Self Reflection In The Meditations By Marcus Aurelius

The writings by Marcus Aurelius, the only Roman emperor who also gained the title as philosopher, are one of the most unique in classic literature when considering the fact it was written without the idea of publication. Aurelius is an aspiring individual, who stands to remind our anemic and easily disheartened race how human goodness and sedulity should be carried. With this in mind, it should be substantial for one to read the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius when considering the writing techniques, and his use of self reflection.

Undoubtedly, no work quite like the Meditations exists in philosophical writings when considering the writing techniques. It stands as a unique piece of work in three distinct ways. First and foremost Marcus silently addresses himself in the writings continuously through inner dialogue. More specifically some of the aphorisms remain structured like dialogues with himself so that the soul may speak openly. “If you remove your judgment of anything that seems painful, you yourself stand quite immune to pain. ‘What self?’ Reason. ‘But I am not just reason’ Granted. So let your reason cause itself no pain, and if some other part of you is in trouble, it can form its own judgment for itself (8.40)”, this quote seems a perfect illustration of inner dialogue. It gives description of a “whole self” which appears as divided (by the higher & weaker self), and the higher rational half found itself confronting the weaker self, who has slipped into a mental outlook which terrorizes the “whole self’s” seeking of morality. This search of the location of the “self” leads us to the second writing technique, where Marcus discrepantly changes between the reflexive pronouns “yourself” and "himself”. He uses this method as a...

... middle of paper ...

...be tempted to read the Meditations. When one is to have an ending thought as to why one must read the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, its simple enough to let his thoughts glimmer in the mind of, you, the reader--the words speak for themselves; “Do not disturb yourself by picturing your life as a whole; do not assemble in your mind the many and varied troubles which have come to you in the past and will come again in the future, but ask yourself with regard to every present difficulty: 'What is there in this that is unbearable and beyond endurance?' You would be ashamed to confess it! And then remind yourself that it is not the future or what has passed that afflicts you, but always the present, and the power of this is much diminished if you take it in isolation and call your mind to task if it thinks that it cannot stand up to it when taken on its own (5.23).”