Marcus Aurelius - University of Exeter Blogs

Marcus Aurelius
Roman Emperor and Philosopher
Marcus Aurelius was a Roman Emperor from 161-­‐180 A.D, at a time when to be a Roman Emperor really meant being an emperor of almost all of the known world, for Rome’s territory then was at its most expansive. Therefore his job was not a small one. And yet at the same time as ruling the empire, and campaigning against troublesome tribes in what is now central and middle Europe (do you remember him from the start of the Gilm Gladiator?), he was also a philosopher. This did not mean that he just sat around thinking lofty thoughts in his spare time. Rather, the philosophy he chose to study was aimed at helping the individual to live life better, that is with values and a focussed mind. Marcus never wanted any glory – his own writings tell us that the last thing he desired was to be ‘treated like a Caesar’. All he wanted was to perform his duty admirably to his own people, family and, indeed, to himself. It was his favourite philosophy as a way of life, Stoicism, which enabled him to do this. Stoicism was a philosophy practised across the Ancient World for around half a millennium since its foundation by Zeno in the 4th century B.C. Nowadays, of course, we still have the word ‘stoic’ in our own language. It tends to mean someone who ‘ just gets on with things’ and who is rather ‘inGlexible, rigid and even emotionless.’ But, as history obscures so many things from the past, this could not be further from the truth. Indeed, Stoics believed in training the mind to let go of negative and destructive emotions, such as anger or jealousy, and to cultivate instead ‘good emotions’, such as joy and wishing others well. They felt that it was one’s duty to help others, and they considered that each and every action we take should be purposeful such that life always remains meaningful. Marcus Aurelius was a great example of what it really meant to be a ‘Stoic’. But how do we know what Marcus thought about and how he lived? By some miraculous chance his own private philosophical journal has survived. Perhaps it was found by a slave or secretary after Marcus’ death and kept safely? We will never know. Could you imagine a similar work by one of our own prime ministers being found today? The work, which we call the ‘Meditations’ (it never had a title as it was only ever intended for Marcus’ own private use), consists of relatively short entries in which Marcus gives himself advice on how to approach events in life and also reminds himself of his principles. It is a wonderful example of someone training himself to become the best human being possible. And we shall explore some key passages from it which, I hope, you will Gind useful for your own life. !
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The Way to Wake Up
‘Whenever, as the sun rises, you feel like you cannot be bothered to get up, have this thought ready to hand:
“I rise to do the work of a human being”
Why feel any resentment, when I am rising to do that for which I was born, for which I was brought into the world? Or was I made instead just to lie under these bedclothes, all warm and comfortable? “Well it is pleasurable to do so!” But were you born just for pleasure? Look at it this way: were you born for passivity or to be a man of action? Can you not see that even the shrubs, sparrows, ants, spiders and bees all do their bit, their part in making up the smooth functioning of the universe? So why don’t you do your bit too, and perform the role of a human being?’
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.1.
Overview: The Stoics had the central idea that each individual was an integral part of humankind as a whole and that each individual thus had an important role to play for the beneGit of all human beings. Marcus here refers to that idea by reference to the animal kingdom: all bees, for example, naturally go on their way performing what is good for others of their kind (and, inadvertently, for us with their honey!). They do not need to be told to do so, it happens naturally. However, for human beings, this idea is easily forgotten, especially when one has just woken up from the sweet oblivion of sleep. Marcus here reminds himself to think ‘I rise to do the work of a human being’ as soon as he wakes up so as to remember that what he has to do on that day is important, and that, put another way, his life’s purpose is not to be found in ‘lying in’. It is a call to action to start the day well, and, therefore, a strategy to avoid the feeling that you are playing ‘catch-­‐up’ throughout the rest of the day. !
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Questions for Discussion
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How do you usually feel about the day ahead when you wake up in the morning? Does it matter which day of the week it is?
How would you like to feel when you wake up in the morning? How important is it to start the day well and could Marcus’ reGlection help with this? Do you have any criticisms of Marcus’ reGlection? Points for Re-lection
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‘That which is not beneGicial for the hive, is not good for the bee’, Marcus writes elsewhere (6.54). Do you agree with this, as it relates to your own place in society? Marcus uses the analogy in the above passage of bees all naturally working together for the common good. How close is this to what happens in our own, human, society? ReGlect on what society would be like if everyone felt they were ‘doing their bit’. ReGlect on the difference between the kind of pleasure one feels from lying in, which Marcus discusses in the above passage, in comparison with what one feels as the result of living life with a distinct sense of purpose. Can life be pleasurable with the kind of ‘active’ approach suggested by Marcus and, if so, in what way is it different from the more ‘passive’ pleasure of lying on in bed? What can you Do?
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If you like Marcus’ early morning reGlection, you could write it (or, alternatively, your own reGlection) down on a piece of paper and keep it next to your bed. Next time you feel like you don’t want to get up, just look at what you have written. 3
The Way to Live
‘Consistently have the intention to perform your present activity attentively, with heartfelt dignity, and without dwelling on any distractions. Perform each deed as if it were your last, purposefully without hypocrisy, without feeling full of yourself or feeling in any way hard done by. You will see how few are the things by which someone can live a peaceful and happy life. Can one ask anything more of the one who lives life in this way, with all of his attention?’
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 2.5.
Overview: In this passage, Marcus dismisses the idea that philosophy is some kind of ‘talking-­‐shop’, with no immediate impact on how you live your life. Every action in life is given the care and attention it deserves, as if it were the last action you would ever perform. Not only does Marcus aim to give his full focus to what he is in the process of doing, but he also tries to do so with certain qualities and, in particular, purpose and a considerable degree of humility. This passage echoes another one of Marcus’ reGlections (4.17): ‘Do not live as if you had 10,000 years left to live…while you still can, while there is still time, make yourself good.’
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Questions for Discussion
How would living as Marcus suggests affect your friendships, your work, your sport or hobbies?
Would it be easy to give your full attention to what you are doing or do you think it would require persistent effort? What could make it easier? Do you think there are limitations to Marcus’ suggestions here, or do you think, like him, that one could not ask anything more of one who lives ‘…in such a way, with all of their attention’?
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Points for Re-lection
Marcus says here that happiness can come from mastering living in this way. Do you agree with this possibility? For the Stoic, ‘happiness’ came from the recognition that one was living an ethical and meaningful life. Do you think living in this way could lead to happiness? To put the question another way, what is life like when it is not lived in the manner Marcus suggests? Keep in mind that Marcus does not just recommend greater focus on its own, but that the focus should be combined with certain qualities, such as purpose and humility. Essentially, there is the Glexibility to choose which qualities you bring to your focus. For example, which qualities would you bring to your focus when playing sport or talking to a friend, guardian or parent? •
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What can you Do?
If you like Marcus’ suggested way to live, why not give it a go for one day? You could reGlect before hand on which activities you would like to perform on the day in question, and what qualities you would like to bring to them, and then give it your best effort…living like a Roman Emperor!
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Design Rob O’Connor
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The Way to Rest
‘People seek retreats for themselves in the country, hills and mountains and you too, Marcus, used to long for such retreats. But such a longing is the most idiotic thing, when it is possible to retreat into yourself at any time you wish. For a human being can Gind a retreat nowhere more peaceful or restful than within his or her own mind. Give yourself this retreat regularly and restore yourself. During this time, you can bring short phrases to mind which will release you from all unnecessary worry and leave you in a good state of mind for those things to which you return.’
Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.3.
Overview: Marcus here challenges the effectiveness of the desire to escape present circumstances by ‘being elsewhere’, in some ‘ideal’ location such as the countryside or mountains. If all he really desires is rest and peace, he realizes, he does not have to go somewhere else in order to have that rest or peace. Indeed, wherever he goes, he will still have himself with him! Instead, he decides that the better thing to do is to be differently where he already is. He is able to do this by practicing a kind of ‘retreat’, where he recites some key philosophical principles in order to return his mind to good order and calm. Some examples of the phrases he used are: ‘It is not events themselves that disturb you but your opinion of those events’; ‘the present moment is all that one really has’; and ‘all things change’. By repeating such phrases internally, and relating them in his mind to what was going on in his life at that time, Marcus wished to be put into a good frame of mind before returning to his work and social engagements of the day. As he mentions at the end of the extract, such a retreat is not just for him for he hopes that it will have a good effect on all the rest of his activities throughout the day and thus, also, all those with whom he will come into contact. Such an exercise as this is a demonstration of the Stoic idea that how we look after our own mind is important for how we relate to others. Questions for Discussion
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Do you think Marcus is right in calling the habit of seeking retreats for oneself in places other than where one is ‘the most idiotic thing’? Perhaps you disagree, or would argue for a more balanced view? Do you think that such ‘retreats into yourself’ are selGish activities or do you think, like Marcus, that they are important for how you relate to others? Points for Re-lection
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Are we encouraged, nowadays, to take a step back and reGlect, as Marcus does here? ReGlect on the Stoic idea, ‘Wherever you go, there you are’, and its implications for how you might live your life. 6
What can you Do?
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If you like Marcus’ retreat, why not give it a go? Find a quiet spot and calmly repeat internally some phrases which are important to you. You could use the examples of Marcus’ phrases above or think of some important phrases of your own. For example, you could bring to mind things or people for whom you feel grateful or you could repeat positive self-­‐afGirmations. Or you could try another Stoic technique where you imagine each stage of the day ahead, preparing yourself to handle each situation well. Whatever you decide, try it for at least Give minutes and notice if it changes how you go about your day. Design: Mary Ussher
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The Way to Give
‘There is one type of person who, whenever he has done a good deed to another, expects and calculates to have the favour repaid. There is a second type of person who does not calculate in such a way but who, nevertheless, deep within himself regards the other person as someone who owes him something and he remembers2 that he has done the other a good deed. But there is a third type of person who, in some sense, does not even remember the good deed he has done but who, instead, is like a vine producing its grape, seeking nothing more than having brought forth its own fruit, just like a horse when it has run, a dog when it has followed its scent and a bee when it has made honey. This man, having done one good deed well, does not shout it about but simply turns his attention to the next good deed, just like the vine turns once again to produce its grape in the right season.’ Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.6
Overview: Marcus Aurelius here discusses the three types of attitude one can have when giving something (by which Marcus also means, as this passage shows, giving one’s time and resources rather than just material gifts) to someone else. The Girst kind of person is highly self-­‐
interested and performs his ‘good deed’ only because he wants something back in return. The second recognizes that he has done a good deed and would be disappointed if the other ever forgot this fact. Perhaps he or she secretly expects the favour to be returned in the future. The third type of person is the ideal which Marcus himself aims for: the truly selGless person. This kind of person simply regards it as a natural expression of his or her nature to do good deeds to others. That this is considered natural is clear from Marcus’ comparison with the horse, dog, bee and, of course, the grape. As there is the fruit of the vine so there is the fruit of human action: giving. And this, according to Marcus, is where a human being’s greatest happiness lies. He writes elsewhere (7.74) in his Meditations: ‘No one grows tired of receiving beneGits, and to give these beneGits to others is to act according to nature. Therefore never grow tired of receiving beneGits by giving beneGits to others!’ !
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Questions for Discussion
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of living like the third kind of person Marcus describes?
Would it be very easy or very dif8icult to live like the third person? In thinking about this question, consider also how easy or dif8icult it would be to live like the Girst and second kind of person Marcus describes. Points for Re-lection
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As we can see from the passage quoted at the end of the overview, Marcus thinks that the joy of giving (that is of one’s time, resources and energy) to others is where one’s greatest happiness is to be found. Remember a time you gave your time and resources to another person. Did that feel like ‘happiness’? What can you Do?
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Perhaps it might seem quite difGicult to live in the selGless manner Marcus suggests. However, there is only one way to Gind out! Decide upon a day during which your main focus would be on how you could help others. Essentially you would be ‘Marcus undercover’ for a day! This need not involve too much – even just a smile or your full attention while listening to a friend is already an action that the ‘third kind of person’ would do. Try and Git the attitude of ‘the third kind of person’ into the framework of a perfectly normal day, maintaining a sense of interest and care with all the people you would normally come across. In the evening, note down how you think this experiment went and how it made you feel. 9