Meditations

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Marcus Aurelius. Meditations

Meditations. Marcus Aurelius

INTRODUCTION

THE FIRST BOOK

THE SECOND BOOK

THE THIRD BOOK

THE FOURTH BOOK

THE FIFTH BOOK

THE SIXTH BOOK

THE SEVENTH BOOK

THE EIGHTH BOOK

THE NINTH BOOK

THE TENTH BOOK

THE ELEVENTH BOOK

THE TWELFTH BOOK

NOTES

GLOSSARY

AudioBook

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Table of Contents

Meditations Marcus Aurelius

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Profound as philosophy these Meditations certainly are not; but Marcus Aurelius was too sincere not to see the essence of such things as came within his experience. Ancient religions were for the most part concerned with outward things. Do the necessary rites, and you propitiate the gods; and these rites were often trivial, sometimes violated right feeling or even morality. Even when the gods stood on the side of righteousness, they were concerned with the act more than with the intent. But Marcus Aurelius knows that what the heart is full of, the man will do. 'Such as thy thoughts and ordinary cogitations are,' he says, 'such will thy mind be in time.' And every page of the book shows us that he knew thought was sure to issue in act. He drills his soul, as it were, in right principles, that when the time comes, it may be guided by them. To wait until the emergency is to be too late. He sees also the true essence of happiness. 'If happiness did consist in pleasure, how came notorious robbers, impure abominable livers, parricides, and tyrants, in so large a measure to have their part of pleasures?' He who had all the world's pleasures at command can write thus 'A happy lot and portion is, good inclinations of the soul, good desires, good actions.'

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