Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 CE. He was one of the five good emperors described by Niccolo Machiavelli and a Stoic philosopher. I recently read his book Meditations and found quite inspirational and practical. One of the things I enjoyed about the Meditations is that is was actually a personal notebook; they weren’t intended for publication and he called them “Writings To Myself.” They were written in Greek, although his native tongue was Latin, and were probably composed while Marcus was on military campaigns in central Europe 171 to 175 CE. Meditations is a truly unique practical philosophical work. It was written by at the time may have been the most powerful man in the world for his own self guidance and improvement. Many of the themes in the book have value even today. They actually remind me of cognitive behavioral therapy with some elements of positive psychology.  Before reading Meditations all I knew about Stoicism were from its critics like Nietzsche and Bertrand Russell. They gave me the impression that it was a philosophy of sour grapes. Lacking the power to achieve fulfillment and happiness the Stoics  decide not to require it. When I actually read the Meditations however this is not the impression that I got. Marcus is hardly powerless and could have anything he wants. Contrary to the prior impressions he seem to be a profoundly fulfilled and happy person. Someone who is worthy of immolation. The stoics goal according to Marcus is to cultivate a real and authentic relationship and connection with the Cosmos. He does this by not over or under stating his place in it and living according to nature. Marcus also tries to train his attention and actions so that the least important tasks dont come at the expense of more important tasks. The ultimate goal is to become a god which for Marcus is the Stoic Sage. The Stoic Sage is what we would call the apotheosis of pschological resilience. Its a philosophy of constant self improvement and reflection towards the goal of becoming a sage.