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Marcus Aurelius: Meditations

Philosophy asks big questions in careful steps. This page is a short introduction to Marcus Aurelius and his Meditations. It is general education. It is not advice for your own situation, and it is not therapy. It is a short orientation and does not settle scholarly debates.

Who he was

Marcus Aurelius was born in 121 CE and educated extensively in rhetoric and philosophy. He succeeded his adoptive father Antoninus Pius as Emperor of Rome in 161 CE and reigned until his death in 180. He was a second century CE Roman emperor and also a Stoic philosopher.

A book written to himself

His Meditations was written to and for himself. It offers readers a chance to see how an ancient person, indeed an emperor, might try to live a Stoic life.

The Stoic view

According to that Stoic view, only virtue is good, only vice is bad, and the things we normally concern ourselves with are indifferent to our happiness, since our lives are not made good or bad by having or lacking them.

Philosophy and practice

The difficulties Marcus faces putting Stoicism into practice are philosophical as well as practical. Understanding his efforts improves our philosophical appreciation of Stoicism.

Sources

This page draws on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry "Marcus Aurelius" (first published Nov 29, 2010; substantive revision Mar 31, 2025) at plato.stanford.edu. The link goes to the organization's own site.

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