Marcus Aurelius

Regan Newport H1

Stoicism: the practice of placing logic and reason above all else, seeking truth, and not allowing emotions and desires to interfere with clarity and truth. Marcus Aurelius is one of the most famous stoics in history. Leading Rome as its emperor, Marcus Aurelius practiced stoicism not only in his personal life, but also in his time as emperor.

Born in 121 CE, Aurelius had a privileged upbringing. His family’s connections allowed him the ability to receive an education. Beginning in his young teens, Aurelius received an education in philosophy. In 138 CE, for reasons unclear, he was adopted by the current emperor of the time, Antoninus Pius, allowing him to become emperor in 161 CE. At the beginning of his rule, he was emperor along with Lucius Verus, but began ruling independently in 169 CE. He had a successful reign, but did experience some war and unrest. Overall, he abstained from many of the luxuries, the excess wealth, and the Aurelius died in 180 CE, leaving his position to his son Commodus.

His greatest and most famous legacy as a philosopher, the Meditations, are a series of writings by that reflect Marcus Aurelius’s thoughts on stoicism. The Meditations were also influenced by Aurelius’s knowledge of Epictetus. The Meditations were also informal. They were personal journal entries written without the intention of publication, but simply as Aurelius recording his philosophical thoughts and ideas. While there are aspects of stoicism that are honorable and even “good”, such as placing emphasis on virtue, truth, and morality over material desires and selfish wants, there is also a darker side. Stoicism involves looking at the world in a way that could cause a person to feel helpless. Part of stoicism is recognizing that you can not change what happens around you, but only how you react. While this is somewhat true, it can sometimes cause unnecessary stress and hardship constantly fighting to not allow outside events to affect you. In Marcus Aurelius’s own life, this was often a struggle. Through his writings, it is evident that he had unrealistic goals, used drugs, and was constantly unstable as a result of his almost obsessive ideals.
Marcus Aurelius is one of the most well know stoics, and his work the, Meditations, is the

most famous stoic work. Though today we do not practice stoicism as a result of its impracticality in everyday life, there are lasting impacts and things we can learn from Marcus Aurelius and his stoicism. Aurelius had a lasting impact on Rome. His legacy as a fair and good ruler was well remembered. Further, stoicism can be practical in that it is important for people to remember that they do not have control over everything in their life. Often, things happen that cause stress and frustration, but it is important to recognize whether or not it is something we can control. If it isn’t, it's important to let it go and move on. However, we have to be careful not to become complacent with this attitude. If something happens that you can change for the better, it is important to do so. While in full, stoicism is not a practical philosophical practice, drawing certain aspects of it can reduce unnecessary stress and drama in life.


Quiz:

1.How did Marcus Aurelius come to power?

2.What was his famous work called?

3.What is one of the  main principles of stoicism?

4.How did Marcus Aurelius die?

DQ:

1.Is stoicism practical in every day life?

2.Are there any stoics today? (politicians, celebrities, etc.)

3.Overall, is stoicism dangerous or positive to life?

Sources:
https://www.iep.utm.edu/marcus/#SH3a
https://www.ancient.eu/Marcus_Aurelius/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-Aurelius-Roman-emperor#ref4599

Link to comments:
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/12/95-theses-mohamed-h01-backgroundrecap.html?showComment=1544128121379#c7353609666856082998
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/12/bikini-bottom-as-functioning-socialist.html?showComment=1544128485180#c7158660259718623737

Midterm report:
https://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2018/10/john-calvin.html