How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius

Product Information

The Stoics that Marcus knew personally were probably influenced by Epictetus, and some had likely attended his lectures. Since completing his journal of reflections on philosophy several years earlier, Marcus has been passing through the final stage of a lifelong spiritual journey. It seems he also believed the best way to begin studying Stoic philosophy was to look at living examples of the virtues. The ancient philosophy of Cynicism focused on cultivating virtue and strength of character through rigorous training that consisted of enduring various forms of “voluntary hardship.

According to legend, Socrates was the first person to apply the philosophical method to ethical questions.CBT was closer to the philosophical practice I was looking for because it encourages us to apply reason to our emotions. Life is preferable to death, wealth is preferable to poverty, health is preferable to sickness, friends are preferable to enemies, and so on. Marcus no doubt would have preferred health, wealth, and peace, and did what he could to attain them, but he did not waste time in grief or anxiety for things not within his direct control, nor did he waste time in pursuit of material objects or fleeting pleasures at the expense of his philosophical development. The schools of Hellenistic philosophy that followed the death of Socrates were often distinguished from one another in terms of their definition of the goal of life. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor allows the reader to learn more about the life and thought of Marcus Aurelius for the purpose of establishing an imagined mentorship in the manner practiced by the great Stoics.

Stoicism therefore evolved out of Cynicism, and the two traditions remained very closely associated right down to the time of Marcus Aurelius. The northern tribes might seize the opportunity to renew their attacks, and another invasion could mean the end of Rome. Marcus appointed Commodus his official heir, granting him the title Caesar when he was just five years old. The potential value of Stoicism struck me immediately when I stumbled across the French scholar Pierre Hadot’s What Is Ancient Philosophy? They also believed that we have many irrational desires and emotions, like fear, anger, craving, and certain forms of pleasure that are bad for us.I didn’t know any children’s stories, so I told her what came to mind: Greek myths, stories about heroes and philosophers.