I have finished re-reading Pierre Hadot's The Present Alone is Our Happiness: Conversations with Jeannie Carlier and Arnold I. Davidson.(2008 216 p.)--again. This is my third reading. The first time in a hurry to take in this new delight, a second reading with highlighting to absorb his wisdom, and this time to savor the pleasure of his company. This book, interviews of the eminent French scholar of ancient philosophy and philosopher in his own right, gives me the experience of listening to a man who is genuinely interested in wisdom and learning. Hadot became a Catholic priest at an early age (during WWII), but his main interest seems to have been in philosophy and mysticism. Differences with the Church and the development of a love life lead him away from the priesthood, but not away from his philosophical and scholarly pursuits. After the first couple of chapters recounting personal history, the rest of the book addresses his scholarly and philosophical work, which includes works on Plotinus and Marcus Aurelius. Perhaps Hadot's greatest contribution to me comes from his teaching that ancient philosophy addresses the issue of how one lives and holds little concern for systems of thought. Ancient philosophy, starting with the paradigmatic Socrates, emphasized oral teaching about how one should conduct one's life. Ancient philosophers cared little for systematic consistency. Hadot thus instructs us about how to read Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and others like him (especially the Stoic and Epicurean traditions). Hadot, however, does not limit himself to the Ancients, as he reports his appreciation of Montaigne, Goethe, Bergson, and Wittgenstein, among others. (Goethe provides the quote for the title.) I could go on at some length praising Hadot's work and my enjoyment of it, but I suggest that instead, we spend our time reading his work. (My previously posted comment on Hadot is here (item #23).
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