Abstract

This article compares two different ways of construing philosophy as a way of life (PWL), examining how they influence our understanding of the philosophical tradition and of philosophy today. First, I demonstrate that scholars (including Hadot himself at many points) tend to view PWL as involving a set of philosophical “dogmas” (i.e., doctrines, arguments, or discourse) that are to be implemented in our lives through special practices or spiritual exercises. Next, I argue that PWL should instead be construed as primarily related to questions, particularly philosophical ones. According to this view, the philosophical discourse that transforms one’s life is primarily interrogative, and philosophical questioning itself can be a form of spiritual exercise, capable of altering our way of being and living. Finally, I briefly explore what a history of PWL based on this model might look like.