Meditations: The Philosophy Classic
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- Author：Marcus Aurelius
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Summary
A deluxe special edition of the ancient classic written by the Roman Emperor known as "The Philosopher"
Meditations is a series of personal journals written by Marcus Aurelius， Emperor of Rome from 169 to 180 AD。 The last of the "Five Good Emperors，" he was the most powerful and influential man in the Western world at the time。 Marcus was one of the leaders of Stoicism， a philosophy of personal ethics which sought resilience and virtue through personal action and responsibility。 Stoicism， viewed as a foundation of modern self-help， has inspired many personal development and psychotherapy approaches through to the present day。
Meditations is perhaps the most important source of our modern understanding of Stoic philosophy。 Its twelve books chronicle different stages of Marcus Aurelius' life and ideas。 Although he ruled during the Pax Romana， the age of relative peace and stability throughout the empire， his reign was marked by near-constant military conflict and a devastating plague which killed upwards of five million people。 Aurelius' writings give modern readers an unprecedented look into the "spiritual exercises" which helped him through his tumultuous life and strengthened his patience， empathy， generosity， self-knowledge and emotional health。 The private reflections recorded in the Meditations were never meant to be published， rather they were a source for Marcus' own guidance and self-improvement， and jotted down by campfires or in military tents on the Roman front。 The lessons， insights and perspectives contained within this remarkable work are just as relevant today as they were two millennia ago。 This volume:
Presents the timeless wisdom of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his Stoic philosophy， with new research on his life and times Contains valuable insights on topics such as resilience， moderation and emotional control Discusses how to live "in agreement with nature" and abide by strong ethical principles Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics Series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon， this attractive， high-quality hardcover volume includes:
An original Introduction by Marcus Aurelius authority and Stoicism expert Donald Robertson， author of How To Think Like A Roman Emperor。 A modernised， up to date version of the classic George Long translation。 Meditations: The Philosophy Classic is a volume which will occupy a prominent place in any library for years to come。
Meditations is a series of personal journals written by Marcus Aurelius， Emperor of Rome from 169 to 180 AD。 The last of the "Five Good Emperors，" he was the most powerful and influential man in the Western world at the time。 Marcus was one of the leaders of Stoicism， a philosophy of personal ethics which sought resilience and virtue through personal action and responsibility。 Stoicism， viewed as a foundation of modern self-help， has inspired many personal development and psychotherapy approaches through to the present day。
Meditations is perhaps the most important source of our modern understanding of Stoic philosophy。 Its twelve books chronicle different stages of Marcus Aurelius' life and ideas。 Although he ruled during the Pax Romana， the age of relative peace and stability throughout the empire， his reign was marked by near-constant military conflict and a devastating plague which killed upwards of five million people。 Aurelius' writings give modern readers an unprecedented look into the "spiritual exercises" which helped him through his tumultuous life and strengthened his patience， empathy， generosity， self-knowledge and emotional health。 The private reflections recorded in the Meditations were never meant to be published， rather they were a source for Marcus' own guidance and self-improvement， and jotted down by campfires or in military tents on the Roman front。 The lessons， insights and perspectives contained within this remarkable work are just as relevant today as they were two millennia ago。 This volume:
Presents the timeless wisdom of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his Stoic philosophy， with new research on his life and times Contains valuable insights on topics such as resilience， moderation and emotional control Discusses how to live "in agreement with nature" and abide by strong ethical principles Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics Series edited by Tom Butler-Bowdon， this attractive， high-quality hardcover volume includes:
An original Introduction by Marcus Aurelius authority and Stoicism expert Donald Robertson， author of How To Think Like A Roman Emperor。 A modernised， up to date version of the classic George Long translation。 Meditations: The Philosophy Classic is a volume which will occupy a prominent place in any library for years to come。
Reviews
Rebecca
，
Could have also been called "don't worry about much because we all die。" Could have also been called "don't worry about much because we all die。" 。。。more
Dave
，
Perhaps my favorite Stoic author。 Especially given his title and role， every time I read this I am confronted with the wisdom， humility， and genuine effort at self-improvement evidenced in this text。 I would recommend it to nearly anyone - you may disagree with his philosophic premises， but it is hard to deny his humanity and frankness。
Dylan O'Powell
，
life changer
Asra sharifpour
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 。。رواقی گری یا سُتاوندی （stoicism） نام مکتبی فلسفی و شاخه ای از فلسفه ی اخلاق شخصی است که ۳۰۱سال پیش از میلاد مسیح توسط زنون رواقی پایه گذاری شد ؛و این فلسفه تاثیر گذارترین جریان اخلاقی در تمام طول تاریخ است، از این رو به این انجمن رواقیون میگویند که پیروان این مکتب در یکی از رواق های آتن گردهم می آمدند؛از ستاوندیان میتوان به چهره هایی همچون آنتیستنس، سنکا،اپیکتتوس،مارکوس اورلیوس،پانائتیوس،پوسیدونیوس اشاره کرد。پیروان این مکتب به دئیسم معتقدند و خدا را معادل با طبیعت میدانستند و معتقد بودند که زن 。。رواقی گری یا سُتاوندی （stoicism） نام مکتبی فلسفی و شاخه ای از فلسفه ی اخلاق شخصی است که ۳۰۱سال پیش از میلاد مسیح توسط زنون رواقی پایه گذاری شد ؛و این فلسفه تاثیر گذارترین جریان اخلاقی در تمام طول تاریخ است، از این رو به این انجمن رواقیون میگویند که پیروان این مکتب در یکی از رواق های آتن گردهم می آمدند؛از ستاوندیان میتوان به چهره هایی همچون آنتیستنس، سنکا،اپیکتتوس،مارکوس اورلیوس،پانائتیوس،پوسیدونیوس اشاره کرد。پیروان این مکتب به دئیسم معتقدند و خدا را معادل با طبیعت میدانستند و معتقد بودند که زندگی باید سازگار با طبیعت و قوانین آن باشد 。اپیکتتوس معتقد است بالاترین هدف انسان در زندگی دست یافتن به آتاراکسیا است و این اصل بنیادی بینش فیلسوفان این مکتب میباشد。مارکوس اورلیوس فرزندخوانده ی آنتونینوس پیوس بود که بعد از او به امپراطوری روم رسید او شانزدهمین امپراطور و یکی از پنج امپراطور خوب تاریخ روم است。در کتاب تاملات （meditations ） که همزمان با جنگ پارتها نوشته شده است ،اورلیوس از عقاید فلسفی خود در قالب جملات قصار میگوید که هرکدام رهنمودی ست روشن برای نسل بشریت :۱。 به زودی خواهی مرد؛ ولی هنوز نه ثابت قدمی و نه آرام و قرار داری ؛هنوز فکر میکنی که امور بیرونی می توانند به تو آسیب رسانند؛هنوز نسبت به همه بخشنده نیستی و هنوز قانع نشده ای که خردمندی چیزی نیست جز عادلانه رفتار کردن。۲。آنها از معانی واقعی کلماتی نظیر （（دزدیدن）） （（کاشتن）） （（خریدن）） （（آرامش داشتن）） و （（وظیفه ی خود را انجام دادن）） آگاه نیستند؛این معانی را نه با چشم ظاهر بلکه با چشم باطن میتوان یافت。۳。ملاحظه کن چگونه همه چیز زاییده ی تغییر است؛سعی کن بفهمی که برای طبیعت هیچ سعادتی بالاتر از تغییر چیزهای موجود و پدید آوردن موجوداتی مشابه آنها نیست،هرموجودی به تعبیری بذر موجود دیگری است که بناست از آن به وجود آید。 。。。more
Jed Herne
，
5/5。 This took me a few attempts; the lengthy introduction threw me off the first few times。 But when I decided to just skip the intro and read what Aurelius had actually wrote， it only took a few days to finish。 And I'm glad I did。 This book is packed with profound wisdom， and I found myself highlighting so many lines。 Perhaps the thing that stands out the most is this: Aurelius lived 2000 years ago， and yet the struggles he faced and the admonishments he directed towards himself are the EXACT 5/5。 This took me a few attempts; the lengthy introduction threw me off the first few times。 But when I decided to just skip the intro and read what Aurelius had actually wrote， it only took a few days to finish。 And I'm glad I did。 This book is packed with profound wisdom， and I found myself highlighting so many lines。 Perhaps the thing that stands out the most is this: Aurelius lived 2000 years ago， and yet the struggles he faced and the admonishments he directed towards himself are the EXACT SAME struggles and self-directives I find myself dealing with today。 Don't think this book is irrelevant because it's old。 The opposite is the case。 To paraphrase Aurelius himself; nothing changes - only the actors。 That's why it's so valuable to read sources of timeless wisdom， like the kind contained in Meditations。 This is a book that I think everyone should have。 The short， almost bullet-point format is perfect for flicking through the pages when you have a few spare minutes， or when you're struggling with something - changes are， you'll find the solution， or at least the peace of mind to deal with reality。 Highly recommended for everyone seeking to live a better life。（PS: I read the Gregory Hayes translation， as recomended by Ryan Holiday。） 。。。more
Ashley
，
I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley。This is an extremely informative and accessible translation of an important book， but unfortunately I have come to the conclusion that I don't particularly like Marcus Aurelius。The translation is easy to read， clear， and the annotations and footnotes are extensive and extremely enlightening。 As a reader with very little knowledge of the context of this book going in， I found both the introduction and the endnotes to each chapter greatly enr I received an electronic ARC of this book via NetGalley。This is an extremely informative and accessible translation of an important book， but unfortunately I have come to the conclusion that I don't particularly like Marcus Aurelius。The translation is easy to read， clear， and the annotations and footnotes are extensive and extremely enlightening。 As a reader with very little knowledge of the context of this book going in， I found both the introduction and the endnotes to each chapter greatly enriched my experience。My complaints about Meditations itself （not this translation and its notes） are a little bit unfair in light of the fact that it was never originally intended for publication。 Ultimately， the philosophical notes of a Roman emperor are informative but not necessarily completely relevant to a reader today。 It's an important text， though， and worth reading。 。。。more
Richard
，
I think I got a bad translation。 And by bad I mean something that was barely readable。 I think it was either the original Greek or Old English。 I joke of course。。。I need a more reader friendly translation。
Inge Van Delft
，
I finally had the opportunity to read this book front to back。 I've skimmed it several times， but always wanted to read the whole thing。 It is full of great advice from a second century Roman emperor。 A lot of timeless wisdom！ Some gems: "Do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life， and stop being aimless， stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you， stop being hypocritical， self-centred， irritable。""To act: never under compulsion， out of selfishness， I finally had the opportunity to read this book front to back。 I've skimmed it several times， but always wanted to read the whole thing。 It is full of great advice from a second century Roman emperor。 A lot of timeless wisdom！ Some gems: "Do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life， and stop being aimless， stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you， stop being hypocritical， self-centred， irritable。""To act: never under compulsion， out of selfishness， without forethought， with misgivings。""Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under your observation in life。" 。。。more
Wiktoria
，
Great beginner Philosohy book。 Can be used to get a good introduction to stoicism as well as a "self help" book。 Great beginner Philosohy book。 Can be used to get a good introduction to stoicism as well as a "self help" book。 。。。more
Linda DiMeo Lowman
，
Some great wisdom in this book。 I disagree with him that books and dancing are on the bad side。 My other issue is how the hell can a person live up to his meditations？ I could strive for his excellent recommendations but anyone who can live them all is a saint。 On the plus side， he discusses in many sections of his manuscript forgiveness and understanding no matter what a person does; he recommends discussion with that person to try to get them on the right path。 All that matters is the present Some great wisdom in this book。 I disagree with him that books and dancing are on the bad side。 My other issue is how the hell can a person live up to his meditations？ I could strive for his excellent recommendations but anyone who can live them all is a saint。 On the plus side， he discusses in many sections of his manuscript forgiveness and understanding no matter what a person does; he recommends discussion with that person to try to get them on the right path。 All that matters is the present - the past is over and the future is unknown。 We will all die and coveting material things or fame will be forgotten when we are dead and living a life in the present is more satisfying。 I could go on but reading the book over and over is not a bad idea。He was wrong about reading。 He wrote the meditations。 He wrote this book in 180。 180！ Amazing。 。。。more
Harry
，
An absolute treat of a book。 Incredible writings even before you start to consider what information was actually available at the time。 It quotes Socrates and Seneca and is a culmination of the peak of ancient western thought written at the peak of the Roman Empire。 This edition also has brilliant introduction and notes。
Lukas
，
（dnf）lmfao philosophy is still not for me。 maybe another time。。。
Louise
，
Mettez le feu à tous les livres de "développement personnel" qu'on nous matraque à longueur de temps， et jetez vous sur Pensées pour moi-même de Marc-Aurèle， elles contiennent tout : le bon sens du sage， qui ne s'apitoie pas sur ce qu'il ne peut contrôler， les réflexion sur la nature sociale de l'homme （et l'usage conforme à sa nature qu'il doit en faire， ce qu'oublient TOUJOURS le DéVelOPpEmEnT InDiViDuEl）， des maximes implacables sur la mort， l'éphémérité de chaque instant， l'inutilité des fai Mettez le feu à tous les livres de "développement personnel" qu'on nous matraque à longueur de temps， et jetez vous sur Pensées pour moi-même de Marc-Aurèle， elles contiennent tout : le bon sens du sage， qui ne s'apitoie pas sur ce qu'il ne peut contrôler， les réflexion sur la nature sociale de l'homme （et l'usage conforme à sa nature qu'il doit en faire， ce qu'oublient TOUJOURS le DéVelOPpEmEnT InDiViDuEl）， des maximes implacables sur la mort， l'éphémérité de chaque instant， l'inutilité des faits de gloire， vraiment il y a tout。 Une bible pour apaiser son âme et remettre les choses en perspective， dans une langue simple et belle。 Tout a été dit sur cette somme de sagesse， il est facile de caricature le stoïcisme en quelques mantras bien sentis， mais plus je le feuillette et plus j'en nourris mon existence。。。 merci Marco 。。。more
Charlie
，
I was amazed at how relevant his understanding of physics is nearly two millennia after the book was written - his description of atoms and chemical changes holds true to this day。 While his viewpoints on how to live a good life will seem a bit dreary to many， the stoical way of living is quite powerful once you get past the acceptance of life's fleeting character。 The book reads somewhat like a Western take on Eastern works such as the Dhammapadda， both in terms of subject matter as well as the I was amazed at how relevant his understanding of physics is nearly two millennia after the book was written - his description of atoms and chemical changes holds true to this day。 While his viewpoints on how to live a good life will seem a bit dreary to many， the stoical way of living is quite powerful once you get past the acceptance of life's fleeting character。 The book reads somewhat like a Western take on Eastern works such as the Dhammapadda， both in terms of subject matter as well as the structure of short passages or "meditations"。 As these passages appear to have been composed in the form of a journal， there is some repetitiveness as the author returns frequently to his favorite theme of remembrance of death。When I return to this book， I'll try a different translation。 Though I'm confident that Robin Hard was quite concerned with not altering the original meaning of the text - resulting in phrases such as "ruling-center" - the sentence structure felt overly complicated in many instances， rendering many passages difficult to parse。 I glanced at a more contemporary translation and was surprised at the difference in readability。Note: didn't read correspondence 。。。more
Alexandru Gornea
，
The Meditations of Emperor Marcus Aurelius， one of the great writings on Stoic Philosophy in history。 Structured like a journal， with many short entries （often without connection between them）， this book perfectly summarizes the stoic way of thinking and is a mirror for the emperor's thoughts。 In my opinion， this book is a classic work that everybody should read。 The Meditations of Emperor Marcus Aurelius， one of the great writings on Stoic Philosophy in history。 Structured like a journal， with many short entries （often without connection between them）， this book perfectly summarizes the stoic way of thinking and is a mirror for the emperor's thoughts。 In my opinion， this book is a classic work that everybody should read。 。。。more
Benedict Navarro
，
Great story！ You can broaden your audience by publishing your story on Novel Star Mobile App。3。Reading a good story like this one， I suggest you join Novel Star’s writing competition on April。
Flora
，
everyone should read this at least once in their lifetime。 i don't have to say anything else。 whether you practice Stoicism or not， Marcus Aurelius's 'The Meditations' （my bf） is one of the best self-help books。 the love for wisdom， rationality over intense emotions， embracing death with open arms， Marcus Aurelius is an amazing philosopher， emperor， and thinker。 i've noted down various quotations by him and every morning， i read a few sentences。 highly recommend it to anyone who can read。 everyone should read this at least once in their lifetime。 i don't have to say anything else。 whether you practice Stoicism or not， Marcus Aurelius's 'The Meditations' （my bf） is one of the best self-help books。 the love for wisdom， rationality over intense emotions， embracing death with open arms， Marcus Aurelius is an amazing philosopher， emperor， and thinker。 i've noted down various quotations by him and every morning， i read a few sentences。 highly recommend it to anyone who can read。 。。。more
Pedro Lima
，
To me a basic book to face the challenges of daily life。 Love the organization in points。
Henry West
，
Marcus Aurelius come up with one more interesting book。 This book predates on the time the headspace app was debuting on the market the book provides only one ten minute exercise。 Anybody who is a headspace follower will not find much information in the book other than a basic explanation of what is meditation and mindfulness。 but anybody who is new to this topic will find a basic guide and deep information on how to follow an exercise。
Brandon
，
If you want short， pithy sayings on how to live like a Stoic， then you will enjoy this。It's comparable to the Proverbs in the Bible。 I didn't like this that much。 If you want short， pithy sayings on how to live like a Stoic， then you will enjoy this。It's comparable to the Proverbs in the Bible。 I didn't like this that much。 。。。more
Chris
，
Meditations is an excellent book for young philosophers just getting started with stoicism and other related thought systems。 It includes several passages on death， honesty， suffering through adversity， and several other surprisingly relevant topics today。 You do get the sense that Marcus Aurelius was a troubled man who nonetheless persevered through many terrible things， all while maintaining a level of composure and balance。 Not to mention that this book is fodder for quotes。 Here on Goodreads Meditations is an excellent book for young philosophers just getting started with stoicism and other related thought systems。 It includes several passages on death， honesty， suffering through adversity， and several other surprisingly relevant topics today。 You do get the sense that Marcus Aurelius was a troubled man who nonetheless persevered through many terrible things， all while maintaining a level of composure and balance。 Not to mention that this book is fodder for quotes。 Here on Goodreads， Marcus Aurelius' quotes page has over two thousand entries， most of which are from this work alone。 It is incredible how much good information can be fit into just under 200 pages。 。。。more
Antonio Corbo
，
Was a really accessible book for Philosophy。 Easy to read and understand。 At times it was cryptic and repetitive but overall was an eye opening and effective book。
Angel
，
This is a great work of spiritual exercise and reflection about dealing with adversities and the the ethics of people。 Many of which is useful to this day。It touches a lot upon the philosophy of the Stoic Romans and Marcus Aurelius himself was one of the only Roman emperor and philosopher。Page for page wisdom is unmatched by most books。 Timeless classic。 It was not intended to be published by him when he was alive but I'm glad it somehow made its way to my hands。 This is a great work of spiritual exercise and reflection about dealing with adversities and the the ethics of people。 Many of which is useful to this day。It touches a lot upon the philosophy of the Stoic Romans and Marcus Aurelius himself was one of the only Roman emperor and philosopher。Page for page wisdom is unmatched by most books。 Timeless classic。 It was not intended to be published by him when he was alive but I'm glad it somehow made its way to my hands。 。。。more
Wendy
，
I will need to re-read this again。 I think there are jewels in here that I don’t yet understand （might also because the jargon is not traditional English）
David
，
Filosofia
Rasmus Tillander
，
Filosofikuningas， kerro mitä mun pitää tehdä？ Ja Marcus Aureliushan kertoo: Kohtaa kaikki mitä Luonto on tiellesi tarkoittanut tyynesti。 Tyyneys ei tarkota nihilismiä vaan hyveellistä rauhallisuutta。 Tämän asenteen vangitsee ehkä parhaiten ajatus siitä， että ei tule rukoilla ettet menettäisi jotain， vaan sitä ettet enää pelkäisi menettämistä。 Sama koskee myös kateutta， vihaa ja muita epähyveellisiä tunteita。 Lopulta koska et voi muuttaa sitä miten jumalat tai atomit käyttäytyvät on sinun hallitt Filosofikuningas， kerro mitä mun pitää tehdä？ Ja Marcus Aureliushan kertoo: Kohtaa kaikki mitä Luonto on tiellesi tarkoittanut tyynesti。 Tyyneys ei tarkota nihilismiä vaan hyveellistä rauhallisuutta。 Tämän asenteen vangitsee ehkä parhaiten ajatus siitä， että ei tule rukoilla ettet menettäisi jotain， vaan sitä ettet enää pelkäisi menettämistä。 Sama koskee myös kateutta， vihaa ja muita epähyveellisiä tunteita。 Lopulta koska et voi muuttaa sitä miten jumalat tai atomit käyttäytyvät on sinun hallittava sitä yhtä asiaa joka on hallinnassasi: mieltäsi。 Se kuuluisa stoalainen ataraksia， mielenrauha， auttaa sinua edistämään yhteistä hyvää kuten järjellisten sielujen on tarkoituskin。 Joku kirjoitti arvostelussaan kuvaavasti， että tämä kirja on kuin Marcuksen rukousnauha， joka toistaa samoja näkemyksiä: kirja todella tuntuu henkiseltä harjoitteelta muistiinpanojen muodossa。 Tämän henkisyyden pohjalla on vahva yhdistelmä uskoa kohtaloon ja kaiken muuttuvaisuuteen。 Olemme täällä vain käymässä， parasta mitä voimme tehdä on löytää järjellä se paikka johon meidät on osoitettu， seurata omaa， muiden ja yleistä johtosielua。 "Ellei se ole velvollisuus， älä tee sitä" Aurelius kirjoittaa ja tarkoittaa sitä。 Kaikki mikä ei ole velvollisuutta voidaan lopulta osoittaa turhaksi: miksi hakea kunniaa kuin kaikki mitä se on vain toisten ihmisten puhetta ja mitä on toisten puhe kuin kielten naksuttelua？ Miksi ihmeessä näkisit vaivaa tai jopa toimisit epähyveellisesti vain kielten naksuttelun takia？Itselleni on historiallisesti tosi kiinnostava teos。 Aurelius oli myös selvästi viisas ja tässä myös melko hyviä ohjeita。 Mielenrauhan tavoittelu tässä ajassa on kieltämättä relevanttia。 Mutta tässä on myös vahva pontentiaali （vähän niinkuin Nietzschellä）， että nyt osoittelematta nuoria miehiä， että jotkut lukevat tämä oikeutuksena olla täysin sietämätön mulkvisti。 Mutta Aurelius ei todella ansaitse sitä。 Stoaalaisuus ei tässä tarkoita tunnekylmyyttä vaan sitä että käyt sisäisen taistelusi rauhassa。 Lopputulos ei ole ylimielistä järkiöyhötystä vaan kuten Marcus kirjoittaa， sitä että olet "samalla kertaa kiireetön ja altis toimintaan， samalla kertaa hilpeä ja hillitty"。 。。。more
Jenna
，
Amazing writing from the mind of a historical character about what he thought of what should be and how to conduct yourself。 I may go back to listen to the audio again， and buy the book to read along！
EmmaPorzee
，
The books are totally deserving。 I loved them， and I think they are must read。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Medrano
，
Don't like the old english。 Other than that the book was pretty good。 Don't like the old english。 Other than that the book was pretty good。 。。。more
Prateek
，