Marcus Aurelius - Meditations (AD 170-180)

Marcus Aurelius was Roman Emperor from AD 161 to 180, making this a historically significant document of his private notes beyond its value as a work of philosophy. This is fortunate, as the work itself is more interesting as a reflection of Aurelius' character and thoughts than as a work of philosophy. It is a rather straightforward personal reflection of Stoicism in practice, in most parts, rather than a new set of philosophical thoughts that pose new questions. Marcus commands himself, and the reader who is also intended as himself, to adopt and commit to the tenants of Stoic thought as a way to cope with the realities of being a ruler and to flourish as a virtue driven emperor. He also poetically considers death and the end of life throughout the text, more concentratedly in the twelfth and final book. His writing is very widely applicable to pursuing a virtue-driven Stoic lifestyle, making its application attractive and popular amongst result-driven individuals and pragmatic thinkers. While Stoicism itself limits the text as a piece of philosophy, considering it relies almost solely on the work of other Stoics or ancient thinkers while quoting Epictetus, Plato, and others, it is very entertaining and valuable as a personal work. He does not delve into or consider metaphysics or the origins of the conclusions he makes, rather focusing on the implications of Stoic thought and moral philosophy as it relates to fame, interpersonal relationships, "right and wrong" action, hedonism, and many other topics that are personal to Aurelius but widely applicable elsewhere. His notability largely stems from his persistence in being virtuous despite being the most powerful man of his time, failing to submit to hedonist or unvirtuous lifestyles. He also appears to write honestly about his thoughts, avoiding the inner-critic in a literary sense while appearing very self-critical in terms of behavior. He addresses all of the tenants of Stoic philosophy repeatedly, exemplifying the dyeing of the mind, particularly on topics of indifferentism and death. He leans into and relies on spiritual arguments often, similar to Kierkegaard or Aquinas to follow, making some of his philosophical reasonings rather complicated and unworkable. The work itself is rather unorganized as well because of its origins, particularly in book seven and some later books that appear haphazard or unfinished in retrospect, not reflecting a weakness but a limit of the form. He discusses more practical tools and ideas such as his commonplace books, methods for constructing personal responsibility, and even exhibits a personal maturation and evolution of thought throughout his writing. He is particularly persuasive because he chooses to act on his writings and thoughts, committing to Stoicism in a more intense and situationally challenging fashion than any other thinker, ancient or modern.