The Angels Amongst Us - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.48

Meditation VI.48 - The Angels Amongst Us - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil (follow photographic link for larger image).

Whenever you desire to give yourself true delight, think about the good qualities of those who live with you; for instance, the moderation of one, and the modesty of another, and the open mindedness of a third, and the selfless generosity of a fourth. For nothing delights so much as living examples of these virtues, when they are honestly exhibited in the morals of those who live with us and present themselves in abundance. Keep these virtues before you at all times.⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) There are no gods, angels or saints in the Stoic universe. At least not in any conventional sense of the supernatural - as understood in many religious traditions. In those traditions human beings are brought into alignment with the divine world of gods and angels by living saintly lives. But in those traditions the divine and natural worlds occupy distinct realms. In Stoic tradition divinity is in nature not above nature. And since we are an integral part of the natural world, each of us is not only in touch with the divine, every one of us is divine. If we seek angelic or saintly inspiration in our lives, we need go no further than to examine the lives of our friends and neighbours. When our friends and neighbours act well and exhibit truly good qualities, they are manifesting the same divine spirit that permeates all of nature. If we seek angels for inspiration we need look no further than at the lives of those around us who exhibit good qualities.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

On Lifespan - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.49

Meditation VI.49 - On Lifespan - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil (follow photographic link for larger image).

You are not dissatisfied, I suppose, because you weigh only so many litrae and not three hundred.⁽¹⁾ Be not dissatisfied then that you must live only so many years and not more; for as you are satisfied with the amount of substance which has been assigned to you, so be content with the time.⁽²⁾

Explanation

(1) The litra (pl. litrae) was a Greek unit of weight, equivalent to around 0.33 kg (0.72 pounds). The equivalent Roman unit was the libra. Marcus wrote his Meditations in Greek and not in his native Latin, so the Greek form of the unit is what has been translated here. The "idealized" weight cited here, 300 litrae, would be equivalent to 216 pounds (98 kg). This weight - one for a large statured or muscular male (Marcus is writing while on a military campaign) - would probably confer an advantage to a soldier in the field.

(2) The Stoic approach with respect to all things assigned to us by nature is that we must be satisfied with whatever we are. It is senseless to wish we were bigger, or smaller, or better looking. Whatever nature has assigned to us is what we are meant to have. This same argument applies to the number of years we will live. Not to be content with whatever nature has assigned to us goes against the will of nature.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Marcus Aurelius on Civil Disobedience, Passive Resistance, and Non-Violence - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.50

Meditation VI.50 - Marcus Aurelius on Civil Disobedience, Passive Resistance, and Non-Violence - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil (click on photograph for larger image).

Let us try to persuade everyone to be just.⁽¹⁾ But whenever the principles of justice require we must resist the will of others.⁽²⁾ If others attempt to use force to prevent you from doing what is right, respond with gentle tranquillity.⁽³⁾ Do not respond to force with anger, but with temperance.⁽⁴⁾ Remember that you can never do what is impossible. All that you can ever desire is to be just in your own reactions. In being just you will have have achieved your goal.⁽⁵⁾

Explanation

(1) We have a civic duty not only to to model justice, but to teach others the meaning of justice. In the modern social context persuading others to be just can be achieved through social protest movements.

(2) If the "will of others" is in the form of unjust laws, we have a duty to resist. In other words we must engage in civil disobedience when facing injustice.

(3) The Stoic response to the "use of force" must take the form of passive resistance.

(4) A Stoic can never engage in the use of force. To do so would be to act in anger, something a Stoic can never display. Temperance however is itself a virtue. A peaceful or non-violent response is the only rational response to anger, and the only strategy that has any possibility of achieving results.

(5) Marcus asks us to recall that we can be responsible only for our own actions. We may never change those who are determined to do what is wrong through violence. However our primary goal in any action must always be to do what is right ourselves - not to expect that we will reform others.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Fame and Fortune as False Values III - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Published Selections Explained, Med. VI.51

Meditation VI.51 – Fame and Fortune as False Values III - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil - Please click on photograph for larger image.

Note: Meditation VI.51 is published in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained; McNeil. Russell, PhD, Skylight Paths, Ch. 1 ("The Promise of Stoicism – Fame and Fortune as False Values III, p. 19, 2007

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

False Opinion I - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Published Selections Explained, Med. VI.52

Meditation VI.52 – False Opinion I - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil - Please click on photograph for larger image.

Note: Meditation VI.52 is published in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained; McNeil. Russell, PhD, Skylight Paths, Ch. 5 ("Stoicism and the Mind – False Opinion I, p. 127, 2007

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Inquiry and the Practice of Philosophy V - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Published Selections Explained, Med. VI.53

Meditation VI.53 – Inquiry and the Practice of Philosophy V - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil - Please click on photograph for larger image.

Note: Meditation VI.53 is published in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained; McNeil. Russell, PhD, Skylight Paths, Ch. 6 ("The Method of Stoicism – Inquiry and the Practice of Philosophy V, p. 143, 2007

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

The Many Before the One - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.54

Meditation VI.54 - The Many Before the One - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil - please click on photograph for larger image.

That which is not good for the swarm, neither is it good for the bee.⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) This powerful meditation can serve as an internal check on all of our actions in life. Will what I am about to do serve the interests of the world community, "the swarm," or serve the interests of only myself, "the bee?" The first Stoic principle requires that in our ordering of priorities, community interest must always precede self interest, irrespective of personal consequences. This seems like a tough requirement. Placing the interests of others before our own can sometimes be fatal. But for the Stoic, that is what is required. A Stoic must be indifferent to personal consequences if an action will result in harm to others. But the Stoic - steeped as she is in the fundamental essence of Stoic rationality - understands that placing the interests of the community before the interests of the self is the only way that she can be happy.

What may appear as a heroic act to those unfamiliar with Stoic philosophy is to the Stoic the only course of action rationally available. To the Stoic, acting otherwise is not only non-heroic, it is something that will result in a profound alienation from community. Self interested actions may feel good at the time they are done. They may advance our material status in life. They might help us advance in our career. They might ensure our physical survival. But, ultimately, self-interested actions remove us from our connection to community. When we act for the self - to the exclusion of the many - we are no longer a part of the universe. And in due course we will be removed from the universe.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Med. VI.55 - Annotated and Explained in Modern Context by Russell McNeil

Meditation VI.55 - Balance and Harmony - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

If sailors abused the helm or the sick the doctor, would they listen to anybody else; or how could the helm secure the safety of those in the ship or the doctor the health of those whom she attends?⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) This meditation is intended as an argument for internal harmony and balance. A modern Marcus might just simply say “chill.” Marcus paints a picture (or has us imagine) what can happen in a society where there is a breakdown in the relationships between an authority (ship pilots and doctors) and those served by those authorities (passengers on a ship, and patients). If there is dissent within relationships like these, both sides in the relationship suffer. Everyone on a ship does down from bad piloting – and doctors lose their patients (and their livelihood) from bad doctoring. Marcus understands that “following nature” brings about the sort of harmony and balance that comes from the primacy of authority (or mind) internally. The metaphors presented in the meditation point to the internal relationship in mind between reason (the authority) and the body (that which is ruled by the mind).

Modern Context (Meditation by Russell McNeil)

Flickr Link: Chill (Suggested by Meditation VI.55)

The relationship between reason and passion is a lawful contract between ruler and ruled, between a trained rider and a disciplined horse. Rulers rule; the ruled obey. Harmony is the balance between these two. Injustice and lawlessness are alien in Nature. Disharmony is extinction. This is the Law.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Is this a Rhetorical Question⸮ - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.56

Meditation VI.56 - Is this a Rhetorical Question⸮ - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

How many together with whom I came into the world are already gone out of it⸮^(1),(2)

Explanation

(1) Most of us live a delusional existence unwilling to face the plain and chilling fact that our moment here is indescribably brief. We have but an instant to experience what we are designed to do.

(2) Although rarely used, I have rewritten Marcus' rhetorical question using English Printer Henry Denham's (fl. 1556-1590) rhetorical or percontation point (⸮). The symbol (U+2E2E in Unicode) is the reverse of a standard question mark. George Long uses a period as punctuation in the original translation - which is a valid - but an uncommon way of expressing a rhetorical question in print. The percontation point was invented by Denhem in the 1580s, and is sometimes used as an "irony mark." The device has been used very rarely since the 1600s but feels suitable here.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

The Poison of Prejudice - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.57

Meditation VI.57 - The Poison of Prejudice - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

To the jaundiced honey tastes bitter,⁽¹⁾ and to those bitten by mad dogs water causes fear;⁽²⁾ and to little children the ball is a fine thing.⁽³⁾ Why then am I angry? Do you think that a false opinion has less power than the bile in the jaundiced, or the poison in one who is bitten by a mad dog?⁽⁴⁾

Explanation

(1) Jaundice causes an excess amount of the bile pigment bilirubin in the fat layer under the skin. Either the body is producing too much, or it's not getting rid of it fast enough. Honey was, and is still used, in treating jaundice. A bitter taste is a common symptom of jaundice.

(2) Hydrophobia (fear of water) is one of the late symptoms of rabies. It is not so much a fear of water as difficulty in swallowing, which cause those afflicted to shun liquids.

(3) To children a ball is "a fine thing." The point Marcus is making here is that a ball is just a ball. A ball is neither a fine thing, nor a bad thing. By comparison, the root causes of jaundice and rabies are also - in and of themselves - neither good things nor bad things. They are poisons to those afflicted, but when removed from those afflicted by disease they are are substances with no inherent power.

(4) When we hold a false opinion - such as a prejudice - we can become unduly riled or angry. The anger may be real, but the cause is unjustified, and the false opinion that is causing this anger is - in and of itself - powerless when it is withdrawn. Our opinions - or 'attitudes' in modern parlance - are positions that are entirely under human control. This is a critical concept in Stoic philosophy. False opinions are contrary to nature, and contrary to reason. True opinion can only be formed through the exercise of reason, and reason is what defines our inherent human nature.

The remedy for false opinion underlies the fundamental method of Stoicism: the exercise of critical thinking - mediated through meditation. Allowing unexamined opinions to regulate our actions is contrary to human nature. This is really a surrender of reason to passion - with potentially deadly consequences. Yet, many of us carry about false and unexamined opinions for much of our lives - believing, ironically, that these false attitudes will have no significant import on our lives. The point Marcus is illustrating here is that false opinions are indeed very dangerous. They can be extraordinarily powerful, and if we leave them unexamined, we can do extraordinary damage to ourselves.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

The telos (τέλοϛ) or Purpose of Stoic Life - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.58

Meditation VI.58 - The telos (τέλοϛ) or Purpose of Stoic Life - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

No person will hinder you from living according to the reason of your own nature:⁽¹⁾ nothing will happen to you contrary to the reason of the universal nature.⁽²⁾

Explanation

(1) The power of this claim is its absolute certainty. Our human nature is divine. Every human being is coupled to this Universal through reason. The "reason of your own nature" and the "reason of the universal nature" are the same - that is, the Law of Nature. Our duty in life is to seek and to know this truth, a process that begins with the self-discovery that can be achieved only through meditation. Nothing can hinder this pursuit, because it is governed by the same immutable law that governs all of existence. That which is human in us is invulnerable, because our human nature was forged by, and distilled from the Law that governs all of nature. Those elements which are detached from reason in us - our diverse emotional drives and passions - are necessary for survival, but also necessarily fallible. The art of living is learning how to differentiate between these two often conflicting attractions - a distinction that meditation will invariably present to us in sharp relief.

(2) Divine Reason brings serenity, a genuine and sufficient state of true enlightenment that requires no amplification or enhancement. Stoic enlightenment - happiness - is the telos (τέλοϛ) or purpose of life. To know this experience is to be united with the divine. There is no hierarchy in Stoic enlightenment. It is meaningless to expect more, because there is no need for more. it is equally meaningless to express the experience of happiness with spatial or temporal qualifiers - particularly with expressions such as, 'in heaven,' or 'for all eternity.' Stoic happiness is of necessity decoupled from all spatial and temporal measures. We experience happiness - and then we die - nothing more is required of us - or indeed needed by us - because that which defines our self-hood dissolves when we recognize that we are - and always have been - in unity with the Universal. Our animal drives, while necessary for physical survival, will at best bring us only pleasures (or pain) - experiences which are as ephemeral and unsatisfying as the individual life of the self is brief.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

What kind of people do we try to please? - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VI.59

Meditation VI.59 - What kind of people do we try to please? - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

What kind of people are those whom men and women wish to please, and for what objects, and by what kind of acts?⁽¹⁾ How soon will time cover all things, and how many it has covered already.⁽²⁾

Explanation

(1) When we think carefully about those we try to please, we become aware that our motivations are often self-directed. We desire to please because we want others to think well of us. Marcus asks us to reflect on such actions, and to be honest about what sorts of actions these really are. Are they motivated by a desire to keep a job, or to make more money, or to gain some material advantage, or simply to retain whatever sense of popularity or reputation we seek? For a Stoic all consequential actions toward others must be motivated by selfless love. This does not mean that we should never give pleasure to others for any self-directed reason. Living in society requires we maintain and follow cultural conventions and decorum. Ignoring others because not doing so might be viewed as self-serving is not what Marcus advocates. The traditional courtesies and conventions of social living require we follow cultural niceties. But for the Stoic everything is attitude. The Stoic needs to feel assured that every action is done for the right reason. With respect to cultural norms the key Stoic attitude toward cultural practices is indifference as to what consequences happen to follow.

(2) Life is very short. In time whatever footprint we have left here is erased - as it has been erased for countless others over the centuries. Whatever gain any self-serving action has procured for us in life, that benefit means nothing when we are gone. Self-serving acts never procure anything other than momentary pleasure - and happiness does not devolve from any pleasure. Happiness comes only from serving others - in the right way, and for the right reasons.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

What is badness? - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VII.01

Meditation VII.01 - What is badness? - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

What is badness?⁽¹⁾ It is that which you have often seen. And on the occasion of everything which happens keep this in mind, that it is that which you have often seen. Everywhere up and down you will find the same things, with which the old histories are filled, those of the middle ages⁽²⁾ and those of our own day; with which cities and houses are filled now. There is nothing new: all things are both familiar and short-lived.⁽³⁾

Explanation

(1) Marcus uses the words "badness," "evil," and "vice" interchangeably.

(2) In Marcus' time the Greek "Middle Ages" (a term that has since gone out of use) refers to the period from around 1200 BCE to around 800 BCE. It's useful to recall that Marcus is writing these meditations c. 175 CE which is nearly a thousand years after the close of those middle ages. This interval of time is comparable to our own remoteness from the middle ages we refer to in modern times (c. 1000-1300 CE).

(3) The problem of good and evil has always been central to philosophy. The Stoic resolution derives from the Platonic assertion that evil is nothing more than the absence of good. The good is in us from birth, because in the Stoic scheme our inherent human nature is derived from the ultimate source of all that is good, which is the Universal Intelligence or Law of Nature. Since this good is perfect in all respects, it is therefore divine - as is our active nature - our soul. The soul compels and draws us to all else that is good in the universe because we seek union with the perfection, beauty, and knowledge encapsulated by the Universal Intelligence, or Logos. Those who fail to move toward the unity of Nature - or, alternatively, remain transfixed on the animal side of our dual nature - do so because they do not see what is before them. Their judgement is occluded by the self-serving impulses of animal survival. those impulses are not bad in and of themselves. They are necessary for survival. What is bad in Stoic terms is to prioritize the animal over the divine. In other words, that which requires a fundamental attitude of indifference becomes the overriding reason for existence. To a Stoic these behaviours are easy to recognize. They manifest in the actions of those who place pleasure, power, and reputation before the first requirement of any Stoic: to serve the impulse of the soul, or to act with virtue. The Stoic has no real difficulty in doing this because it is the service of this impulse that brings peace and serenity to life - and is in truth our only reason for existence.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

The Power of Opinion V - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Published Selections Explained, Med. VII.02

Meditation VII.02 – The Power of Opinion V - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

Note: Meditation VII.02 is published in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained; McNeil. Russell, PhD, Skylight Paths, Ch. 1 ("the Promise of Stoicism – The Power of Opinion V, p. 9, 2007

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Worth - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VII.03

Meditation VII.03 - Worth - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

The idle business of show, plays on the stage, flocks of sheep, herds, exercises with spears, a bone cast to little dogs, a bit of bread into fish-ponds, labourings of ants and burden-carrying, runnings about of frightened little mice, puppets pulled by strings - all alike. It is your duty then in the midst of such things to show good humour and not a proud air; to understand however that every one of us is worth just so much as the things are worth about which we busy ourselves.⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) This seemingly bizarre list of activities - a list that does not differentiate between the activities of ants or sheep, and those of men - is meant to illustrate the human tendency to place value on things that are inconsequential in terms of our primary purpose. The Stoic should never ignore the things that many regard as essential. It is only prudent to pay attention to the world. But each of those things listed here is a matter of indifference in terms of human happiness. We achieve happiness when our actions are directed toward the divine - both the divine in us, and the divine around us. What is divine is not the action of the elements around us, but that which animates those actions - the Law of Nature. It may seem a subtle distinction, but it requires a real gestalt shift in thinking - something the early Stoics recognized from their reading of Plato. The world of perfection is defined by the Law. The world of things is merely an imperfect shadow of that Law. The Law itself is perfect and therefore incomprehensibly beautiful. To see only the world of ordinary activities as all that there is leaves us empty and devoid of real joy. To discover this Law we must learn to see how the Law operates in us, and in so doing recognize that we too are divine. With this step the activities required of a true Stoic - the real "worth" in life, the virtues - will follow, and will follow naturally.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Body Language - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VII.04

Meditation VII.04 - Body Language - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

In discourse you must attend to what is said, and in every movement you must observe what is happening. And in the one you should see immediately to what end it refers, but in the other watch carefully what is the thing signified.⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) This meditation suggests that each of us, in our primary role as political actors in all that we do, must attend closely not only to the words that are said by those around us, but also to the inner intentions. Marcus is aware that our world is full of trickery and deception. While we ought always assume that people will act and speak with honesty, Marcus is a realist. Not everyone speeks the truth. Many people are motivated by self-interest, and speak only words that they presume we wish to hear. To do this well, the Stoic needs to master the art of reading - not just between the lines - but reading the hidden language of the body. This is clearly a difficult task. We need to be able to deflect flattery, know the speaker, understand the situation, and to detect deception. Even more difficult is the task of disarming deception without doing harm to the speaker. We are guided in this by our roles as teachers. Our aim is never to humiliate or antagonize the speaker, but to find ways of turning deception into truth. A Stoic is helped in this regard by recalling that the speaker is in truth being dishonest because of his basic ignorance of the Law of Nature. We need to find ways of correcting and guiding the speaker toward a self-understanding that will eventually lead him to honest discourse and disclosure.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Society and Social Collapse V - The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - Published Selections Explained, Med. VII.05

Meditation VII.05 – Society and Social Collapse V - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

Note: Meditation VII.05 is published in The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained; McNeil. Russell, PhD, Skylight Paths, Ch. 9 ("Society and Government in Stoicism – Society and Social Collapse V, p. 221, 2007

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Tempus Edax Rerum - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VII.06

Meditation VII.06 - Tempus Edax Rerum - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

How many after being celebrated by fame have been given up to oblivion; and how many who have celebrated the fame of others have long been dead.⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) This meditation captures the essence of Ovid's (20 March 43 BCE – CE 17/18) Stoic inspired aphorism: tempus edax rerum (Time the devourer of everything)." We who seek fame are chasing a phantom. To place reputation at the center of our life project is clearly self-centered and as such at variance with the law of nature that places the rights of community before the rights of the individual. It is also of course a meaningless quest since whatever else fame might seem, it is at best ephemeral since whoever acquires fame will lose the celebration of those who - like the one who has fame - will soon be dead. As is the case with any self serving activity, the energy we dissipate in the acquisition of fame is activity wasted. It serves not those we were born to help, and does nothing to bring happiness to the actor. The temporary ego serving pleasure brought by fame will fade in time and will expire at death.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Seeking Help - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VII.07

Meditation VII.07 - Seeking Help - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

Be not ashamed to be helped; for it is your business to do your duty like a soldier in the assault on a town. How then, if being lame you can not mount up on the battlements alone, but with the help of another it is possible?⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) Pride prevents many of us from asking for help. We do not want to be seen as weak or disabled. But Marcus reminds us that this is self-regarding behavior. Human beings are not independent souls. Every step in life is made possible only through the assistance of others. When we are unable to do what we are meant to do - or have lost the ability to do what we once did - we not only should seek assistance, we are bound in duty to ask for help. Illness, injury, and age will eventually disable each of us. But these restrictions ought never prevent us from doing what is right. Refusing help by masking a disability - or attempting to shield our lack of knowledge about how to act - actually alienates us from nature. We not only feel unhappy, so also are those who are themselves abandoned by our isolation.

When we ask for a helping hand we are offering our neighbors an opportunity to do what is their duty - to work cooperatively with their communities. In the broadest sense, working cooperatively - and inversely giving others the opportunity to do the same when it is needed - is the essence of all political action. Stoicism is a social (political) philosophy. It recognizes that human beings are not disconnected from their various communities. Life is social because we share a common genesis, a common mind, and a common world soul through the Logos in each of us. In this sense when we ask for help in this spirit we are actually giving to others. Any "shame" we may feel in seeking help is misplaced and contrary to our nature as social and political actors.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.

Do Not Worry About the Future - Unpublished Selections Explained, Med. VII.08

Meditation VII.08 - Do Not Worry About the Future - Translated by George Long and rewritten by Russell McNeil

Let not future things disturb you, for you will come to them, if it shall be necessary, having with you the same reason which you now use for present things.⁽¹⁾

Explanation

(1) Worry consumes so much of our lives. Anxiety about what is yet to be is soul destroying. Marcus reminds us that the things that disturb us about the future either may not come to be, or - if they do - all of the skills necessary to address those issues are available to us now. We have "reason." Reason defines our humanity. Our reason is invulnerable if we remain indifferent toward those issues that raise worry in most people. Money, health, and a fear of death or a loss of reputation are irrelevant concerns in terms of Stoic serenity. Peace comes from living according to nature - nothing more, or less. To a Stoic worry is an abomination. It is unnatural to worry because it is contrary to the nature of things.

Russell McNeil, PhD, is the author of The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained by Skylight Paths Publishing. The unpublished selections presented in this Blog are provided as supplemental material to the published selections which are annotated and explained in the book. The published selections are referenced in this Blog by page number and section.