Gathered around great philosophers in antiquity were schools, and schools were about training. Training, in turn, was about putting ideas into practice. Simple dialogue formulas and creative epigrams held the contours of a great teacher’s personality, but most importantly they defined the manner in which the philosophy was a lifestyle.

In antiquity, schools were not buildings but societies. They were social forces that defined the art of presence in the world.

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Embracing the Human Jesus: A Wisdom Path for Contemporary Christianity
David Galston