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• date: 19 March 2025
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One day, about 18 centuries ago, a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders wrote some notes to himself in a journal. He wrote about becoming a better man. How should he act? What would a truly good life look like? How did he feel about death?
One day, about 18 centuries ago, a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders wrote some notes to himself in a journal. He wrote about becoming a better man. How should he act? What would a truly good life look like? How did he feel about death? Over several years, he would fill a dozen notebooks with thoughts on these and similar questions. The author of these journals never intended to publish a book. He gave it no title, no internal structure, and took no care to remove his many redundancies. But none of that mattered. He wrote for himself, and his only goal was self-improvement.
We now know these writings as Meditations, penned by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor of the second century CE. It is estimated that many millions of people have read his "private" philosophical journals and that several million people worldwide follow Stoic philosophy today.
What is it about Stoicism that Marcus found so important then—and that millions find relevant today? In the 12 fascinating lectures of Books That Matter: Meditations, professor Massimo Pigliucci explores the questions Marcus believed were crucial to address in a life of value, alongside the answers he proposed and the many ways in which you can apply Stoic philosophy to your own life.
What Can Meditations Teach Us?
Marcus did not invent Stoicism, although he was familiar with the philosophy before he wrote a word in his now-famous journals. He grew up in a wealthy home, and his family made sure he had a broad education. But, of everything he studied, nothing attracted him more than philosophy. His tutors included the major Stoics of the day, as well as proponents of other philosophical schools, and he drew on their teachings throughout his life.
Experts believe Marcus wrote what would become Meditations during the 170s CE, while he was emperor and leading the fight against several Germanic tribes. He certainly could have journaled about issues faced by military or government leaders. Instead, Marcus wrote down his thoughts about the meaning of life and death in a manner that is useful to all people.
Marcus' writings centered around three broad questions throughout Meditations
What is a person? He answers that a person is made of flesh, spirit, and intelligence. Of these, he says intelligence is most important because it allows us to understand the cosmos and to live according to that understanding.
How should we think about the past, present, and future? Marcus says we should focus our efforts in the present because that is the only place we can act. We cannot change the past, and when the future arrives, we will be able to influence it only then.
What is the real difference between virtue and vice? He concludes that vice is the only real problem to overcome, and virtue the only appropriate guide in life.
Practicing an Action-Oriented Philosophy
Marcus was not interested in philosophy for its own sake; philosophy had value only if it could guide him to become a better man. In Meditations, he is clear that he doesn't plan to theorize about the world and simply wait for Plato's (or any other) utopia to arrive. Instead, he is happy to work toward incremental improvements in this world. But what is the best way to do that?
Although Marcus was the single most powerful person in the Mediterranean world, he wrote about himself as simply one individual member of the entire human family: the cosmopolis. Meditations tells us that we came into this world for each other's sake. To live up to our true nature, then, we need to be kind and helpful and recognize that the only thing we can control in this world is our own decisions.
But self-control is not an easy task—especially for an emperor who was known to have anger-management issues. Consequently, Marcus includes many spiritual exercises in Meditations to help him stay focused on the virtuous tasks at hand. Dr. Pigliucci shares detailed directions for practicing the following exercises, among others
Take Another's Perspective. We tend to think that other people's actions are reflections of their character, while our own actions always have some kind of justification. As a result, we forgive ourselves quite often but are much less charitable toward others.
Question Every Action. This exercise is meant to improve Stoic mindfulness—to train ourselves to always think before acting. Why are we planning to take a particular action? Is it rational and social-minded?
Catch and Examine Your Judgments. This exercise helps us make sure that our actions are undertaken with temperance and with the understanding that the outcome of those actions might not be in our control.
The Impact of Stoicism in the Modern World
There are many references to God and gods in Meditations. But these are neither the traditional Roman gods nor the God of any monotheistic religion. For the Stoics, there is one God, which is the cosmos itself, and we are literally bits and pieces of that cosmic deity.
With so many references to God, the soul, and piety, could Stoicism be considered a religion? Experts say no. When Stoics ask, "What makes a good life?" their answers never include worship, faith, or prayer. Instead, Stoics focus on rational thought and action. However, Stoicism has had significant impact on religion, especially the nascent religion of Marcus' time—Christianity. In fact, we can see the impact of Stoicism in many aspects of our modern world, including
Christian Spiritual Life. Ignatius of Loyola's book Spiritual Exercises, written in the latter Middle Ages, is used worldwide today by Christian spiritual directors and retreat leaders. Many of the exercises he included came directly from the Stoics.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Stoicism—particularly the version articulated by Epictetus and Marcus—was the inspiration for the beginnings of CBT in the 1950s and early 1960s. CBT focuses on cognitive restructuring of negative thought patterns or irrational beliefs, with an emphasis on compassion and emotional regulation, all concepts central to Stoic philosophy. Some consider it one of the best evidence-based psychotherapies ever devised.
Self-Help and 12-Step Programs. Many 12-step programs use the famous Serenity Prayer, written by a Protestant theologian in 20th century, with the idea borrowed from the Stoics—understanding how to act for the good when you can, and recognizing situations over which you have no control.
Meditations was originally written for an audience of just one. But what Marcus wanted to examine certainly still applies to us today. What exactly should we be mindful of in life? To act reasonably and with others in mind is the Stoic approach to a life worth living.
What Will You Learn?
Discover how Stoic philosophers view the meaning of life
Learn how to apply the spiritual exercises of Meditations to your own life
Be introduced to Marcus Aurelius' personal Ten Commandments
Homepage:

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/books-that-matter-meditations

   
   
   

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