Insights from Marcus Aurelius' 'Meditations'
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- čas přidán 18. 07. 2013
- Latest news: Stoic Week 2014 will be happening from November 24th-30th. See: blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtod...
Other news: Launch of 'Stoicism Today: The Book' - see: blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtod...
A 20 minute talk by Christopher Gill, professor of Ancient Thought at the University of Exeter, on the philosophical project and aims of Marcus Aurelius.
Questions covered include: what is at the core of Marcus philosophical project in writing his meditations? How 'Stoic' was Marcus Aurelius; philosophical method? These and more questions are covered with reference to key passages.
Post your thoughts on Marcus Aurelius' Meditations below!
Video © Ross Gill (www.ross-gill.co.uk/).
For Stoicism Today's blog, visit: blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/
Watch out for Stoic Week (November 25th-December 1st) this year!
This is probably the most succinct summary of the basic tenets of Stoicism presented by a true, self-effacing scholar of ancient philosophy! In 20 minutes, Prof. Gill is able to convey the core of Stoic ethics in a most authoritative way, with Lordly abandon. I kindly request Prof. Gill to post more videos like this please. His voice is also the most apt for the austerity of a Marcus Aurelius. Hats off to this living legend of Stoicism! In this age of pomp and show, he is a beacon light of simplicity, authenticity, and true scholarly discipline.
This video came out just as I was finishing high school, at a very impressionable time in my life. It struck and stuck with me and ten years later I am still revisiting it periodically.
Stoicism is based on the presumption that rationality is the framework of the cosmos. And that the universe is one way or another the outcome of a causal proces leading up to the reality we are able to know. If we think hard enough we are able to let the four dimensions of space-time continuum melt into one holistic entity. An entity with specific boundaries, namely there where time begins and there where time will end. This holistic entity is, so to speak, an island localised by its three dimensions and the phenomenon of time, with which it is inextricably bound up, in an eternal timeless ocean of singularity. So everything that, according to human experience, happens within this holistic entity happens in accordance with rationality. There is always a reason that something happens. There is always causality. Even if we, as humans, consider some events totally irrational en unethical. So far stoicism is right. But if you consider the stoic ethical ideal of living in accordance with the laws of nature and call that a virtuous life, you make a mistake as far as logical thinking is concerned. Because irrationality (being an antropomorfic concept) is rational too, seen in the total causality that makes up for the holistic entity taht our space-time continuum is. Please abide with my bad english because it is not my native language.
Hey you should make/read audio books, your voice fits it
An unbelievably transformative and beautiful manuscript. It felt like a complete re-ordering of my mind. . What I found also interesting reading it was that, in Book 1, Aurelius denounces poetry and lumps it with rhetoric - which I thought was somewhat simpleton of him. From what I understand, he'd earlier tried his hand at it and quit believing that he was not good. He mentions this elsewhere in the book. In Book 1, he also acknowledges someone (I can't recall who exactly) who dissuaded him from it eventually. The irony of all this, is that I personally found that his most persuasive arguments were made were he was employing poetic devices. See, for instance, Book 05, Verse 08, one of my favorite passages and Book 04, Verse 49. The book is a treasure.
The more I read of Marcus, the more I think we would have gotten on really well. I love hearing his insights and have deduced similar things myself on many occassion. Thanks for the video.
Thank you! And also you look like younger version of Iggy Pop, maybe it's the haircut and something in your eyes. Salute!!, one of my favorite rock stars. Marcus, Epictetus really helped dealing with my life troubles.
Just thank you for this! You read it really well, the video was produced very professionally and i'm looking forward to more video's, no lie!
Have you done any more readings, of the meditations, with discussion?
Amazing voice! Enjoyed your theories ! Great video
Very nicely done.
very well done thanks for sharing
Absolutely spectacular! Thank you.
Thank you.
Very good, I enjoyed that. Did you know in #3 you missed the word "courage".
Отличное видно. Спасибо)
Hi Prof. I am starting-out in the study of Stoic philosophy by reading Don Robertson's book: "Stoicism and the Art of Happiness" (2012). A tweet by Newsweek regarding the relevance of Stoic philosophy in these turbulent times sparked my interest.
Marcus Aurelius has always puzzled me: so wise in his Meditations, and yet so dumb for making his clearly inept and psychotic son his heir as Roman Emperor.
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