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11 October 2014

Review: MEDITATIONS by Marcus Aurelius

The Roman Emperor wrote this about 170 AD. It's considered not only a classic of Latin literature, but the pinnacle of Stoic philosophy as well.

The problem with reading it comes from its age. The way I read it was in a very old translation of an ancient book. People don't write this way anymore, for the very good reason that people don't really talk like that anymore. I don't speak for everybody, but the style seemed choppy and repetitive to me.

A far worse problems in Stoicism itself. It is a profoundly man-centered phii lodge, and one that fits with the self-made image that Americans have of themselves. Unfortunately, it' required a totally godless outside,

Stoicism as I understand it teaches that mankind can only get better by his own efforts. It can basically be summed up in the phrase "Man up." It's ultimately the worship of oneself.

I don't recommend this book. It teaches wrong ideas in a boring way.

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