We live in an age saturated with information, speed, and easy answers—yet many of us feel that something essential is slipping away. Philosophy as a Way of Life invites readers to rediscover philosophy not as an abstract discipline, but as a practice rooted in how we live, think, and change. Through engaging reflections on Pierre Hadot, Marcel Conche, and Alain Badiou, Hidetaka Yakura introduces the idea of a “Third Layer of Consciousness”: a space beyond daily routines and professional roles, where thinking slows down and deeper insight becomes possible. At a time when artificial intelligence increasingly guides our choices and shapes our attention, this book offers a timely reminder of what cannot be automated: reflection, dialogue, and the capacity to be transformed by experience. Arguing that genuine happiness lies neither in comfort nor consumption, Yakura shows that a meaningful life emerges from fidelity to one’s “lived convictions”—and to the moments that quietly, yet decisively, change who we are.
Philosophy as a Way of Life: Toward a Deeper Happiness
Hidetaka Yakura
ISHE Press (2026/2/18)
