One day, about 18 centuries ago, a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders wrote some notes to himself in a journal. What would a truly good life look like? How did he feel about death? Over several years, he would fill a dozen notebooks with thoughts on these and similar questions. We now know these writings as Meditations, penned by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor of the second century CE. In the 12 fascinating lectures of Books That Matter: Meditations, professor Massimo Pigliucci explores the questions Marcus believed were crucial to address in a life of value, the answers he proposed, and the many ways in which you can use Stoic philosophy today.
Books That Matter: Meditations
Dive into one of history’s most notable books and discover how to cultivate a meaningful life through Stoic philosophy.
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Kant and Schopenhauer
I arranged a house party to discuss Philosophy, Theology Science, Gender and the Civil Society. The members of the party included n Engineer, a Physicist, an Ecologist, a Benedictine Monk, and a Lutheran Pastor.
The agenda was based on the Wondrium Great Courses but not exclusively.
There was a lecture on Kant and Stoicism as a Bridge by Professor Daniel Robinson
A lecture on the Birth of the Modern Mind by Alan Kors
A lecture from the course of the Papacy and Popes by Thomas Noble
A lecture on forgotten Heroes of Antiquity by Professor Andrete
A lecture on Understanding Art by Professor Hirsch
lectures by Professor Armstrong on Augustine, Avicenna and Averroes
a lecture on the Middle Ages by Professor Salisbury
lectures on The History of Christian Theology by Professor Cary
These lectures were discussed over lunch, afternoon tea, and Dinner from 1600hrs. Friday until 1200 hrs Monday
The response was surprising. The collective finding of a party of Agnostics, Christians, and Marxists was that the essential problem is how one tackles these issues linguistically, and that it is essential to understand language, function, lexicon and Grammar, and one such contribution came from y late fiance who was an Historian of Art whose first degree was Physics, Psychology and Physiology with Genetics.
Her argument was that modern vernacular languages of the West were inherently patriarchal and biased by Male attitudes derived from Christianity.
Western Grammars tended, to drop the ablative case, that they had lost deponent verbs,, and so intensified the distinction between active and passive, had used the subjunctive less frequently with the growth of Technology, and lost the Imperative first person plural 'let us'. We reached a surprising unanimity that language, lexicon and how we used language deformed understanding. That many of the arguments that were featured in Theology versus Science and Philosophy arose from believing these words sui generis had succinct meaning, and that many arguments arose from confusing Reality with Metaphysics, and by artificial in unimaginative discussion of words that concealed flux for example, as the Benedictine remarked, confusing the word love as used by Christ to mean something other than Ethics, and not to question our use of words outside the taxonomy of ideologies. Cognition he remarked is liberal, it is a grasp of diversity, it is a grasp of concepts that are not from in a system of thought, and Professor Cary's report of discussions between Spener and Wesley illustrated this lack of functional imagination. In relation to Stoicism this resolves as a matter of intellectual flexibility, of adhering too rigidly to currency of understanding outside the pale of Theological Systems. One misunderstood person in the field of Ethics was Schopenhauer, an d he has been too easily considered a precursor of Nietssche rather than as a development of Kant. Stoicism was seen by Professor Robinson as a bridge from 'Pagan' to 'Christian' but Christian metaphysics have been beset by doctrines which verged on the Mythical rather than effective articles of Ethical Faith. No one has done more harm to Christianity, no one has done as much harm to Marx as Marxists, no one has done as much harm to concepts of Gender and Sexuality as a morality derived from the Popular media. Stoicism we concluded was not a system but a poise, a reticence of drawing conclusions before we have assembled the pertinent concepts and understood their functional Implications. If Stoic Therapy is to work what is required is Cognition that draws from the realities of function, not doctrines or ideologies. This course was not available when the House Party met but my criticism of it is that Stoicism is rather more easily reconciled with Kant and Schopenhauer than Marcus Aurelius and Epectetus. Never the course seems to be an approach to the central problem identified by Marx and Durckheim, namely alienation which is an insufficient grasp of the dynamics of Technology and the sense of chaos that people experience when they do not have the intellectual tools to understand what is happening to their society and their place in it. The Benedictine made another remark which should provide a therapy to followers of Reactionaries such as Nietzsche and Heidegger. They are symptoms of a malaise, not a solution, nor a phalactery. I hope this contribution ay be recognised as a review, and any way augments and endorses the value of this course. For my part I csn only say that ne of the foundations of my own perspective was Raymond Aro's 'Eighteen Vectures on Industrv Society' whi I recommend to any one who is mystified by what transpires and rather than seeking refuge in past Philosophies understands the dynamics of social change is the uncritical use of Technologies the consequences of which we do not understand, Environmental Impact Assessment could well augment Stoicism as a process of understanding.
From Aron and as a practitioner of EIA I derived Benedict's Law which is as follows
Every Technology and System has cmmensurate Benefits and disbenefits but they manifest themselves at different levels of organisation from Cell to planet, it is the task of Politics to so manage the civil society that the benefits and the disbenefits should equitably and not impact to the disadvantage of any section of the communities issuing or arbitrarily to penalise any individual
Date published: 2025-03-15
Overview
About
Massimo Pigliucci is the K. D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at The City University of New York. He received a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been interviewed by numerous national and international media outlets. His books include The Quest for Character, How to Be a Stoic, and Nonsense on Stilts. He also produces a podcast called Practical Wisdom.
Trailer
01: The Meditations as Philosophical Journal
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus starts his personal philosophical journal by thanking people who brought him to that moment, including his mother and the Roman emperor who adopted him, Antoninus Pius. He also thanks his tutors, including two of the foremost teachers of Stoicism of the day, Epictetus and Quintus Junius Rusticus. Explore Marcus’ character by discovering whom he thanks and why.
30 min
02: Marcus Aurelius: Emperor Philosopher
Marcus was a product of the Roman Empire at the time of its greatest expanse. Explore how events in the Empire itself affected Marcus’ thoughts about divine providence, duties to the great family of humanity, the notion of virtue, and the metaphysical relationships between wholes and parts.
29 min
03: Marcus Aurelius Becomes a Stoic
Marcus only mentions Stoicism directly in one passage of Meditations. But whether he used the specific word, Meditations is filled with Stoic ideas. Learn what Marcus and the Stoics before him say about wisdom, courage, justice, temperance, role ethics, and cosmopolitanism—and how they can guide us to live according to our one true purpose in life.
29 min
04: Marcus Aurelius on Preparing for the Day
The Stoics believed in God—and they believed God was the same thing as the cosmos itself. Learn how humanity fits into this grand view and how we can determine what is truly important in our lives. You’ll be surprised to learn how much of what we typically care about is labeled by Marcus with the apparently oxymoronic phrase “preferred indifferent.”
29 min
05: Personal Character and the Inner Citadel
If you’re trying to get away from your problems by going on vacation, Meditations has a bit of strong language for you: You need a change of soul, not a change of scenery. Marcus suggests turning inward to your “Inner Citadel” where you can analyze what’s bothering you and then realize why it’s not really a problem. Discover why Marcus writes: “The universe is change; Life is opinion.”
28 min
06: Make the Best of the Present Moment
One of the most significant distinctions made by the Stoics is the separation between that which we can control and that which we cannot. But once you identify what you can control, then what? Marcus tells us that we must always act to benefit the cosmopolis. Discover the relationships between spirit, reason, and happiness—and Marcus’ rational thoughts on death.
29 min
07: Anger Management in the Meditations
Anger management wasn’t “invented” any time recently. Even Roman emperors weren’t immune from this destructive emotion, and it’s certainly addressed in Meditations. Stoicism tells us that emotions, including anger, are aspects of our cognition and so can be overturned by a reasoned analysis. Explore the details of the Stoic path from anger to equanimity.
30 min
08: Marcus Aurelius Does Not Wait for Utopia
The Stoics saw the world around them as being their only opportunity for action, and the present as the only time to act. They did not aspire to, nor believe in, any afterlife. Neither did Marcus believe that prosocial behavior included waiting for Utopia. Learn why the Stoics believed we are, in essence, our rational decisions—nothing more and nothing less.
32 min
09: The Ten Commandments of Marcus Aurelius
In the 11th notebook of his journals, Marcus compiles his own version of Ten Commandments. These are not orders for anyone else, however. They are only for his own self-imposed ethical training. Learn what he believes to be the reason we came into the world and explore one of the spiritual exercises he recommends.
32 min
10: Historical Impact of the Meditations
Stoicism has had enduring appeal because it is a philosophy practiced across the wide spectrum of human conditions, and because its three over-arching themes have not lost their relevance. Explore these themes with your professor’s guidance: the ontology of parts and wholes, the nature of time, and the opposing binary of vice and virtue.
33 min
11: The Meditations as a Spiritual Exercise
It’s clear in Meditations that Marcus had no interest in Stoicism as a theoretical exercise. Instead, he saw it as an active path to living his most appropriate life. Discover many of the spiritual practices Marcus included in his journals to help his right actions become second nature for himself. Your professor offers detailed directions about their practice, and tips on determining whether they’re working for you.
30 min
12: The Meditations in the 21st Century
In addition to Stoic philosophy being the inspiration for the beginnings of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, there are many aspects of Stoicism that certainly translate to 21st century use. In this lecture, however, you’ll discover which parts of the original Stoicism do not translate well to modern use without significant update, and why.
31 min
