Marcus Aurelius – Meditations Book Summary + Key Themes

In this book summary, we cover the key themes from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a unique book as it is perhaps the only book of its kind ever to have been written as a personal journal rather than destined to be a published book. Inside, it contains the private thoughts of the world’s most powerful man advising himself on how to handle the responsibilities and obligations of his position.

In this fascinating book, we get into the mind of emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was a daily student of stoic philosophy. Every night, he’d follow a particular set of spiritual exercises that were designed to make him patient, empathetic, humble, generous and robust in the face of any obstacle in his way. It is very easily readable and entirely accessible. Reading this book, you are guaranteed to find a phrase or a quote that will be helpful to you next time you are in trouble. It indeed is an excellent guide in practical philosophy.

As a reminder, Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor during the period of 161 to 180 A.D. He practised Stoicism and journaled his Stoic practice in his mediations. It is worth mentioning that Marcus is one of the most exemplary leaders of our history and one worth imitating in our own lives.

Aurelius proved himself worthy of holding the most powerful station in the world. Machiavelli has written that the time of rule under Marcus was the golden times of the empire and that he was the last of the Five Good Emperors.

Regardless of his privileges as an Emperor, Marcus Aurelius had a difficult life. His reign was filled with a multitude of troubles that he faced with bravery and courage. Indeed, he never gave up. He is an inspiring role model to think about whenever we get tired, frustrated or amid a crisis.
It is during those years of struggle that Marcus took the time to write twelve of his private journal, during a period we estimate to be between 170 and 180 A.D. They are one of the most influential philosophy books in the history of the world.

Initially, this collection of journal entries did not have a title and were not written for an audience, in fact that is what makes these entries so special to read because they were never intended to be understood by any audience.

The original title of Meditations roughly translates as To Himself. The Meditations were written for personal clarity and not a public benefit. For Marcus Aurelius, the process of writing down his stoic exercises was also a form of practising them, just like any prayer or hymn.

The book is composed of short quotes that vary from a sentence or two to a long paragraph. It is not organized by theme, but specific ideas reappear throughout which may indicate that he thought those ideas were the most important to understand and incorporate into our lives.

This repetition in themes illustrates how much the study of stoicism is essentially journaling and revisiting the same ideas. There needs to be a constant reminder of the standards you set for yourself, and who you aspire to be. This reminds us that the journey is the same for all of us no matter who we are.

Meditations is a book of actionable advice and its teachings can be practised and used.
The first book of Meditations involves Marcus thanking everyone who’s had a positive influence on his life, with a focus on those who imparted in his traits of a good Stoic. These include not being absorbed by petty things, honesty and never being secretive, valuing reason above all else, limiting passions and desires, cheerfulness in the face of obstacles, and avoiding the influence of sophistry and superstition.

Three Key Lessons from Meditations

The first and most important lesson from Meditations is that our minds hold power. We can choose how we respond to events, and we always have the opportunity to be virtuous. With practice, we can remove bad impressions from our mind and control our thoughts and actions.

There will always be people who do unpleasant or awful things, yet we are only responsible for our virtue. We may choose to be right even when our environment is wrong. If someone harms us, we can react with kindness, show them their errors if possible but accept that they may ignore the advice. If we become angry because of someone, we must remember to consider their point of view and remember that we have our faults. We can respond positively and stay indifferent to any harm done to us.

The third and most profound lesson in Meditations is about our mortality and how short life can be. We should not waste our lives being distressed as we will soon be replaced. Instead, we need to focus on doing well for others during the time we have left to live. It’s essential to reflect often on the fact that we will one day die as it can result in some of the deepest understandings available to us humans. Death is something that you should confront no matter how unpleasant it may be to think about.

Major Themes

Below are some of the major themes that are covered throughout the book.

Impermanence: throughout the book, Marcus Aurelius often reflects on mortality and the fact that human life is fleeting and ephemeral. It would be vain and futile to strive for fame or immortality in this life. Instead, he advises seizing the present moment.

Cyclicality: Human life is just like being in the same play over and over through space and time with different actors at every stage. Mainly, nature and its cycles of growth and decay are a metaphor that Aurelius often explored.

Fate/Causality: Just like most Stoics, Aurelius relies on compatibilism, also known as soft-determinism. He believes that our path is traced by destiny and we can either choose to go with the flow or to be dragged along with it. Aurelius explores this idea in the context of accepting and being resigned to external events.

Mindfulness: Being mindful means giving our full attention in the present moment to both internal and external factors. Since we cannot go back to the past or travel forward to the future, there is no point in trying to hold on to them. Mindfulness also applies to our internal emotions, patterns of thought and behaviour

Objectivity: to hold an objective view, we must identify and separate actual reactions and beliefs. To make a right decision, we must identify and separate raw perception from our interpretation. This topic is often revisited in the Meditations as he strives in each book to return to a place of greater objectivity.

Equality: Human nature is universal in the sense that we are all subjected to the same temptations and drives. According to Aurelius, one is as capable of any failing as observed in another. Knowing that we are all equal is the foundation of patience and understanding.

Hierarchy: We are all the same, but that does not mean that we are equal. During Aurelius’ time, it is estimated that at least 10% of the population were slaves. Aurelius examines several examples to reconcile his views on an equality with the hierarchical reality of his life.

Civic duty / Justice: Aurelius does not believe in inalienable and universal human rights. Instead, he recognises the need for each citizen to act for the good of the whole, regardless of the individual cost.

If you are looking to deepen your practice with stoic philosophy this is a great companion. I recommend the Modern Library Classics or Penguin Classics translations which are both accessible but keep the original meaning of the text.