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Owen Martin, Khongsinh Savathvongxay, Steven Rhodes

Section 9

Marcus Aurelius: A History and Philosophical Summary

Marcus Aurelius was born April 26, 121 CE in Rome, Italy. He was the Roman emperor from 161 to 180, when he died. He is best known for being a Stoic philosopher and for his work Meditations, which presents his thoughts and musings, from which one gets a sense of his Stoic philosophy. There are two main influences on Marcus Aurelius’ young adolescence that nurtured him towards Stoicism: the Discourses by Epictetus and his teacher who introduced him to Stoicism itself, Quintus Junius Rusticus.

Epictetus was not originally his real name- his real name is lost to time- but the given name now means “gained,” as he was originally a slave. Epictetus taught that philosophy was a way of life, not a theoretical discipline. The Discourses were recorded informal lectures by Epictetus and to his students he dictated that all external events are out of our control, and that we should calmly accept them, however he also states that one is responsible for their actions, and only through great self-discipline, one can truly analyze and control themselves. He also instructs students to be cognizant of their passions, desires, opinions, and anxieties. He orates that through this, “one can never fail to get what they desire, nor can they fall into what they want to avoid.” Epictetus stressed that true education lies in learning to differentiate between what belongs to us and what does not, and in learning to agree or disagree with superficial impressions. His true purpose of teaching this was to enable his students to be free and happy.

After his ascension to the throne, Aurelius focused heavily on changing the laws of Rome, “clearing away harshness and anomalies in the civil law, improving in detail a lot of the less favored – slaves, widows, minors – and giving recognition to claims of blood relationship in the field of succession.” Aurelius also gave more favor to Christians, who had been persecuted under previous emperors’ rules.

His most important work, and what he is best known for, regarded philosophy rather than law. His book Meditations reads like a diary and was essentially “the innermost thoughts of a Roman” . "Ta eis ieafton," literally "things to one's self". His words are relatable and the essence of his thoughts is personable. For the most part this work describes the basic moral ideas of Stoicism, echoing what Aurelius learned from Epictetus. Stoicism can be loosely defined as the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint. Passages in Meditations impress the importance of remaining in the present - sounding almost Eastern/Buddhist - trying not to become swept up in the events of the past or future. He emphasized accepting events as they come without judgement, not chasing after pleasure, and not avoiding pain.

He viewed virtue as the only measurable good. Things, people, and events were neither good nor bad, merely things for virtue to act upon. He thought all people should use their intellect in line with the fate or natural order of the world. The logical consequence is humans working in harmony and helping each other. Happiness to him was spiritual: an internal endeavor.

At age 58 in 180 CE, Aurelius died on a military campaign shortly after appointing his son Commodus to jointly rule with him as emperor. Commodus became Aurelius’ successor to the throne and his main legacy besides his work Meditations.

Quiz:

Who wrote the work that taught Aurelius his views of philosophy and what work was it?

What is Aurelius best known for?

What did Aurelius have a heavy focus on when ruling Rome?

What persecuted group of people did Aurelius give more favor to during his rule?

What year and at what age did Aurelius die?

Who became emperor after Aurelius’ death?

Sources:

Aurelius, Marcus. "Meditations: A New Translation." Translated by Gregory Hays. New York : Modern Library, 2003

Crook, John Anthony. “Marcus Aurelius.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 Dec. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-Aurelius-Roman-emperor.

Kamtekar, Rachana, "Marcus Aurelius", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.), Spring 2018 Edition. plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2018/entries/marcus-aurelius.