Meditations

A lot of food for thought. Marcus Aurelius kept repeating himself that that which does not harm the whole cannot harm the part. This is demonstrably untrue, but I understand his purpose in meditating on the end of one's life and the return of your body's matter to the "universe." Definitely will re-read this in a few years to see if I have a better handle on his purpose.

Marcus Aurelius presents us his diary, consisting of his thoughts and meditations. It's very interesting to enter a Roman emperor's mind and take a look at how a person in that age was thinking about certain issues that create disputes even in today's world. The narrative is sometimes in-cohesive, as a diary should be, which means the reader should make a real effort to connect the dots in some chapters. As for the content, the Marcus Aurelius tries to defend his position as a pure Stoic, sometimes exaggerating or adding his own thoughts. A nice introduction for all readers who are not familiar with the Stoic and neo-Stoic philosophical school of Hellenistic Athens, that's for sure. Whether you agree or disagree with Aurelius's teachings, it's quite a nice book to contemplate with.