This book presents a history of spiritual exercises from Socrates to early Christianity, an account of their decline in modern philosophy, and a discussion of the different conceptions of philosophy that have accompanied the trajectory and fate of the theory and practice of spiritual exercises. Hadot's book demonstrates the extent to which philosophy has been, and still is, above all else a way of seeing and of being in the world.

本书通过回顾自东罗马起到20世纪为止，近1500年的统一欧洲的历史尝试，指出他们失败主要便是因为没有形成“欧洲的观念”。要建成欧洲，必须形成一套道德价值体系，而这便成了知识分子的重要使命。同时赞颂了中世纪知识分子对罗马帝国抽象概念的眷恋，批判了人文主义者倡导各民族主权，背叛了欧洲统一的事业。号召欧洲教育家及知识分子要肩负历史使命，抛弃民族主义，回归到柏拉图的神学与唯心论上来，从而建成欧洲统一。“欧洲将是在人间实现上帝伟业的一个阶段。”