Philosophy as a way of life

or a discussion of the "physical" definition of objects;117 the natural character of the accessory phenomena which accompany natural phenomena;1 18 or the theme of death. 1 19 Under the heading of the second discipline, that of inclinations, we find the associated themes of love for others,120 or of rational action. 121

Thus Marcus, in the course of his solitary meditations, was led to orchestrate and make explicit everything that was implied by the doctrine of the three disciplines as proposed by Epictetus. Often, Marcus does little more than expand upon brief notes which were already sketched in the Discourses arranged by Arrian : this is the case for the theme of joyous satisfaction with the events willed by universal reason, for example, or with the theme of obedience to the gods. 122

To conclude: each time Marcus wrote down one of his Meditatiom, he knew exactly what he was doing: he was exhorting himself to practice one of the disciplines: either that of desire, of action, or of assent. At the same time, he was exhorting himself to practice philosophy itself, in its divisions of physics, ethics, and logic. 123

Perhaps now we are in a better position to understand what it is that gives Marcus Aurelius' Meditations the fascinating power· they have exerted over generations of readers. It is precisely the fact that we have the feeling of witnessing the practice of spiritual exercises - captured live, so to speak.

There have been a great many preachers, theoreticians, spiritual directors, and censors in the history of world literature. Yet it is extremely rare to have the chance to see someone in the process of training himself to be a human being:

"When you have trouble getting up in the morning, let this thought be in your mind: I'm waking up in order to do a man's work." 124

We have already stressed that Marcus seldom seems to hesitate, stumble, or foci his way as he practices exercises which follow the directions Epictetus had skctclml in 1ulv11ncc so precisely. Nonetheless, we feel a quite particular

202

Figures

emotion as we catch a person in the process of doing what we are all trying to do: to give a meaning to our life, to strive to live in a state of perfect awareness and to give each of life's instants its full value. To be sure, Marcus is talking to himself, but we still get the impression that he is talking to each one of us as well.

NOTES

[Ernest Renan ( 1 823-92) dominated French religious studies in the nineteenth century, not without provoking occasional scandalous controversies. His Marc Aurilt was published in 1882. - Trans.)

2 E.R. Dodds, Pagan and Christian in an Age of Anxitty, Cambridge 1 965, p. 29, n. 1 , with reference to Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 8, 1, I ; 10, 8, 1-2; 1 1 , 1 8, S; S, 10, l .

3 Dio Cassius, 7 1 , 36, l .

4 Dodds, Pagan and Christian, p . 29, n . I .

S R. Dailly and H . van Effenterre, "Le cas Marc AurCle. Essai de psychosomatique historique,'' Rtvue dts Etwits Ancitnnts S6 ( 19S4), pp. 347-6S.

6 Dio Cassius, 7 1 , 6, 4.

7 Dailly and Effenterre, "Le cas Marc Auri:le," p. 3S4.

8 Ibid, p. 3SS.

9 T.W. Africa, The opium addiction

"

of Marcus Aurelius,'' Journal of the History

of Ideas ( Jan.-Mar. 1961), pp. 97-102.

10 Dio Cassius, Roman Histories, 71, 6, 4.

1 1 Galen, Works, vol. 14, p. 3 Kilhn.

12 Africa, "Opium addiction," p. 1 0 1 .

1 3 Thomas De Quincey, Conji:ssions of an English Opi11m-eater, 1st edn in London Maga:z:int, Sept./Oct. 1 82 1 -Dec. 1822, repr. New York 19SO, p. 60.

1 4 Marcus Aurelius, Mtditations, 4, 43 .

I S Ibid, S, 23.

16 Seneca, letttr, 99.

17 Seneca, letter, 49, 3.

1 8 Leonidas of Tarentum, in Tl1t Greek Anthology, 7, 472, vol. 2 Paton.

19 SVF vol. 2, §762 (= Plutarch, On Common Conceptions, 1 083 D): "substance . . .

always in flux and in motion."

20 Plato, Cratylus, 402a; cf. A.A. Long, "Heraclcitus and Stoicism,'' in Philosophia (Academy of Athens) S-6 ( 1 975-6).

21 Plutarch, On tht Obsoltsunct of Oracles, 432a.

22 Ovid, Mttamorphosts, I S, 1 79.

23 On the view from on high, see below.

24 Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, S, 24.

2S Ibid, 1 2, 24.

26 Ibid, 9, 32.

27 Ibid, 1 1 , I , 3.

28 Ibid, 6, 36, I .

Marcus Aurelius

203

29 Ibid, 1 2, 32.

30 See above.

31 Plato, Republic, 486a.

32 Sec below.

33 Philo Judaeus, On lhe Special UJl)S, 3, 1-2.

34 Maximus of Tyre, 22, 6, p. 91 Dilbner.

35 Ovid, Metamorphoses, J S, 147.

36 For instance, Seneca, Natural Questions, "Preface," 7-1 3, quoted above.

37 See above.

38 Cicero, Scipio 's Dream, 3, 1 6ff. Cf. the remarks on this passage by A.-J.