Philosophy to cure the Mind: Marcus Aurelius Meditations in the context of the St oic Ethics The philosophy of the

Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius can be found in a collection of personal writings known as the Meditations. These reflect the influence of S toicism and, in particular, of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. The Meditations certainly do not present philosophical theories similar to those that one can fi nd in, say, the surviving works of Aristotle. Nevertheless, the Meditations rema in essentially a philosophical text, even if they do not form a theoretical trea tise designed to argue for a particular doctrine or conclusion; their function i s different. In the Meditations Marcus engages in a series of philosophical exer cises designed to digest philosophical theories, to transform his character or dy e his soul in the light of those theories, and so to transform his behaviour and his entire way of life. By reflecting upon philosophical ideas and, perhaps more importantly, writing them down, Marcus engages in a repetitive process designed to habituate his mind to a new way of thinking. Following the account of three types of philosophical training outlined by Epictetus (concerning, respectively, 1) desires and aversions, 2) impulse to act and not to act, and 3) freedom from deception, hasty judgement, and anything else related to assents), Marcus refle cts in the Meditations upon a medley of physical, ethical, and logical ideas. Th ese written reflections constitute a second stage of philosophical education nec essary after one has studied the philosophical theories. Bibliography DALFEN, J., Marci Aurelii Antonini Ad Se Ipsum Libri XII, Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana (Leipzig: Teubner, 1979; 2nd edn. 1987) HAINES, C. R., The Communings with Himself of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, A Revis ed Text and a Translation into English, The Loeb Classical Library (London: Hein emann, 1916; later reprints by Harvard University Press) LONG, A.A. & D.N. SEDLEY, The Hellenistic Philosophers, vol. 2. Greek and Latin Texts with Notes and Bibliography, pp. 341-422. ASMIS, E., The Stoicism of Marcus Aurelius, ANRW II 36.3 (1989), pp. 2228-2252. BRUNT, P. A., Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations, Journal of Roman Studies 64 (197 4), pp.1-20. CLARKE, M. L., The Roman Mind: Studies in the History of Thought from Cicero to Marcus Aurelius (London: Cohen & West, 1956) HADOT, P., The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, trans. M. Chas e (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998); a translation of La Citadelle Intrieure (Paris, 1992) NEWMAN, R. J., Cotidie meditare: Theory and Practice of the meditatio in Imperial Stoicism, ANRW II 36.3 (1989), pp. 1473-1517. RUTHERFORD, R. B., The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: A Study (Oxford: Clarendo n Press, 1989)