Marcus Aurelius

Abstract

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121–180) — the last major representative of Later Stoa and the entire Stoic tradition, Roman emperor (from 161). His main work, "To Himself (Meditations)", written in Greek, represents a collection of recordings that he, most likely, made personally for himself and did not intend for outsiders. Marcus Aurelius had a fairly broad historical-philosophical outlook. Although at times Heraclitic, Platonic and Epicurean motives are visible to him, he generally prefers stoicism. Marcus Aurelius touches upon some questions of stoic logic (types of judgments and theory of knowledge) and physics (especially total causality and providential teleology), but his main attention is paid to ethical topics.  Following Epictetus he particularly emphasized the aspect of moral autonomy, the need for inner honesty, self-control (much attention is paid to moral self-reflection), the fundamental importance of "freedom of choice" and "the correct use of ideas". Themes of concern for the common good and the cosmopolitan pathos of Stoa acquire a special sound in the mouth of the ruler of the World Empire.