of life |
| 3.1 | p.87 | 9196 | The pleasure of existing is the only genuine pleasure |
| Full Idea: For epicureans, the only genuine pleasure there is is the pleasure of existing. | |||
| From: Pierre Hadot (Philosophy as a way of life [1987], 3.1) | |||
| A reaction: I don't know Hadot's source for this claim, but it is a nice idea, which I shall endeavour to incorporate into my own attitude to daily living. I'm not quite clear, though, why the pleasure of music is not a 'genuine' one. |
| 3.3 | p.93 | 9197 | The logos represents a demand for universal rationality |
| Full Idea: The logos represents a demand for universal rationality. | |||
| From: Pierre Hadot (Philosophy as a way of life [1987], 3.3) | |||
| A reaction: That is at one end of the spectrum. At the other, in parts of 'Theaetetus', it is just a polite request to be given a few reasons, instead of a splattering of hopes and prejudices. |
| 7 | p.211 | 9198 | It is no longer possible to be a sage, but we can practice the exercise of wisdom |
| Full Idea: Personally I firmly believe, perhaps naively, that it is possible for modern man to live, not as a sage (sophos) - most of the ancients did not hold this to be possible - but as a practitioner of the ever-fragile exercise of wisdom. | |||
| From: Pierre Hadot (Philosophy as a way of life [1987], 7) | |||
| A reaction: It seems to me quite plausible that the philosophical life might yet become a widespread ideal, even though philosophers seem to still be sheltering from storms two thousand years after Plato gave us that image. |