What do philosophers do?For the French philosopher and historian Pierre Hadot , philosophy is an exercise.Philosophers exercise themselves.They exercise for the transformation of their souls in pursuit of beatitude, wisdom, and peace.Hadot developed this understanding through a comprehensive approach to ancient philosophy that pays attention to the philosophical practices of authors like Plato,...
Foucault StudiesOctober 22, 2018Sverre Raffnsøe, Morten Thaning, Marius Gudmand-Høyer4 citations
This essay argues that what makes Michel Foucault’s oeuvre not only stand apart but also cohere is an assiduous philosophical practice taking the form of an ongoing yet concrete self-modification in the medium of thought. Part I gives an account of three essential aspects of Foucault’s conception of philosophical activity. Beginning with his famous characterization of philosophy in terms of...
This paper situates the dream-hypothesis in Descartes’s First Meditation within the historical ontology of ourselves. It looks at the way in which the dream enters into and transforms Descartes’ relation to his “system of actuality.” In order to get free from his confinement within his system of actuality – an actuality defined by relations of power-knowledge, government, veridiction, and...