Analysis Of The Meditations By Marcus Aurelius - 2002 Words

The Meditations was written by Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, almost a hundred years after the birth of Christ. This man had all the power in the world, but he remained virtuous and pious as illustrated through his book. This book was never intended to be published. It is a collection of exhortations, reminders, reflections, and ideologies meant for his own self-improvement. By reading his Meditations, I have grown in thought and character. Aurelius has wonderful lessons everyone can learn from. Author Marcus Aurelius was born 121 AD in Rome. His father died three years after. He was then adopted by his grandfather who provided teachers for Marcus, all of whom he expresses gratitude for in Book 1. At age seventeen, Marcus was adopted†¦show more content†¦Marcus’ incorporation of Stoicism is evident in my favorite lessons from his book. History and Impact The first clear reference to Marcus’s Meditations was made around 300 AD by Themistius in his speech to the eastern emperor Valens. He calls Marcus’s aphorisms ‘exhortations’. From then on, the Meditations has been translated hundreds of times from Ancient Greek. Marcus never titled his notes, they were just ‘jottings’ in his journal. There are multiple titles for them, but the one that has stuck the most is, of course, his Meditations. The Meditations has impacted men of power and soldiers the most. Marcus was the emperor when he wrote his exhortations. Therefore, leaders are able to identify with his wisdom. There are a lot of excerpts that would be helpful to leaders. For instance: â€Å"‘The man without one and same aim in life cannot himself stay one and the same throughout his life.’ The maxim is incomplete unless you add what sort of aim that should be. Judgments vary of the whole range of various things taken by the majority to be goods in one way or another, but only one category commands a universal judgment, and that is the good of the community. It follows that the aim we should set ourselves is a social aim, the benefit of our fellow citizens. A man directing his own impulses to this end will be consistent in all his actions.† 112:21 If I was in a position of power, I would consult this book because Marcus was in a position of power too and he hasShow MoreRelatedStoicism In Marcus Aureliuss Meditations889 Words   |  4 PagesAn Ideal World (An analysis of the use of stoicism in Marcus Aureliuss, â€Å"Meditations†) Stoicism is defined in Greek school of Philosophy as teaching that â€Å"virtue, the highest good, is based on knowledge, and that the wise live in harmony with divine reason that governs nature, and are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune and to pleasure and pain.† (Oxford). Virtue is a trait sought after by many in today’s society. It is also a trait that millions upon millions of people choose to ignoreRead MoreExplanation and Analysis of Stoic Philosophy Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesExplanation and Analysis of Stoic Philosophy Stoicism is, without a doubt, one of the most widely misunderstood schools of Philosophy ever established and followed by a wide number of people. The common opinion of Stoic adherents is that they are merely cold, somber individuals dedicated to the idea that happiness is evil, emotion is to be avoided at all costs and pleasure is wicked. Although they do stress control over strong emotions and that pleasureRead MoreCitation and Reference List9582 Words   |  39 PagesReference list items are in the same order as referenced in your assignment, earliest first. Linklater (2002a) states that ... improvements of up to 80 percent have been observed (Linklater 2002b). Reference list Linklater, P. 2002a, Workflow analysis: an introduction, Faber, Sydney. Linklater, P. 2002b, ‘Enterprise content management and productivity’, Journal of Process Management, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 1023-1047. 3.12 Use of ‘’ Use ‘and’ instead of ‘’ (ampersand), except when ‘’ isRead More My Friend Hamilton -Who I shot Essay6642 Words   |  27 Pagestheorists during the past hundred years or so.†2 This idea of highlighting and differentiating between â€Å"contextual† and â€Å"psycho-historical† studies provides this discussion with a centrality that will allow a further understanding the forthcoming analysis. J. Lee and Conalee Levine-Schneidman argued â€Å"it was not Burr who was the instrument, but rather Hamilton himself—or rather Hamilton’s distorted perception of Burr as his evil self† that promulgated the duel.3 This article entitled â€Å"Suicide