For centuries, most discussions of spirituality in Western culture have concentrated on the precepts and practices of the Judeo-Christian tradition. For more than 2000 years, any consideration of the spiritual life fell within the privileged domain of organized religion. But the rise of modern secularism in the 18th and 19th centuries severely compromised the credibility of the religious path, raising a serious dilemma for the modern West-the spiritual imperatives of life continue to demand our attention at a time when traditional mechanisms for addressing these needs have become increasingly dysfunctional and ineffective.

A potential source of remedy for this situation lies in an appeal to a distinctively different tradition, one that does not rely upon faith but instead seeks to arrive at spiritual insight by the alternative route of rational inquiry. Reason can confer its own unique spiritual discernments, even in the absence of mitre and chalice. The ten rules which follow represent enduring features of the Greek wisdom. In a very real sense, they are defiant of time and place and represent insights which remain profoundly relevant for contemporary culture. They can serve as antidotes for an age in which much that is true and valuable has been obscured by falsity and misconception. Accordingly, these ancient aphorisms are offered to all those interested in rubbing the dust from their eyes.