Meditations (Penguin Classics)

Synopsis: This is a book that everyone needs to read. This is the personal diary of the most important man in the Roman empire at the time it was written. This is the equivalent of being able to read the personal diary of todays world leaders, or top CEO's and understand their motivations and philosophies. This book does not take long to read, and you can plow through it in about a week with roughly 30 minutes of reading each day. Due to Marcus' philosophy, he does not use pretentious language, so the book is consumable by a wide audience. Overall, this book is certainly worth the read and it will change how you look at the world, yourself and your actions. The Book: Marcus was born in 121 AD and died in 180 AD, making his writings ~1,800 years old at the time of this review. Mediate on that for a bit...you're reading the personal diary from a Roman emperor who died almost 2000 years ago. We are incredibly privileged to be able to read such a historical masterpiece. The introduction from the translator is quite long, to the degree that I skipped it as he was consistently making references to the text, of which, I had not read yet. Mediations makes up the minority of the pages, with the majority being the introduction, then the rest being explanations of each verse. The explanations can be helpful in explaining the historical context. Here's a few heavily summarized topics discussed in the book as a preview: On Perception: Marcus made it his mission to look at the world objectively and for what it truly is, free of personal opinion or emotion. As long as what you were experiencing was within the bounds of what could be expected within the life of a human, it was your perception that made it pleasurable or painful. You could then change your perception on the issue and improve your life. On Religion: Despite being polytheistic, his philosophy on nature centers heavily on a type of worship of Gaia, coming very close to exalting her above Zeus. This is a very fine line he dances, always placing his trust in the Gods who had his best interest at heart, but also blending his knowledge of the natural world. Another peculiarity is that he frequently uses God in the singular form. On Nature: Nature has everyone and everything performing a specific task which contributes to the whole. To determine if something is good or bad, Marcus asks himself if it would harm the wider society. To illustrate, here is a quote from Marcus, "That which is not good for the beehive cannot be good for bees". On Time: Close to the end of the book, and to Marcus' death, he begins to reflect on his time spent on the earth. Marcus discusses how events repeat themselves and that 40 years of studying the natural world is enough. This is an extremely profound realization, since the reader can draw many parallels from his life, to our modern lives. He makes the bold claim that things never change, and time has proved him right. Marcus eventually died at 58 years of age.

This is a review for the hardcopy Penguin Classics translated by Martin Hammond. Please note that many of the reviews seem to be for a kindle version that is a different translation. Such a joy to read. Since Marcus Aurelius was writing for himself and only himself, there is an honesty and intimacy in the words -- as if his nobler self were writing reminders knowing he would need them during his weaker moments (including, literally, when he didn't feel like getting up in the morning). Some of the reviews here criticize the translation but I've really enjoyed it -- it is clear, unpretentious and unadorned, well suited to the philosophy it conveys -- and because the language is contemporary it sounds, to my ears, almost timeless so that, in its best moments, it sounds like words of wisdom for any age and not merely words reflecting the concerns of a man who lived 1900 years ago. The book itself is also attractive -- compact and sturdy with a pleasant font. The print, however, is small (probably around an 8 pt font).

What makes Meditations an important book is that it provides the opportunity to discuss what it is to be human, to have a soul, to live a good life with one of the most remarkable men in history. Before I get to that I want to second a suggestion made by several reviewers. Use two or more translations when you read the Meditations. I like this Penguin Classics edition. The introduction by Diskin Clay is useful, the translation by Martin Hammond is mostly accurate and his explanatory notes are very useful. There are some solid suggestions for further reading and several useful indices (of Names, of Quotations, and a General Index). My one qualm about the translation is that Hammond sometimes makes the book sound a little Christian. Hammond will use "sin" where other translators (like Farquharson or Frances Hutchinson) would use "impiety" or "harm". This is decidedly not a Christian text. There is nothing in Marcus Aurelius (MA) of final judgment. There is no reward or punishment for our actions in this life. MA suspends judgments on all sorts of issues. It is clear that he believes in gods and occasionally talks about God (see 12.2). But he also mentions many times the alternative belief that all is chance and that death will be followed by oblivion. It is essential to his ethics however that death is not followed by any sort of hell. Also worth thinking about is whether MA is a man whose philosophy is to be rejected (or, at least, radically modified) because it ultimately makes one less human. With MA, everything is to be thought through with the corrosive that is reason. We must not let our attachments cause us to lose sight of the truth. We may kiss our children good night but we must remind ourselves as we are doing so that they could be dead tomorrow (11.34 in Meditations- this bit of choice advice came from Epictetus)! One point about this is that there is a real conflict in MA with his idea that we should accept everything that the gods see fit to visit upon us (an idea expressed too many times to quote a single source) and his desire to not be effected by any of it. I would argue that true acceptance does not seek invulnerability. True confront embraces vulnerability and fully accepts the whole of our humanity. We have a choice about how we respond to our suffering. MA, at his best, is saying that and pointing out that we can not let our suffering control our actions. At his worst, he sometimes seems to be saying that we can chose not to feel our suffering. He is such a compelling writer that I think it is all too easy to read MA in a way that avoids how radical are some of his ideas. The desire of MA for some sort of emotional invulnerability is part and parcel of his rejection of quotidian experience. He does not seem to have liked or admired many of his contemporaries and he does not seem fond of the simple pleasures of life. His descriptions of sexuality are always mingled with tones of disgust. Where the Meditations may be most useful is when we are dealing with some sort of very extreme situation. There are two Naval Academy essays by John Stockdale about how he survived his imprisonment during the Vietnam War using the philosophy of Epictetus that delve into the full complexity of that philosophy. (These essays are referenced in the intro to the Penguin edition of Epictetus' writings. You can use the Amazon preview of that book to see the reference.) Does all this mean that I think you should not immediately run out and buy a copy of this book? NO, NO, a thousand times, NO. The Meditations is one of those few books that everyone should read for help in working out their own philosophy. We all have to come to grips with how we want to live our own lives, what values we want to honor and MA is one of the writers who will help you work that out. He belongs in the company of St. Augustine, of Montaigne, of Machiavelli, of Plato, and of the Buddha (among many others- this list is mine own). So, yes, read MA in the Hammond translation by all means. Remember that he wrote this book so that he would have constant and personal reminders to live up to his own philosophy. By reading this book, you may come to some understanding of what it would be like to live up to your own philosophy.

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is a profound and introspective guide to personal growth, resilience, and virtue. Written as the private thoughts of a Roman emperor, this book offers timeless Stoic wisdom that is remarkably relevant today. Each passage encourages self-reflection and a focus on what we can control, making it a powerful tool for anyone seeking clarity and peace in an unpredictable world. The language can be dense at times, but with patience, the insights are deeply rewarding. Highly recommended for those interested in philosophy, self-improvement, or simply living a more intentional life.

although this review may never be seen and at the most skimmed over,I’ve rated this book five stars mainly due to the cost of the book. speaking on the quality, I mean it’s a paperback book so good I guess and as far as the contents of the book, I’ve bought this book roughly a year and six months ago and if I’m being completely honest, the only thing I’ve read is the front cover, seriously I don’t think I’ve ever opened the damn thing but I don’t know I hear it’s good. I’ll probably never find out on my own to be honest. I don’t even know where the book went if I’m being real.

Marcus was way ahead of his time. I'm not sure how many of these words were his original thoughts, he was an avid student and reader with many great teachers, but he seemed like a genuinely decent and wise man, for his time period and circumstance. There are some cringy passages from our perspective ~2,000 years later, and it seems easy for a rich Emperor to say not to worry too much. But. the overall message I got from him is to focus on being the best you can be, and don't let anxiety and unimportant distractions take control of your life. I'd give it 5 stars for his philosophy, but it's not the best translation I've read. It reads a bit like bloated writings from the 1800s, with phrasing that feels a bit dated, and overly formal. This was his personal journal, and though I'm sure he was a very scholarly writer, I feel like it should sound a little less like an old textbook. Some of the quotes from Meditations that I've read in other English translations really sound like a guy just quickly writing his deep thoughts down, which is much more engaging in my opinion.

One of the clearest easiest to read translations I’ve run across. They are not all the same. If you get this book, and I do recommend it, skip the introduction, and the scholarly analysis. I didn’t think it added much value at all, and it took something away from the material itself.

Great if you like philosophy!