Books That Matter: Meditations

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus starts his personal philosophical journal by thanking people who brought him to that moment, including his mother and the Roman emperor who adopted him, Antoninus Pius. He also thanks his tutors, including two of the foremost teachers of Stoicism of the day, Epictetus and Quintus Junius Rusticus. Explore Marcus' character by discovering whom he thanks and why.

Marcus was a product of the Roman Empire at the time of its greatest expanse. Explore how events in the Empire itself affected Marcus' thoughts about divine providence, duties to the great family of humanity, the notion of virtue, and the metaphysical relationships between wholes and parts.

Marcus only mentions Stoicism directly in one passage of Meditations. But whether he used the specific word, Meditations is filled with Stoic ideas. Learn what Marcus and the Stoics before him say about wisdom, courage, justice, temperance, role ethics, and cosmopolitanism-and how they can guide us to live according to our one true purpose in life.

The Stoics believed in God-and they believed God was the same thing as the cosmos itself. Learn how humanity fits into this grand view and how we can determine what is truly important in our lives. You'll be surprised to learn how much of what we typically care about is labeled by Marcus with the apparently oxymoronic phrase "preferred indifferent."

If you're trying to get away from your problems by going on vacation, Meditations has a bit of strong language for you: You need a change of soul, not a change of scenery. Marcus suggests turning inward to your "Inner Citadel" where you can analyze what's bothering you and then realize why it's not really a problem. Discover why Marcus writes: "The universe is change; Life is opinion."

One of the most significant distinctions made by the Stoics is the separation between that which we can control and that which we cannot. But once you identify what you can control, then what? Marcus tells us that we must always act to benefit the cosmopolis. Discover the relationships between spirit, reason, and happiness-and Marcus' rational thoughts on death.

Anger management wasn't "invented" any time recently. Even Roman emperors weren't immune from this destructive emotion, and it's certainly addressed in Meditations. Stoicism tells us that emotions, including anger, are aspects of our cognition and so can be overturned by a reasoned analysis. Explore the details of the Stoic path from anger to equanimity.

The Stoics saw the world around them as being their only opportunity for action, and the present as the only time to act. They did not aspire to, nor believe in, any afterlife. Neither did Marcus believe that prosocial behavior included waiting for Utopia. Learn why the Stoics believed we are, in essence, our rational decisions-nothing more and nothing less.

In the 11th notebook of his journals, Marcus compiles his own version of Ten Commandments. These are not orders for anyone else, however. They are only for his own self-imposed ethical training. Learn what he believes to be the reason we came into the world and explore one of the spiritual exercises he recommends.

Stoicism has had enduring appeal because it is a philosophy practiced across the wide spectrum of human conditions, and because its three over-arching themes have not lost their relevance. Explore these themes with your professor's guidance: the ontology of parts and wholes, the nature of time, and the opposing binary of vice and virtue.

It's clear in Meditations that Marcus had no interest in Stoicism as a theoretical exercise. Instead, he saw it as an active path to living his most appropriate life. Discover many of the spiritual practices Marcus included in his journals. Your professor offers detailed directions about their practice, and tips on determining whether they're working for you.

In addition to Stoic philosophy being the inspiration for the beginnings of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, there are many aspects of Stoicism that certainly translate to 21st century use. In this lecture, however, you'll discover which parts of the original Stoicism do not translate well to modern use without significant update, and why.