Pierre Hadot Quotes
Pierre Hadot was a French philosopher and historian of ancient thought. Trained as a classicist and editor of the Plotinian and Marcus-Aurelian corpora, he developed in a long series of essays the thesis that ancient philosophy is best understood not as a body of doctrine but as a way of life sustained by spiritual exercises. The quotes below are attributed to Pierre Hadot, organized by topic.
Pierre Hadot on Death
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Attributed to Pierre Hadot:
“To philosophize is to learn how to die.”
Pierre Hadot on Life
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Attributed to Pierre Hadot:
“Philosophy in antiquity was a way of life.”
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Attributed to Pierre Hadot:
“Ancient philosophy proposed to mankind an art of living.”
Pierre Hadot on Nature
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Attributed to Pierre Hadot:
“The cosmos is for us a school of attention.”
Pierre Hadot on Time
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Attributed to Pierre Hadot:
“We must learn to live the present, but the present is everything.”
Pierre Hadot on Virtue
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Attributed to Pierre Hadot:
“Spiritual exercises are the practical heart of ancient philosophy.”