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

Product Information

The Stoics would say that things like health, wealth, and reputation are, at most, advantages or opportunities rather than being good in themselves.

In addition to believing that humans are essentially thinking creatures capable of reason, the Stoics also believed that human nature is inherently social. However, I believe that for many people a combination of Stoic philosophy and CBT may be even more suited for use as a long-term preventive approach.

The true goal of life for Stoics isn’t to acquire as many external advantages as possible but to use whatever befalls us wisely, whether it be sickness or health, wealth or poverty, friends or enemies. Marcus warns Commodus that if he doesn’t remain at the front, the Senate may view it as a betrayal after so much has been invested in the long wars and so many lives have been lost in battle. Now there are young officers under Marcus’s command for whom Hadrian is just a name in the history books, his real, living body long ago replaced by lifeless portraits and statues. Freemasonry has a long history in Scotland, going back at least four centuries, and it has deep roots in my hometown of Ayr. On the other hand, his friend and political rival Cato of Utica was a “complete Stoic,” as Cicero puts it, a living example of Stoicism, but didn’t leave any writings about philosophy.

Marcus was greatly influenced by Socrates, Seneca, Epictetus, and his own personal philosophy tutors. Their once illustrious lives have gradually become insignificant to subsequent generations, who have already half-forgotten them. While having a mentor is important, most of us do not personally know a Stoic master who is available 24/7 to critique our attitudes and behavior.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. Marcus probably saw himself mainly as an adherent of Epictetus’s version of Stoicism, although the two never met in person. CBT was closer to the philosophical practice I was looking for because it encourages us to apply reason to our emotions. He’ll likewise forgo pleasures like eating junk food, indulging in drugs or alcohol, or oversleeping if they are unhealthy for his body or bad for his character. Indeed, Seneca, as we’ll see, noted the paradox that before we can exhibit the virtues of courage and moderation, we need to have at least some trace of fear and desire to overcome.