Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest emperors Rome ever produced, wrote a series of notes to himself. It is believed that these notes were never meant to be published but were part of his personal practice of self-improvement and philosophical reflection. Scattered with exhortations to not bend beneath the pressures of life, the reader is presented with a picture of life as something to be endured:
“Be like a rocky promontory against which the restless surf continually pounds.”
These types of quotes play into the modern stereotype of stoicism, which has been gaining popularity in recent years. However, while reading the Meditations, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to stoicism than its Clint Eastwood avatars.
“Universal nature uses the substance of the universe like wax, making now the model of a horse, then melting it down and using its material for a tree.”
Lines like these remind the reader that there is more to Stoicism than grit; there is an ordered universe that operates by rational principles. It is up to the individual not to be distracted by the transient frustrations and temptations that surround them. There is a sense that the truth of the universe is apparent through rationality, but our own self-deception constantly tries to conceal nature’s purposes.
“Either a stew, an intricate web, and dispersal into atoms; or unity, order, and providence.”
Another recurrent theme is the contrast between an ordered view of the universe and that of a random universe. As a Stoic, Marcus is deeply committed to the ordered view of the universe, yet he often investigates his conclusions from the Epicurean (random universe) viewpoint. He does this to reaffirm that the most important conclusion of either view is to lead a virtuous life.
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
One admirable aspect of Marcus Aurelius is that he put his high-flying virtues into practice. He managed to avoid many of the vices that were so easily accessible to a Roman emperor, leading an extraordinarily simple life given the circumstances. His virtuous life appears even more stark when contrasted with the absolute depravity of his son, Commodus.
Throughout the Meditations, there is a tension between individualism and collectivism. Humanity is often referred to in terms of a beehive or a body:
“What does not benefit the hive does not benefit the bee either.”
Alternatively, Marcus constantly reminds himself not to be annoyed by other bees in the hive because they are only acting according to their nature.
“Say to yourself first thing in the morning: today I will meet with people who are meddling.”
This tension highlights one of the main contradictions in Stoicism. The central claim of Stoicism is that the universe is completely ordered by the Logos. A completely ordered universe is equivalent to a completely deterministic universe. The question that naturally arises then is, where did the error come from? For example, if I get stung by a bee, a Stoic would say that the bee sting was part of the natural order of things; therefore, I should not give in to the pain and should control my emotions. Wouldn’t my reaction to start a global empire of pesticide distribution to target that specific genus of bees also be part of the natural order? Stoicism leaves no room in its universe for the virtue that is so important to it. This line of questioning is interesting because I think, if followed, it would cause the Stoic to make similar arguments that theists do when trying to explain ’the problem of evil'.
Metaphysics aside, the Meditations provide some very practical advice that continues to offer consolation in a world that often feels adversarial towards well-being. One of the best practices in the Meditations is a form of dissociation, reorientation, and reintegration. The steps are as follows: you find yourself in a problem, the first step is to dissociate from the emotions that the problem is creating. This allows for a disinterested rational examination. Then, you remind yourself of the brevity of your experiences, how insignificant they are in the grand scheme of things. You remind yourself that your job is very simple: to endure. You then re-enter the experience with this frame of mind.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found it to contain great practical insights that are easily applicable a couple thousand years later.
#book #marcus_aurelius #stoicism #meditations #philosophy #self_improvement #roman_empire #rationality #universal_order #virtue #determinism #practical_advice #emotional_control #individualism_vs_collectivism #ancient_wisdom
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