This one thing, thoughts just, and acts social, and words which never lie, and a disposition which gladly accepts all that happens, as necessary, as usual, as flowing from a principle and source of the same kind.
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Selections Annotated and Explained
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The Author Comments
In 1862 the English literary critic and poet Matthew Arnold described Marcus Aurelius as "the most beautiful figure in history." I taught the Meditations in a university liberal studies program for sixteen years. I have always loved the writing of Marcus Aurelius and, like Arnold, came to revere this "philosopher king" who penned his Meditations under very trying circumstances while on military campaigns on the banks of the frozen Danube so long ago. My difficulty with the Meditations in its usual published form is its lack of thematic coherence and repetitiveness. Of course Aurelius never intended his thoughts to be published. The original meditations (in twelve journals) were intended for personal self-reflection, as a method of reinforcing his life long study of his Stoic philosophy. I accepted the personal challenge of writing this book to bring coherence to the original and to properly place the Meditations within the tradition of Stoic thought. There is order in this presentation. Stoicism was (and still is) a mature and highly effective way of looking at the world. It is grounded in rationality and rests firmly on an ethical approach rooted firmly in nature. It has appeal to people from all walks of life and does not require intellectual prowess to be understood. Most importantly Stoicism promises real happiness and joy in this life - and happiness and joy that can never be soured by personal misfortune. That's a stunning promise and a promise that readers of Aurelius have a right to understand. This philosophy has universal appeal with practical implications for the modern world in facing the multiple public and private crises of the 21st century: from dealing with climate change and terrorism to the personal management of sickness, aging, depression and addiction. As the author of this book I am not going to rate it - that is for you the reader. But I do hope that some of you will take the time to discover this astonishing figure and to see his writing in what I believe is a new light. I truly believe that the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius have much to offer us now.
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