Start Date
5-3-2024 10:40 AM
End Date
5-3-2024 11:50 AM
Disciplines
History
Subjects
Marcus Aurelius (Emperor of Rome 121-180), Emperors -- Rome, Philosophy
Abstract
Often regarded as one of the key Stoic works, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is a demonstration of the importance of self-reflection and Stoic ideals. His life was one of war and turmoil that influenced his possibly autobiographical writings over the years during his time campaigning during the Marcomannic wars. Since his death, the manuscripts remaining have been altered and interpreted in various ways. I speculate that Meditations being framed in the Christian lens is one of the most significant ways it's relevant today as it demonstrates the way contemporary ideas are imprinted onto classical work. Translators and readers of Meditations such as Wilhelm Xylander and Meric Casaubon understood Marcus’ ideas with a Christian lens in the era of Scholasticism where ancient text was interpreted through the lens of Christianity as a way to attempt to reconcile theology with ancient philosophy. Additionally, Neostoicism, the emergence of Stoicism during theEnlightenment has been intertwined with Christian ideals. Alongside Christianity, historians also speculate that Marcus’ writing is an early example of the understanding of self and individualism that came from the late Roman and Greek era of the city-state. Meditations is also a demonstration of the human understanding of the unity of the world and the relationship people have with others, which can be seen in the connection between ancient philosophy and modern theology.
Keywords: Stoicism, Neostoicism, Scholasticism, Neoscholasticism, Christianity, Religion, Philosophy, Translations, Unity, Theology
Part of the panel: Preserving the Past through Contemporary Beliefs
Moderator: Professor John Ott
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations and Its Interpretation With Christian Contemporary Thought
Often regarded as one of the key Stoic works, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations is a demonstration of the importance of self-reflection and Stoic ideals. His life was one of war and turmoil that influenced his possibly autobiographical writings over the years during his time campaigning during the Marcomannic wars. Since his death, the manuscripts remaining have been altered and interpreted in various ways. I speculate that Meditations being framed in the Christian lens is one of the most significant ways it's relevant today as it demonstrates the way contemporary ideas are imprinted onto classical work. Translators and readers of Meditations such as Wilhelm Xylander and Meric Casaubon understood Marcus’ ideas with a Christian lens in the era of Scholasticism where ancient text was interpreted through the lens of Christianity as a way to attempt to reconcile theology with ancient philosophy. Additionally, Neostoicism, the emergence of Stoicism during theEnlightenment has been intertwined with Christian ideals. Alongside Christianity, historians also speculate that Marcus’ writing is an early example of the understanding of self and individualism that came from the late Roman and Greek era of the city-state. Meditations is also a demonstration of the human understanding of the unity of the world and the relationship people have with others, which can be seen in the connection between ancient philosophy and modern theology.
Keywords: Stoicism, Neostoicism, Scholasticism, Neoscholasticism, Christianity, Religion, Philosophy, Translations, Unity, Theology
Part of the panel: Preserving the Past through Contemporary Beliefs
Moderator: Professor John Ott