Meditations, the personal diary of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the great Roman Emperors, embodies the ideal of the philosopher king. Stoicism is defined to its core.
The scary thing is that the world almost lost this treasure. Aurelius wished for his diary to be destroyed after his death. As it was merely thoughts he wrote for himself, this was a simple wish. However, humanity is lucky that this man’s personal philosophy escaped the fires of destruction.
When most people hear the word philosophy, they run for the hills out of fear of stuffy old white men expounding theorems that don’t make sense. Meditations is not that kind of philosophy. Instead, it is a blueprint for living well, for being a good person, and for facing all the obstacles that will come forward in your life. What is more, it is easy to read. Aurelius did not write this for academics or others, but for himself in simple words.
Aurelius’ philosophy can be boiled down into one statement: “If it is not right, don’t do it. If it is not true, don’t say it. (XII.12)” This is a simple philosophy, but not easy to live. It is something all men and women should strive for, and I continually struggle with it myself. But failing is okay as long as you keep coming back to this idea.
Marcus believed that right action was important most of all. “And thou wilt give thyself relief, if thou [does] every act of thy life as if it were the last, laying aside all carelessness and passionate aversion from the commands of reason, and all hypocrisy and self-love, and discontent with the portion which has been given thee. (II.5)”
What gave Marcus Aurelius the strength to be this virtuous selfless man? No man ruled over a larger empire, nor accessed such wealth as he. He had every opportunity to fall prey to the baser desires of man. However, these things did not faze Marcus Aurelius. He did not care for the freedoms that could be taken away at any moment. He preferred the inner freedom of his will and intelligence. He always decided how he felt about the things that happened around him, looking for the positive in all. This is the only freedom any of us truly have, the freedom to come to our own conclusions.
“For nowhere, either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble, does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquility; and I affirm that tranquility is nothing else than good ordering of the mind. (IV.3)”
Marcus Aurelius shared interesting viewpoints on life and death and time that simplify the problems associated. He cautions himself “Do not act as if thou [were] going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou [live], while it is in thy power, be good. (IV.17)” We must always remember that we are going to die, as it is the one thing common to all living creatures. Most people fear this fact, when it should empower people to live the life they want. Life is not infinite but time is. We should not wish for fame or our name to outlive us, because these are merely idle and pointless treasures as:
“He who has a vehement desire for posthumous fame does not consider that everyone of those who remember him will himself also die very soon; then again also they who have succeeded them, until the whole remembrance shall have been extinguished as it is transmitted through men who foolishly admire and perish. (IV.19)”
His ability to view things from the cosmic perspective gives Marcus Aurelius the ability to truly whittle away the idle pleasures and fears of all men.
“Do not then consider life a thing of any value. For look to the immensity of time behind thee, and to the time which is before thee, another boundless space. In this infinity then what is the difference between him who lives three days and him who lives three generations? (IV.50)”
Living this stoic philosophy is definitely hard work. Most people will not be up to the task, and that is okay. It is not for everyone. I hope to always fall back on the philosophy of stoicism in the trying times of my life. I need it especially in this day and age that puts so much value on the items and products around us. Consumer capitalism blinds us to the true nature of things. So when I am blinded, I try to remember to look to the true nature of things.
“When we have meat before us and such eatables, we receive the impression, that this is the dead body of a fish, and this is the dead body of a bird or a pig; and again, that this Falernian is only a little grape juice, and this purple robe some sheep’s wool dyed with the blood of a shellfish: such then are these impressions and they reach the things themselves and penetrate them, and so we see what kind of things they are. (VI.13)”
I have both been looking forward to and fearful of writing about this book. This has been such an impressive and imposing tome on my life that I hope I can do it justice. I could write the lessons of this great man for many hours and pages, but that would take the joy out of reading it oneself. I can’t recommend a better book to those who face troubles in their life (i.e. everyone), or who wish to live a better life. There is no greater self-improvement book and if there is a better life philosophy I have not found it.
If you do plan on reading this book, read the Gregory Hayes translation I have linked to. It is not the copy I have, but it is highly recommended as the easiest and simplest translation of the book.
I leave you with a simple wish: “Keep thyself then simple, good, pure, serious, free from affectation, a friend of justice, a worshiper of the gods, kind, affectionate, strenuous in all proper acts. (VI.30)”
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