Marcus Aurelius
Zeno
(336-264 B.C.E.)

A man named Zeno,
who was born on
Cyprus about 336
and died in Athens
about 264, founded
the Stoic philosophy.
Wisdom and Virtue

Wisdom and virtue
rest in accepting the
facts about our lives
and cooperating
with the process.
We can’t change the
direction of our life,
but we can change
our attitude.
Stoic Ethics

Stoic ethics
culminates, then, in
loving our neighbors
as ourselves, and in
realizing that all
people, even slaves
and enemies, are
our neighbors.
Marcus Aurelius the Emperor

Marcus Aurelius
lived from 121 to
180 C.E. and was
emperor for the last
19 years of his life.
Dominion

“But to Marcus
Aurelius, power
means more than
dominion over
nations and
peoples. It means,
first and foremost,
dominion over
oneself.”
What Would It Be Like?

What would it be like today to have
leaders who thought the inner life was
as important as the outer life and who,
in fact, recognized that one’s inner life
influenced one’s outer life in very direct
ways?
Forgetting

“And how does a man
become reunited with
God, the Mind of the
universe? By reversing
the process by which he
has cut himself off
through forgetting what
he is.”
Examine Yourself

“To what use am I now putting the
powers of my soul? Examine yourself
on this point at every step, and ask,
‘How stands it with that part of me which
is called the ruling part? What kind of
soul inhabits me at this moment?’”
Life is Like a Play

Life is like a play,
and your job is not
to complain about
your part, but to play
it well.