The Rule of Silence and Listening in Ancient Philosophy: A Reading of Michel Foucault

Abstract

On the basis of a number of considerations found in Michel Foucault’s The Hermeneutics of the Subject and a systematic study of the original Greek and Latin sources, this article dissects a characteristic feature of ancient philosophical training, namely the rule of silence and listening that disciples had to observe during discursive teaching. The analysis focuses specifically on the Pythagorean school, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the Cynics, the Epicureans, the Stoics, and Plutarch. It is clear from this work that ancient philosophy can nowadays serve as a model for those who want to contribute to the development of a culture of silence, which could begin with an education in silence and listening, but perhaps less so for those who are committed to the dialogical method in the teaching of philosophy.