tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post4111470569452825246..comments2024-02-29T02:54:19.767-05:00Comments on Babbling Books: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Brian Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-17339737915603764062020-10-13T18:20:23.850-04:002020-10-13T18:20:23.850-04:00Hi Peter - I think that what you say applies to ot...Hi Peter - I think that what you say applies to other works that Have been written. I am particularly thinking of Aristotle. These were not necessarily meant to be read as books. With that, people have been looking at then as coherent, book like works for a long time. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-17210141356443132562020-10-12T12:32:16.149-04:002020-10-12T12:32:16.149-04:00I think the person who commented concerning this v...I think the person who commented concerning this view, needs to understand, that Meditations is NOT a novel or "book" in the traditional sense - it was the emperor's Journal - the title of the journal in English means - "for himself"<br /><br />Peter Lynchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01660221583674366779noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-51777580453202487812016-03-06T07:15:07.816-05:002016-03-06T07:15:07.816-05:00Hi Brian,
I'm catching up on posts.
For me,...Hi Brian, <br /><br />I'm catching up on posts.<br /><br />For me, Marcus Aurelius is not in the same category as Plato. He's more like Cicero and other writers-philosophers who bring philosophy to a level understandable to common people. And that is commendable in itself. <br /><br />They may not develop new theories but they help their readers anyway. <br /><br />Emma Emmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716351799835873036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-50217665354115429952016-01-02T12:56:28.498-05:002016-01-02T12:56:28.498-05:00Hi Naida - From my point of view, not having read ...Hi Naida - From my point of view, not having read any other Stoics I could not tell that it was not original. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-63411004748579441622016-01-02T11:29:04.445-05:002016-01-02T11:29:04.445-05:00It does sound like you enjoyed this one, even if i...It does sound like you enjoyed this one, even if it lacked originality at times. It's interesting when a classic like this can still be relatable in modern day.The Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10217390642323530030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-73937293596339316482015-12-30T08:11:01.036-05:002015-12-30T08:11:01.036-05:00Hi Jane - From what I read I think that this work ...Hi Jane - From what I read I think that this work may have been intended as a private journal.<br /><br />You raise a good point about accessibility, this work opened up these ideas to tens of millions of people down the ages.<br /><br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-70024540504852679492015-12-29T21:31:15.464-05:002015-12-29T21:31:15.464-05:00Interesting post--it almost seems as if this was a...Interesting post--it almost seems as if this was a private journal, private meditations, and not intended for posterity. I suppose you could view it as making the philosophers that MA draws from accessible, and in that it could be considered as playing a vital role in the history of philosophical thinking.<br /><br />I pretty much agreed with everything MA put out there except "contempt for the senses." :)JaneGShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-33016974267102699342015-12-28T15:40:06.691-05:002015-12-28T15:40:06.691-05:00Hi Lainy - The Hays translation was very accessibl...Hi Lainy - The Hays translation was very accessible and in a way, it was easy reading :)Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-27474406813735587962015-12-28T15:34:40.158-05:002015-12-28T15:34:40.158-05:00really interesting review Brian, as always. Not s...really interesting review Brian, as always. Not sure if this is one for me at the moment. find I am needing lighter fiction in the past week but maybe worth a pick up later in the new year. As always thanks for your insightful thoughts .<br /><br />Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.netSo many books, so little timehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07564778178609301461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-58948541008452883882015-12-20T17:28:40.794-05:002015-12-20T17:28:40.794-05:00Hi Sandra - Thanks for stopping by. I agree that t...Hi Sandra - Thanks for stopping by. I agree that the good ideas that are contained here do not always come easily. With that I think books such as this which organizes and explores such ideas can help in implementing such ideas.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-47531528103602761352015-12-20T13:42:09.292-05:002015-12-20T13:42:09.292-05:00All wonderful ideas, but for a lot of us, very dif...All wonderful ideas, but for a lot of us, very difficult to put in place. But most definitely something to strive for.Sandra Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03814573408898140885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-82731533418716966312015-12-18T21:32:12.692-05:002015-12-18T21:32:12.692-05:00Hi Hila - Indeed, like may books that give advice,...Hi Hila - Indeed, like may books that give advice, sometimes this one becomes impractical. <br /><br />I agree that sometimes we need to be angry or sad and that learning to deal with such things is half the battle. On the other hand, many folks get angry or resentful way too often or at frivolous things. I think that almost anyone could find some motivation here to self improve.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-19293485618857112312015-12-18T15:41:35.993-05:002015-12-18T15:41:35.993-05:00"Next, he consoles the reader not to allow pa..."Next, he consoles the reader not to allow painful events, life’s troubles or malicious people, to push one’s mind into the realm of negative emotions such as anger, resentment or sadness."<br /><br />If only it were that simple :)<br /><br />This is also one of those things in which one has to find a balance. If I don't allow myself to be angry, the anger will not go away; it will go inwards and disrupt my mind, or it will come out in some other way. Then again, it's important to know how to release anger and not to dwell on it without end…<br /><br />Even if the book isn't original, at least it pushes you to think about how to live life well.HKatzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653570160517335758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-63356693168341205112015-12-16T08:20:42.464-05:002015-12-16T08:20:42.464-05:00Hi Sharon - I really liked the Hays translation bu...Hi Sharon - I really liked the Hays translation but as I noted above I thought that it had its shortcomings.<br /><br />I did rely on the opinions of others as to the originality of this work. However, the essay's that I read on the issue did make a strong case.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-26632174268480909032015-12-15T18:29:29.551-05:002015-12-15T18:29:29.551-05:00I've been looking at different editions of Mar...I've been looking at different editions of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations. You like the Hays translation, so I'm going to try that. I also saw that his work is included in the famous "Five Foot Shelf" of Harvard classics. I'd like to buy that but I'm trying to find out which translation they used. You or someone else I recently read said that one should read a different translation of Aurelius every year.<br /><br />As far as his originality goes. I'll have to read a lot more ancient philosophers before I can even begin to tackle that question. Take care!Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-42929211148232282872015-12-14T20:12:35.769-05:002015-12-14T20:12:35.769-05:00Hi Tracy In some ways it seems modern. while I th...Hi Tracy In some ways it seems modern. while I think that it is full of insights that will be useful to the modern reader, this is still almost 2000 years old:) Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-50276703647629546512015-12-14T08:57:11.740-05:002015-12-14T08:57:11.740-05:00Surprised by your reassurances that this is a mode...Surprised by your reassurances that this is a modern read, the text straightforward and what sounds like as relevant today. Marcus sounds like a very wise man indeed.Felicity Grace Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17852843882007267665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-40834201318634829042015-12-13T19:28:32.232-05:002015-12-13T19:28:32.232-05:00Hi Maria - I never read Hammarskjöld's Markin...Hi Maria - I never read Hammarskjöld's Markings. I Googled it and it looks to be a very worthy read. I can see how this work reminds you of his. Both men were so involved in world events in their own times.<br /><br /><br />I actually read a few Wayne Dyer books a long time ago. I agree that he was very influenced by the Stoics.<br /><br /><br />If you read this I would love to know what you thought about it.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-38704121397359345722015-12-13T16:04:42.597-05:002015-12-13T16:04:42.597-05:00You're very welcome!
I think I'll be dong...You're very welcome!<br /><br />I think I'll be dong some Googling on the Stoics and Marcus Aurelius, as well as on how they are related. This is obviously a very interesting work, especially n light of the fact that an emperor -- a political figure -- wrote it. Now I am reminded of Dag Hammarskjöld and his famous book, "Markings". I think there might be some similarities between the two works, as both are philosophical in nature, and both were written by men who were very much involved in a political environment. Hammarskjöld's book is also more spiritual. As you probably know, he was the second Secretary General of the UN. <br /><br />As for New Age authors, many of them, like Louise Hay, and the late Wayne Dyer, were very probably influenced by Stoic philosophy, to some extent. <br /><br />I have placed Aurelius's "Meditations" on my TBR list, where it should have been all along. And I also want to re-read "Markings" properly. I only skimmed certain sections, years ago.<br /><br /> Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-65473895256645815032015-12-13T12:19:41.429-05:002015-12-13T12:19:41.429-05:00Thanks Maria.
Though I do not think that he menti...Thanks Maria.<br /><br />Though I do not think that he mentioned any of the Stoics much, if at all, directly by name, according to the essay by Gregory Hays as well as some other sources, there are direct reference here to the philosophy of the other stoics. Hays even compares some quotations in this work to the quotations of several of the stoics.<br /><br />It would be interesting to know if any of the folks who write self help or New Age books have read this work and if so what they think about it.<br /><br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-52858614581995966002015-12-13T12:01:19.522-05:002015-12-13T12:01:19.522-05:00Hi Susan - The ancient Romans dis seem so brutal a...Hi Susan - The ancient Romans dis seem so brutal and in a way all the reason and temperance found in this work seem out of place.<br /><br />On the other hand in many ways Rome may have been less brutal and savage then much of the rest of the world was. They really put a lot of thought into ethics and it seems that some Romans really did try to live by them.<br /><br />From what I know about Marcus Aurelius rule, he was about as enlightened as an ancient ruler could have been.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-48825032048776873742015-12-13T11:56:36.851-05:002015-12-13T11:56:36.851-05:00Thanks James.
All the points that you brought up ...Thanks James.<br /><br />All the points that you brought up illustrate just how relevant this ancient text is to folks who are alive today. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-78558755121842629692015-12-13T11:53:47.894-05:002015-12-13T11:53:47.894-05:00Hi Suko - Indeed, unlike some other philosophical ...Hi Suko - Indeed, unlike some other philosophical works, there is a lot practicality here.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-51991839770174400072015-12-13T11:51:32.994-05:002015-12-13T11:51:32.994-05:00Hi Sharon - Translations are so important. Persona...Hi Sharon - Translations are so important. Personally I found the Gregory Hays translation to be very accessible and understandable. On the other hand, it lacked the grandness and power of some of the older translations and in my opinion relies too much on colloquial language and terms.Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-62472273574920815002015-12-13T09:48:30.605-05:002015-12-13T09:48:30.605-05:00Aurelius's thoughts indeed seem pretty modern ...Aurelius's thoughts indeed seem pretty modern like self-help as you note. It's pretty interesting that he came up with ideas about how to live life like these -- as Ancient Rome seemed like such a ruthless place. Maybe his philosophy assuaged what he saw around him ? Maybe they aspired to the Gods or whatnot.thecuecardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870323589682197091noreply@blogger.com