Pierre Hadot’s work is marked with a certain antipathy to philosophy’s modern formulation in the university system. Hadot is fond of quoting Thoreau to express this sentiment, as he says, “We have philosophy professors but no philosophers.”

So fond was Hadot of this quotation that he titled a whole paper after it, which in the main notes comparisons between Thoreau’s Walden and Stoic and Epicurean philosophy, but he also draws out Thoreau on this theme specifically when Hadot writes:

"Thoreau takes advantage of the occasion to attack professors of philosophy...because in being content with theoretical discourse, they encourage men to keep living in an absurd manner. The life of these philosophers is pure conformity, & they let humanity degenerate in luxury."

Indeed, Hadot’s texts are filled with ambivalence about philosophy reduced to an academic discourse. For example, elsewhere he says, “In modern university, philosophy is obviously no longer a way of life or form of life—unless it be the form of life of a professor of philosophy.”

Hadot’s tone is not celebratory here, and he is at times even dour about the fate of philosophy in the university, going so far as to say that these state institutions are “a danger to [philosophy’s] independence.”

At first blush, one might assume that Hadot has a bit of an anti-intellectual streak, but this isn’t the case. Hadot isn’t drawing a line between theory and practice, setting one above the other, he’s pointing to another way of relating to theory, to discourse, as a practice.

This kind of theory (théorétique) is its own way of life. It marks an effort to transform one’s seeing, one’s way of being in the world, which is different from theoretical discourse (théorique). It is instead an invitation to the life of contemplation, which is available to all.