Book Review — The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Speak no more of how a good man ought to be, but be as such.
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius are an indispensable guide to bearing the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune with grace and sense. They are as relevant to our current struggles as they were to Rome’s divine ruler 1800 years ago. As iconic as they are, they were never intended for publication, and their history is a curious one.
The Meditations were originally composed as a series of private notes, written in a state of deep reflection on life’s challenges. Marcus Aurelius himself (b. CE 121, d. 180) was a Roman emperor, general, and stoic philosopher. Despite being essentially the richest and most powerful man on the planet, and despite being destined for the highest office in politics since his birth, at the age of 11 he gave up all worldly ties and donned the robe of a philosopher, which he wore for the rest of his life.
Simple and modest is the work of philosophy. Draw me not aside to insolence and pride.
To understand the significance of that gesture, it is important to remember that Roman emperors were worshiped as manifestations of the divine on Earth, there were essentially no laws which could constrain them either domestic or foreign, and they commanded the Roman Legion: the Ancient world’s closest approximation of an ICBM. To take vows as a stoic philosopher, and to undergo the initiations of the Eleusinian Mysteries is to sacrifice any love or desire that one may have for these things. To sacrificially give up, as it were, ultimate power and wealth. What in life could be so valuable as to shine brighter than all worldly command?
Everything harmonizes with me, which is harmonious to thee, O Universe. Nothing for me is too early or too late, which is in due time for thee. Everything is fruit to me which thy seasons bring, O Nature: from thee are all things, in thee are all things, to thee all things return.
Aurelius espouses what is called in today’s psychoanalytic parlance subjective destitution, or a refusal to draw and maintain consistent and sharp ego boundaries between the self and the world, and to submit oneself to the ecstatic release of the moment. Because one is not defending an ego, one can distance from the domains usually subjected to control of the ego: Concern for reputation, status, and the pursuit of all things which enhance them (wealth, fame, credibility, etc). Concern for these things is not the work which is internal to our highest ideals, but merely a potential outcome of success, a byproduct.
Everything which is in any way beautiful is beautiful in itself, and terminates in itself, not having praise as part of itself. Neither worse then nor better is a thing made by being praised.
The Stoic model of greatness purports that a man’s greatness lies in consciousness of a purpose, frequent self-examination, a just estimate of the world, and obedience to common morality. Everything else, to a stoic, is superfluous. Parallels have been drawn between Eastern contemplative practices (Buddhism and Taoism in particular come to mind) and the ethical-rational program of the stoics. Indeed, there is overlap. What is central to each is the gradual subtraction of the ego and the baser emotions from their otherwise privileged place in consciousness.
Be like the promontory against which the waves continually break, but stands firm and tames the fury of the water around it.
Aurelius presents to us a just and compelling view of how we can encounter tragedy, mistreatment, heartbreak, and absurdity with a measure of dignity and even wisdom. His book is essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless that permeates the modern condition
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