Books with title Meditations:

"Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are the cooperating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web." Marcus Aurelius - 'Meditations' Marcus Aurelius is considered to one of the great Emperors of Rome who was not only a skilled military leader but also a great philosopher in the Stoic tradition. He was born in 121 AD and both of his parents came from wealthy backgrounds. His father died when Marcus was 3 years old and by the time he was 6 he had gained the attention of the Emperor Hadrian who oversaw his education. Hadrian ensured that Marcus was taught by some of the greatest scholars in Rome who educated him in literature, drama, geometry, Greek oratory, Greek and Latin. Marcus later abandoned most of those subjects in favor of philosophy, with the work of the Greek philosopher Epictetus being a major influence on his thinking. The 12 books that make up 'Meditations' were not written as an exercise in explaining his philosophy but rather as a personal notebook for self-improvement and study. 'Meditations' illustrates just how important Epictetus was to Marcus as he quotes the Greek philosopher's famed 'Discourses' on more than one occasion. Epictetus was a legendary figure in Greek philosophy and many claim he is the greatest of the Stoics; texts that remain in existence from the period suggest that in his native Greece, he was even more popular than Plato. As was previously mentioned, 'Meditations' was not written for public consumption but rather as an aid to personal development. Marcus wanted to change his way of living and thinking and to do this he embarked on a set of philosophical exercises. He would reflect on philosophical ideas and by writing them down and by repeating them he hoped to re-programme his mind and find his own philosophy to live by. One of the key exercises in the book discusses Marcus attempting to look at the world from 'the point of view of the cosmos' in a bid to try and look at life and the universe outside of the common and limited parameters of individual concerns. "You have the power to strip away many superfluous troubles located wholly in your judgment, and to possess a large room for yourself embracing in thought the whole cosmos, to consider everlasting time, to think of the rapid change in the parts of each thing, of how short it is from birth until dissolution, and how the void before birth and that after dissolution are equally infinite." Marcus Aurelius died on March 17, 180, in the city of Vindobona which was situated where Vienna is today. History remembers him as the last of the 'Five Good Emperors' of the Nervan-Antonian dynasty. Marcus' son Commodus replaced his father as Emperor and although he reigned over a relatively stable period in Roman history, in terms of war and peace, his personal behavior and antics were not in the spirit of those Emperors that came immediately before him. Commodus was eventually murdered in a plot that involved his mistress Marcia, thus bringing to an end the highly regarded Nervan-Antonian dynasty.

With ancient wisdom that is as relevant in modern times as it was then, Meditations is one of the greatest works of Greek and philosophical literature. Written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication, this book gives an insight into the inner life and philosophy of the last of the ‘Five Good Emperors,’ Marcus Aurelius. It cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods and the values of leadership. These writings take the form of quotations varying in length from one sentence to long paragraphs.

Roman Emperor and Stoic Marcus Aurelius wrote volumes of journals full of personal notes, later translated and published in print for the world to know better this monumental figure, adored by philosophers both ancient and modern. Aurelius was the last of the "five good emperors," who governed the Roman world during a time known as "Pax Romana" or Roman peace. It was a time of prosperity, influence, and power, ending less than three centuries after his death with the fall of the empire. His meditations give us insightful and surprisingly modern thoughts from a man ahead of his time about stoic views about subjects from government and political duty, to sexuality and addiction, and so much more in-between.

This book is a Unique edition to a public domain book because it contains 10 unique illustrations found nowhere else except on Amazon, to create a better reader experience The Meditations is divided into 12 books that chronicle different periods of Marcus' life. Each book is not in chronological order and it was written for no one but himself. The style of writing that permeates the text is one that is simplified, straightforward, and perhaps reflecting Marcus' Stoic perspective on the text. Marcus' style is not viewed as anything regal or belonging to royalty, but rather a man among other men which allows the reader to relate to his wisdom. His Stoic ideas often involve avoiding indulgence in sensory affections, a skill which will free a man from the pains and pleasures of the material world. He claims that the only way a man can be harmed by others is to allow his reaction to overpower him. An order or logos permeates existence. Rationality and clear-mindedness allow one to live in harmony with the logos. This allows one to rise above faulty perceptions of "good" and "bad".

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius wrote the 12 books of the Meditations as a source for his own guidance and self-improvement. They are a significant source of the modern understanding of ancient Stoic philosophy, and have been praised by fellow writers, philosophers, monarchs, and politicians centuries after his death.A central theme to Meditations is the importance of analyzing one’s judgment of self and others and the development of a cosmic perspective. He advocates finding one’s place in the universe and sees that everything came from nature, and so everything shall return to it in due time. Another strong theme is of maintaining focus and to be without distraction all the while maintaining strong ethical principles.This cloth-bound book includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket, and is limited to 100 copies.

"Meditations" by Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

Marcus Aurelius is one of the most widely appreciated of ancient philosophers. The work for which he is best known, the Meditations, occupies a special place not only in our intellectual and cultural history but also – for those who have read him – as an enduring source of ethical guidance. The Meditations is one of the highest manifestations of practical wisdom that the classical Western world – or, indeed, the Western world generally – has given us. Marcus Aurelius was a pragmatic and skilful ruler as much as he was speculative thinker: he was Roman Emperor for almost twenty years, managing in that time to defeat the Parthian Empire as well as suppress revolt and contain restive Germanic tribes. The Meditations is so compelling is that it expresses profound truths in simple language. In this respect, Marcus Aurelius stands at the opposite pole to so many of the ‘intellectuals’ who are foisted upon us today.

Marcus Aurelius was born in Rome in 121 AD and would become its Emperor from 161 to 180. Considered by Machiavelli as the last of the good Emperors, Marcus Aurelius would become one of the most important of the Stoic philosophers. The "Meditations," which he wrote in Greek, are among the most noteworthy expressions of this system, and exhibit it favorably on its practical side. The work is a series of twelve books that he intended for his own guidance and self-improvement, which picture with faithfulness the mind and character of this noblest of the Emperors. Simple in style and sincere in tone, they record for all time the height reached by pagan aspiration in its effort to solve the problem of conduct.

Meditations was written in Koine Greek, entitled Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν, literally "things for myself,".It is a series of 12 books in which Marcus Aurelius records his personal notes on stoicism as a source of his own guidance and self-improvement. Marcus Aurelius encountered challenges, conspiracies, and obstacles during the day, and at night he put himself into deep reflection and wrote his personal notes before going to sleep. It is unlikely that the emperor intended his writings to be published and the work has no official title, "Meditations" is one of several titles commonly attributed to the collection. These writings take the form of variable-sized quotations, from one sentence to long paragraphs. The style of writing that permeates the text is simplified, direct and reflecting the stoic perspective of Marcus in the text itself. The Emperor, in the text, does not see himself as belonging to royalty, but as a man among other men, which allows the reader to relate to his wisdom. A central theme of the meditations is the importance of analysing the assessment of oneself and others from a cosmic perspective. The acceptance of death and the debate about the existence or not of God permeates the whole book. His stoic ideas include avoiding sensory indulgence, a skill that according to him will free man from the pains and pleasures of the material world. He states that the only way a man can be harmed by others is to allow his reaction to dominate him, all is opinion. Rationality and lucidity allow one to live in harmony with the universe. Marcus Aurelius often expresses an attitude of what we might call agnostic today, implying or even stating explicitly that it does not matter if one believes in divine providence (for the stoic, God is nature itself) or only in atoms and chaos (epicurean, atheistic outlook). The recurring ideas and principles expressed by Marcus Aurelius are those that he believed important to himself as a man and as an emperor. It is probably the most read stoic classic of all. The lessons, perceptions and perspectives contained in this remarkable work are as relevant today as they were two millennia ago. This volume: * Presents the timeless wisdom of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his stoic philosophy, with research into his life and times; * Contains valuable insights on topics such as resilience, moderation and emotional control; * Discusses how to live "according to nature" and respect solid ethical principles. Excerpts: “But death certainly, and life, honor and dishonor, pain and pleasure,—all these things equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil.” (II,11) “Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint, 'I have been harmed'. Take away the complaint, 'I have been harmed', and the harm is taken away.” (IV,7) “Do not act as if thou wert going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over thee. While thou livest, while it is in thy power, be good.” (IV,17) “It is a ridiculous thing for a man not to fly from his own badness, which is indeed possible, but to fly from other men's badness, which is impossible.” (VII, 71) “If a man is mistaken, instruct him kindly and show him his error. But if thou art not able, blame thyself, or blame not even thyself.” (X,4) “No longer talk at all about the kind of man that a good man ought to be, but be such.”(X,16) "If it is not right, do not do it: if it is not true, do not say it. ”(XII,17)