Meditations - Marcus Aurelius – Stokes Croft China & PRSC Shop

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

Sold Out

UK delivery £4.40 - Free delivery on orders over £60!

Synopsis:

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.

Review:

One measure, perhaps, of a book's worth, is its intergenerational pliancy: do new readers acquire it and interpret it afresh down through the ages? The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, translated and introduced by Gregory Hays, by that standard, is very worthwhile, indeed. Hays suggests that its most recent incarnation--as a self-help book--is not only valid, but may be close to the author's intent. The book, which Hays calls, fondly, a "haphazard set of notes," is indicative of the role of philosophy among the ancients in that it is "expected to provide a 'design for living.'" And it does, both aphoristically ("Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly.") and rhetorically ("What is it in ourselves that we should prize?"). Whether these, and other entries ("Enough of this wretched, whining monkey life.") sound life-changing or like entries in a teenager's diary is up to the individual reader, as it should be. Hays's introduction, which sketches the life of Marcus Aurelius (emperor of Rome A.D. 161-180) as well as the basic tenets of stoicism, is accessible and jaunty. --H. O'Billovich

 

Delivery and Returns

FREE UK delivery on all orders over £60, or FREE Click & Collect from our Stokes Croft shop.
Standard UK delivery is £4.40. Click here for international delivery costs »

We decorate all our chinaware by hand and fire it here on site, so orders may take up to two weeks to arrive. If you're in a hurry please call us on 0117 944 4540 to check availability.

Our goal is to ensure complete customer satisfaction. We are happy to replace your item if faulty or damaged. For more information please see our returns page.

People's Republic of Stokes Croft logo Every purchase from Stokes Croft China directly supports the community work of the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft We Make Our Own Future

Hello You!

Join our mailing list