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Edith Hall (1959) is a
British scholar of classics,
specializing in Ancient
Greek literature and
cultural history. She is
also a professor in the
Department of Classics and
Centre for Hellenic Studies
at King’s College London in
the UK. She has published
more than twenty books,
broadcasts frequently on
radio and TV, works as a
consultant with professional
theaters, lectures all over
the world, and publishes
widely in academic and
mainstream journals and
newspapers. Her most recent
book is ‘Aristotle’s Way:
How Ancient Wisdom Can
Change Your Life’.
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SJOUKJE VAN DE KOLK
ILLUSTRATIONS AND HAND-LETTERING
VALESCA VAN WAVEREN
own times, especially his insistence
that leisure is more important than
work. On the one hand, Aristotle’s
concept of leisure encompasses
necessary relaxation after work, bodily
rest and recuperation, and amusement
or pleasurable entertainment to thwart
boredom. But it also includes every
other form of activity in which humans
engage after fulfilling the laborious
tasks necessary to secure the means
of survival. Leisure, Aristotle insisted,
if used rightly is the ideal human state.What has studying Aristotle
meant for you personally?
Thanks to Aristotle, I’ve been a very
happy woman for the past 29 years.
Immersing myself in his work enabled
me to choose the right father for my
children. I have been able to work
very hard at my career, but also been
able to be a very committed mother.
It’s all in Aristotle. I couldn’t havewritten this book at 30 though. Over
the last 30 years, I’ve had a lot of
practical experience with life. I’ve
been a mother, a stepmother, I’ve
seen friends come and go, I’ve had
career problems, and there’s mental
illness in my family. So I felt I had
enough case studies to be writing the
book. And what I also find important
is that Aristotle has made me aware
that I have to keep thinking about
death. This may sound strange, but
you need to think about your own
death in order to create this arc of
your life and create some happiness.
You want to be able to lie on that
deathbed at total peace with yourself
and think: Whatever people may say
of me, I know that I have done
everything I could.