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Marcus Aurelius: The Dialogues
This new work draws from Marcus Aurelius—one of the last great pre-Christian voices of classical Western philosophy and spirituality—the essential threads of his thinking in the Meditations weaving them into a more contemporary and coherent form. Recasting a meeting that actually took place between Marcus and four other historical figures of classical antiquity, the book's situational stage allows Marcus to discuss and defend his beliefs with a clarity not found in the Meditations.
- GenresPhilosophy
113 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 31, 2020
This book was gifted by the author to my husband years ago. I rediscovered this while cataloguing our books. I started reading the book and couldn’t put it down.
This a small book with a very big say. This is a book to read slowly.
This is a book to read a bit and then stop to think, may be even make notes ( I did).
I did stop in between. Am I contradicting myself ? Not really, the days I put the book down physically, the book was always in my thoughts. When I was clear in my mindset what I read I immediately picked up the book.
At the beginning the author Alan Stedall very nicely explained how he felt the need to explore the thoughts of one of the greatest Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius.
And Alan Stedall did it very well in the form of discussions between the five historical Greek figures.
I just felt the book lacks of a brief summary at the end to finish off.
This is a book recommended for anyone who loves thought provoking read.
This a small book with a very big say. This is a book to read slowly.
This is a book to read a bit and then stop to think, may be even make notes ( I did).
I did stop in between. Am I contradicting myself ? Not really, the days I put the book down physically, the book was always in my thoughts. When I was clear in my mindset what I read I immediately picked up the book.
At the beginning the author Alan Stedall very nicely explained how he felt the need to explore the thoughts of one of the greatest Roman emperors Marcus Aurelius.
And Alan Stedall did it very well in the form of discussions between the five historical Greek figures.
I just felt the book lacks of a brief summary at the end to finish off.
This is a book recommended for anyone who loves thought provoking read.
September 17, 2020
Marcus Aurelius The Dialogues by Alan Stedall
This is a short and highly readable imaginary account of the discussion that the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius may have had with a famous physician and an Egyptian priest in Aquileia in 168AD. The meeting evidently really did take place, but no one now knows what was said. It is likely, though, that the Emperor made the most of this opportunity to discuss science, religion, and philosophy with those present.
After providing an introduction to Marcus Aurelius' background and philosophical beliefs, Stedall sums up what he sees as the essential points of The Meditations through a dialectical discussion that the Emperor has with the two distinguished and influential personages. Fundamental philosophical concepts are defined and elaborated on, and conclusions on such questions as the meaning of life and pursuit of happiness are accepted or discarded depending on whether they accord with reason and logic. One particularly interesting point which is made is as follows: "...one could argue that religion - any religion - is not an imposition of understanding on reality but a conscious and willing surrender of any attempt at understanding ultimate reality in the face of the impossibility of the task - a surrender of reason to faith. Each of these naturally selected or socially evolved strategies offers the individual a buffer against a potentially catastrophic conflict between man's fundamental drive to understand and the essentially incomprehensible nature of reality on the other."
A conclusion is provided through a dream which the head of the Praetorian Guard has of a final conversation with the Emperor after his death.
This book is very well written and the factual and fictional sections fit together fairly seamlessly. While is it a good introduction to the ideas of Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations themselves are of course much more memorable and contain a greater amount of timeless wisdom and effective practical advice applicable to everyday life in our day.
I think Alan Stedall might also do quite well if he turned his hand to writing a thought-provoking science fiction or fantasy novel, as he certainly seems to possess the skills and imagination needed to produce fiction.
This is a short and highly readable imaginary account of the discussion that the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius may have had with a famous physician and an Egyptian priest in Aquileia in 168AD. The meeting evidently really did take place, but no one now knows what was said. It is likely, though, that the Emperor made the most of this opportunity to discuss science, religion, and philosophy with those present.
After providing an introduction to Marcus Aurelius' background and philosophical beliefs, Stedall sums up what he sees as the essential points of The Meditations through a dialectical discussion that the Emperor has with the two distinguished and influential personages. Fundamental philosophical concepts are defined and elaborated on, and conclusions on such questions as the meaning of life and pursuit of happiness are accepted or discarded depending on whether they accord with reason and logic. One particularly interesting point which is made is as follows: "...one could argue that religion - any religion - is not an imposition of understanding on reality but a conscious and willing surrender of any attempt at understanding ultimate reality in the face of the impossibility of the task - a surrender of reason to faith. Each of these naturally selected or socially evolved strategies offers the individual a buffer against a potentially catastrophic conflict between man's fundamental drive to understand and the essentially incomprehensible nature of reality on the other."
A conclusion is provided through a dream which the head of the Praetorian Guard has of a final conversation with the Emperor after his death.
This book is very well written and the factual and fictional sections fit together fairly seamlessly. While is it a good introduction to the ideas of Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations themselves are of course much more memorable and contain a greater amount of timeless wisdom and effective practical advice applicable to everyday life in our day.
I think Alan Stedall might also do quite well if he turned his hand to writing a thought-provoking science fiction or fantasy novel, as he certainly seems to possess the skills and imagination needed to produce fiction.
January 5, 2009
I knew within a few lines this was going to be treasure. The kind of book that demands a pencil in one hand, checking off this, underlining that. Stedall is a word master, and without any cheap tricks or somersaults, he had me instantly intrigued. Outlining his personal search in the Introduction for that eternal question we all surely ask (or should) about the meaning of life, Stedall ponders what Marcus Aurelius might have said on the matter.
Called "one of five good Roman Emperors" (AD 121-180), Marcus Aurelius was known for his philosophical Meditations, a treatise on the definition of right and wrong without religious constraint and the value of a good man. Centuries later, author Stedall finds himself pondering these same questions, imagining what those answers might have been had he been overheard discussing such matters among his closest confidantes.
To have a value system means that first we must examine our lives with an unflinching inner eye. Stedall had been attracted to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations for their "vigorous engagement in life." Without a divine power handing down commandments to follow, defining good and right, can these concepts still exist? If we have no fear of hell and no desire for heaven, what might those values be? What makes a good man good?
"Increasing the richness of the tapestry of one's understanding must inevitably increase the comfort (or discomfort) or our awareness of the material world. Knowledge, therefore, is not only power but, of its nature, it modifies action and behavior."
This is an engaging series of discussions of a somewhat fictionalized Roman emperor in friendly debate with his friends and military comrades. From chapters headed "On the Brevity of Life and the Need to Seek Meaning," "On the Pursuit of Purpose," "On the Supreme Good," and "On the Pursuit of the Virtuous Life," Stedall gives us simple but solid reasoning.
But what of value? If we have purpose, and we have blessing, what do we value? As for those who value nothing, Aurelius remarks pointedly: "If nothing is valued, one does not risk losing anything of value. However, it seems to me that this philosophy promotes an unbecoming lack of engagement with life, a general retreat from life. Indeed, such a philosophy would perhaps hold it best not be born in the first place; engagement places us at risk of disappointment in our endeavors, and grief at our loss of persons and things we love, but this is the price we pay for being born with natural gifts and accompanying obligations."
A life well-lived is not measured by success in our endeavors, but in the endeavoring itself. It is the journey, and not the destination. It is the process, and not the end result. The blessing that does not perish is what comes from a life so lived, and is, finally, unscathed by success as modern society would measure it.
Now Aurelius sinks his teeth into the meat of the issue: values. And from those values - morals:
"The judgments of others are fickle. Today's acclaimed hero will soon be cast down by public opinion as yesterday's fool or villain. The only judgment we need to consider is that of our own conscience... If others conduct themselves badly, so be it. The condition of each man's soul is his own responsibility."
If any reader thinks that is letting you off easy, think again. There is no harsher master than one's own conscience, certainly not when one has a working mind. Aurelius (that is, Stedall) takes on the dissection of good and evil; it is fascinating to watch the concepts take shape without various religious laws to fall back upon. He does it skillfully, with reason as his tool of precision, logic falling neatly into place like an intricate puzzle. There is room here for pain, and there is room for tragedy. That inevitable question of "why me?" is addressed as well. Joy has its place, and so does peace, as each sends out ripples to begin another ripple in neat succession.
Called "one of five good Roman Emperors" (AD 121-180), Marcus Aurelius was known for his philosophical Meditations, a treatise on the definition of right and wrong without religious constraint and the value of a good man. Centuries later, author Stedall finds himself pondering these same questions, imagining what those answers might have been had he been overheard discussing such matters among his closest confidantes.
To have a value system means that first we must examine our lives with an unflinching inner eye. Stedall had been attracted to Marcus Aurelius' Meditations for their "vigorous engagement in life." Without a divine power handing down commandments to follow, defining good and right, can these concepts still exist? If we have no fear of hell and no desire for heaven, what might those values be? What makes a good man good?
"Increasing the richness of the tapestry of one's understanding must inevitably increase the comfort (or discomfort) or our awareness of the material world. Knowledge, therefore, is not only power but, of its nature, it modifies action and behavior."
This is an engaging series of discussions of a somewhat fictionalized Roman emperor in friendly debate with his friends and military comrades. From chapters headed "On the Brevity of Life and the Need to Seek Meaning," "On the Pursuit of Purpose," "On the Supreme Good," and "On the Pursuit of the Virtuous Life," Stedall gives us simple but solid reasoning.
But what of value? If we have purpose, and we have blessing, what do we value? As for those who value nothing, Aurelius remarks pointedly: "If nothing is valued, one does not risk losing anything of value. However, it seems to me that this philosophy promotes an unbecoming lack of engagement with life, a general retreat from life. Indeed, such a philosophy would perhaps hold it best not be born in the first place; engagement places us at risk of disappointment in our endeavors, and grief at our loss of persons and things we love, but this is the price we pay for being born with natural gifts and accompanying obligations."
A life well-lived is not measured by success in our endeavors, but in the endeavoring itself. It is the journey, and not the destination. It is the process, and not the end result. The blessing that does not perish is what comes from a life so lived, and is, finally, unscathed by success as modern society would measure it.
Now Aurelius sinks his teeth into the meat of the issue: values. And from those values - morals:
"The judgments of others are fickle. Today's acclaimed hero will soon be cast down by public opinion as yesterday's fool or villain. The only judgment we need to consider is that of our own conscience... If others conduct themselves badly, so be it. The condition of each man's soul is his own responsibility."
If any reader thinks that is letting you off easy, think again. There is no harsher master than one's own conscience, certainly not when one has a working mind. Aurelius (that is, Stedall) takes on the dissection of good and evil; it is fascinating to watch the concepts take shape without various religious laws to fall back upon. He does it skillfully, with reason as his tool of precision, logic falling neatly into place like an intricate puzzle. There is room here for pain, and there is room for tragedy. That inevitable question of "why me?" is addressed as well. Joy has its place, and so does peace, as each sends out ripples to begin another ripple in neat succession.
May 21, 2009
A quick but enthralling read and a great introduction to Stoic philosophy.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews