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'Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainity and agitation distinquish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones ... All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned.' Marx

Meditations#2 « Previous | |Next »
September 26, 2003

This post relates to this one.

In this passage by Marcus Aurelius is from Bk 6 of The Mediations. He is reflecting on who he as a Roman emperor and giving himself a warning not to be fooled by the trappings of public office.


"Take care that thou art not made into a Caesar, that thou art not dyed with this dye; for such things happen. Keep thyself then simple, good, pure, serious, free from affectation, a friend of justice, a worshipper of the gods, kind, affectionate, strenuous in all proper acts. Strive to continue to be such as philosophy wished to make thee. Reverence the gods, and help men. Short is life. There is only one fruit of this terrene life, a pious disposition and social acts. Do everything as a disciple of Antoninus. Remember his constancy in every act which was conformable to reason, and his evenness in all things, and his piety, and the serenity of his countenance, and his sweetness, and his disregard of empty fame, and his efforts to understand things; and how he would never let anything pass without having first most carefully examined it and clearly understood it; and how he bore with those who blamed him unjustly without blaming them in return; how he did nothing in a hurry; and how he listened not to calumnies, and how exact an examiner of manners and actions he was; and not given to reproach people, nor timid, nor suspicious, nor a sophist; and with how little he was satisfied, such as lodging, bed, dress, food, servants; and how laborious and patient; and how he was able on account of his sparing diet to hold out to the evening, not even requiring to relieve himself by any evacuations except at the usual hour; and his firmness and uniformity in his friendships; and how he tolerated freedom of speech in those who opposed his opinions; and the pleasure that he had when any man showed him anything better; and how religious he was without superstition. Imitate all this that thou mayest have as good a conscience, when thy last hour comes, as he had."

This is a different way of looking at public office than many professional politicians in liberal democracy. They see political power in term of a career, hunger for the trappings of Ministerial office, enjoy being surround by courtiers and prone to abuse their power by humiliating others. More often than not they give vent to their anger, use their power to seek revenge for past wrongs, and seek self-aggrandisement.

Few of us would have any understanding of the spiritual exercises practiced by Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic philosophy behind the exercises, or the purpose of philosophy as a way of life.

| Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at 6:22 PM | | Comments (0)
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