The Cambridge companion to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations / edited by John Sellars, Royal Holloway, University of London.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Sellars, John, 1971- editor.

Series:

Cambridge companions to literature.

Cambridge companions to literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 121-180. Meditations.

Marcus Aurelius.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 304 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2025.

Summary:

The Meditations of the second-century Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius is consistently one of the best-selling philosophy books among the general public. Over the years it has also attracted famous admirers, from the Prussian king Frederick the Great to US President Bill Clinton. It continues to attract large numbers of new readers, drawn to its reflections on life and death. Despite this, it is not the sort of text read much by professional philosophers or even, until recently, taken especially seriously by specialists in ancient philosophy. It is a highly personal, easily accessible, yet deceptively simple work. This volume, written by leading experts and aimed at non-specialists, examines the central philosophical ideas in the work and assesses the extent to which Marcus is committed to the philosophy of Stoicism. It also considers how we ought to read this unique work and explores its influence from its first printed publication to today.

Contents:

The form and function of the Meditations as ethical self-cultivation / Francesca Alesse

Body, mind, soul, and self / Lothar Willms

Marcus Aurelius among the psychotherapists / Donald Robertson.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 18 Jul 2025).

ISBN:

9781108939928

1108939929