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Marcus Aurelius: Stoicism And The Modern Military

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Marcus Aurelius: Stoicism And The Modern Military
Marcus Aurelius: Stoicism and the Modern Military
In the long history of the United States, hundreds of men and women have forever altered the military with their legacies, ideas, and values. In this paper, I will discuss the life and legacy of the famed Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. His musings have come to define the essence of the ideal military leader and how such individuals can live peacefully while in the heart of war. With his large contributions to Stoic philosophy, Marcus Aurelius has significantly impacted the military of today.
Marcus Aurelius was born into a prominent family in Rome, Italy on April 26, 121 CE (Biography, 2014). As a young boy, Marcus focused most of his time on learning a variety of disciplines and languages. …show more content…
From there, the piece went to the Vatican before becoming a well-known book throughout Europe (Sellars, 2015). Thomas Jefferson even mentioned the book in his recommended reading list in the 1800’s (Anderberg, 2014). In an interview with Foreign Policy, General James Mattis explains how the writings of Marcus Aurelius taught him about human nature and how to “keep [his] peace” during the tribulations of war (Ricks, 2017). This comes as no surprise since the fundamental idea of Stoicism is to “move beyond grieving and keep fighting; it is to stare death down in a death filled place” (Sherman, 2010). The ideas of Stoicism present in Meditations are perfect for alleviating the suffering and chaos caused by …show more content…
(2014, October 8). The Libraries of Famous Men: Thomas Jefferson’s Recommended Reading. Retrieved from http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/10/08/the-libraries-of-famous-men-thomas-jeffersons-recommended-reading/
Biography.com Editors (2014, April 2). Marcus Aurelius Biography.com. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/marcus-aurelius-9192657
Messerly, J. (2016, January 19). Marcus Aurelius: A Brief Summary of The Meditations. Retrieved from http://reasonandmeaning.com/2015/03/06/marcus-aurelius-a-brief-summary-of-the-meditations/
Sellars, J. (2015, January 1). Marcus Aurelius. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/marcus/
Sherman, N. (2010, May 10). A Crack in the Stoic’s Armor. Retrieved from https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/a-crack-in-the-stoic-armor/?mcubz=3
Ricks, T. (2017, March 28). Book Excerpt: Defense Secretary Mattis discusses his favorite books, and why. Retrieved from
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