Essay about Marcus Aurelius Meditations - 1199 Words

Kurt McGann 11/12/11 Period 1 Mythology Hart Personal Meditations Section 1 Stoicism: â€Å"a systematic philosophy, dating from around 300 b.c., that held the principles of logical thought to reflect a cosmic reason instantiated in nature.† (dictionary.com). Marcus Aurelius (the author of â€Å"Meditations†) was a stoic as well as an emperor. The book he wrote was a collection of thoughts, things he advised himself to do, a piece reflecting his stoicism, and a personal diary of sorts. The kinds of things put into this book were sometimes crazy, sometimes contradictory, yet sometimes very true and insightful. Marcus wasn’t a professional philosopher, and this comes out in his work, but he had an interesting way of living his life. His writings†¦show more content†¦Could you have a hot bath unless the firewood underwent some change? Could you be nourished if the food suffered no change? Is it possible for any useful thing to be achieved without change? Do you not see, then, that change in yourself i s of the same order, and no less necessary to nature?† Many things we reap benefits from only come from the change of that item, as marcus explains. As well as getting benefits from change, we can also get cons. If we change things, such as law reforms, many will be mad, and just as many will be happy. So when it comes to change, it can leave bad effects just as well as it can leave good effects. Although Marcus has good intent, I can’t head all of his advice. Marcus believed along with other things, that self-improvement was important over many a things. I agree that self-improvement is well, self-improvement; and by the nature of the phrase itself is a good thing. Marcus holds this true at a more extreme level, putting it before things that lead to your own happiness. If today was your last day to live (assuming you are certain it is your last day to live) and you had a responsibility to better yourself given to you before your death, Marcus would say to go through with that responsibility, even if it resulted in your own discomfort. Marcus sees the improvement of one’s self would be more important than your own happiness, saying that dying a better person is better than dying content. I completelyShow MoreRelatedThe Meditations By Marcus Aurelius1765 Words   |  8 Pagesabout The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. In The Meditations, you read of ways to live y our life without fear of consequences. Forgetting past troubles and current issues will help our employees to work hard at what they have to do, working for our tire distribution company. The universe sets out our life before we are born and it is important to not let fear or mistakes get in the way of the future. If we assign everyone in the company, including those in satellite locations, Marcus Aurelius, I believeRead More Philosophies of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Essay examples2608 Words   |  11 Pages Marcus Aurelius Even today, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is read by every class from kings to common people. The book is a universal classic, meaning it can be related to at any time, by anyone. The philosophies included in his book have spanned the centuries, and Meditations remains to be one of the most influential books ever written. Marcus Aurelius was born on April 20, 121 AD into a family of royalty. His uncle and adoptive father, Antoninus Pius, was the emperor of Rome. Aurelius,Read MoreAnalysis Of The Meditations By Marcus Aurelius2002 Words   |  9 PagesThe 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. 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Aurelius, too, was trained from birth to be a great ruler like his father. At age eleven, he dedicated himself to religion, although he considered philosophy to be the quot;true, inwardquot; religion, one which did not require ceremonies necessary in others. He was appointed by Emperor Hadrian to priesthood in 129. The Emperor also supervised his educationRead MoreMarcus Aurelius Philosophy is Unique957 Words   |  4 Pagesunique and Marcus Aurelius is no exception. (I would use his name here just to make sure the audience knows who you’re talking aboutïÆ'  He was a philosopher, though a not widely known (Word choice?), and I believe that he has a lot to teach us despite the fact that we live in a different era (After and make this into a new sentence or combine how you think he is brilliant despite not many people knowing who he is.). This is because the overall concepts and themes found in his meditations come into playRead MoreAn Antidote Of Modern Society : Stoicism1058 Words   |  5 Pagesdogma of the Stoicism finds itself at odds with manipulation. Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius would have found himself in conflict with the elite throughout his life. As a student, Marcus did not want to just be a student of philosophy, but an actor. Reflected in Meditations are three doctrines- Life is governed by Providence, happiness comes from virtue, and to not be angry at other men. These tenets would have taught Marcus how to best prepare himself as an intellectual and a leader, and how to manage