The Meditations

Summary

Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is the philosopher’s writing on his personal philosophies and private life. The book is made up of 12 books that Marcus Aurelius used to outline his ideas for self-improvement and guidance.
While these writings were likely never meant to become a published work, Meditations has remained an important work of philosophical writing several centuries later as one of the earliest works of Stoic philosophy. This Stoicism reveals itself through the writing as Marcus Aurelius posits that individuals can separate themselves from sensory experiences to free themselves from the pain of the world. He presents a philosophy rooted in logic and rationality, and seeks to gain control of what he can while letting go the things he cannot control.
Centuries after Meditations was written, philosophers began studying the work and using it as a means of discourse. This work is acclaimed for its writing style and Marcus Aurelius’ ability to write what he believed plainly. This work is an essential philosophical piece that has stood the test of time.