Customer Reviews:
Seneca - Letters.......2007-08-03
This is an enjoyable read. Ancient self-help for every man, not a dense philosophical treatise. Also, many opportunities to take a glimpse into the daily life of an ancient Roman; not so different from us, eh?
An excellent translation.......2007-07-25
The letters in this book are full of nuggets of wisdom and quotable passages. Seneca isn't my favorite Stoic philosopher but this book is one of the easiest to read translations of an ancient text I have ever come across. It was worth adding to me library.
Stoicism - - a modern philosophy.......2006-02-26
Stoicism has been much misunderstood, and the adjective "stoic," which loosely can be taken to mean bearing up under duress, is partly correct but does not do justice to one of the world's great philosophies. This Penguin volume presents a great selection from the letters of Seneca, which hits all the high points of the philosophy and captures Seneca's remarkable personality, which has made him a hit with the cognoscenti for 2,000 years. Few perhaps realize that the Stoics postulated a great commonwealth governed by law, or that they idealized democracy. Seneca mentions Solon the lawgiver as the creator of democracy and refers numerous times to the Roman Stoic saint, Cato, who strove mightily (and unsuccessfully) to preserve the Roman Republic.
Seneca, like other Stoics, has a doctrine of nature that is remarkably close to that of Emerson or modern American environmentalists. The wise man (sapiens) will never be bored when contemplating the simple things of nature. The natural beauty of the countryside and the healthful action of the waves can have a calming effect (although there's a memorable passage in which a storm causes terrible sea sickness). He also believed in the simple and strenuous life and the avoidance of luxury and decadence, and there are numerous passages in these letters to his disciple, Lucilius, which decry the ostentatious, self indulgent practices of his contemporaries. These are sentiments and ideas adopted by many in the modern world, including President Theodore Roosevelt. Seneca has no patience for philosophy as a word game or a practice of engaging in hair-splitting arguments for their own sake. He rather sees it as a practice or way of life that all those who seek the good should investigate and adopt. While the Stoics believed in democracy and republicanism, their doctrine of freedom is different from the modern idea of Liberty. Freedom was the ability to endure and pursue the good even under tyranny. While that may be admirable, modern commentators on liberty (such as Isaiah Berlin) have pointed out that defining down the range of one's actions is not a satisfactory solution to the problem of the absence of liberty in society or the world.
No stranger to power himself, Seneca virtually ruled Rome as tutor of the boy Nero--and yet he adopts a quite believable stance of simplicity and humility. It's a good bet these letters will still be found absorbing by readers for another 2,000 years.
A Secular Bible for the 21st Century.......2004-11-18
Seneca's one hundred and twenty four letters to Lucilius constitute a secular bible, an ethical catechism written in a gnomic and epigrammatic style that sparkles as it enlightens. So impressed were the early church fathers with Seneca's moral insights that they advanced (fabricated?) the speculation that he must have come within the influence of Christian teachings. T.S. Eliot sneers at Seneca's boyish, commonplace wisdom and points out that the resemblances between Seneca's 'stoic philosophy' and Christianity are superficial. For those seeking a practical, modern manual on how to do good and how to do well, written in the 'silver point' style that values brevity, concision and memorable expression, Seneca's letters are indeed the Good Book.
For Christians as well........2004-07-12
Stoicism is a great learning tool in helping to understand the early Christian Church. Scholars say that it was the 'bridge' that allowed a smoother transition between Paganism and Christianity during the time of the Roman Empire.
Of course, there are some elements in Stoicism that are not compatible with Christian teachings. The way I got around this was by putting 'post-it notes' on four of the letters, that mentions ending your life short, so that I know which ones to skip as I read this most eloquent book over and over again. The remaining 40+ letters are great, and I don't find much that is nefarious about them.
The book also mentions about a relationship between St.Paul and Seneca, and although many moderns think it never happened, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. In Philippians 4:22, it says this: "All the saints send you greetings, especially those that belong to Caesar's household." (NIV) This letter was written during the time that St.Peter was in Rome, between 44 AD and 64-67 AD. If anyone says that 'Caesar's Household' had nothing to do with a great lecturer and tutor on ethics like 'Lucius Seneca the younger', than they are mad. People just do not want to believe in such a relationship because they hate the legacy of Christianity. Notice that I didn't even mention the letters between them that historians say came to light in the 3rd century AD. Petrach, I think, re-discovered Cicero's 900 letters around the time of the 'Humanist' movement (1345), so why couldn't a great fire in Rome and the horrible persecution of many countless Christians bring those letters into hiding until the 3rd century? Plus, Seneca, in his 41st letter to Lucilius, talks about the 'Holy Spirit', which Robin Campbell failed to translate accurately (although the rest of his translation is superb)but can be found in the Loeb Classical Library version of Seneca's letters.
When all is said and done, I have to say that this is a great book for all peoples and shouldn't be considered one book for any one particular group of persons. To improve yourself in ethics or eloquence, this book is a great tool.
Amazon.com
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
Book Description
A. S. L. Farquharson's translation was originally published in 1944, as part of a major commentary on Marcus Aurelius' work. In this volume, Farquharson's work is brought up to date and supplied with an introduction and notes for the student and general reader. A selection of lively letters from Marcus to his tutor Fronto, most of which date from his earlier years, is also included.
Download Description
Few ancient works have been as influential as the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, philosopher and emperor of Rome (A.D. 161�).
A series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom, practical guidance, and profound understanding of human behavior, it remains one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. Marcus's insights and advice—on everything from living in the world to coping with adversity and interacting with others—have made the Meditations required reading for statesmen and philosophers alike, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the straightforward intimacy of his style.
For anyone who struggles to reconcile the demands of leadership with a concern for personal integrity and spiritual well-being, the Meditations remains as relevant now as it was two thousand years ago.
In Gregory Hays's new translation—the first in thirty-five years—Marcus's thoughts speak with a new immediacy. In fresh and unencumbered English, Hays vividly conveys the spareness and compression of the original Greek text. Never before have Marcus's insights been so directly and powerfully presented.
With an Introduction that outlines Marcus's life and career, the essentials of Stoic doctrine, the style and construction of the Meditations, and the work's ongoing influence, this edition makes it possible to fully rediscover the thoughts of one of the most enlightened and intelligent leaders of any era.
"The emperor Marcus Aurelius, the proverbial philosopher-king, produced in Greek a Roman manual of piety, the Meditations, whose impact has been felt for ages since. Here, for our age, is his great work presented in its entirety, strongly introduced and freshly, elegantly translated by Gregory Hays for the Modern Library."
ROBERT FAGLES
Customer Reviews:
that's what a classic is for.......2007-09-18
There are 4 books to the New Testament.I would never even wish to add on to this but a person would have to be equally as greatful to those"Dark Age" monks who translated and preserved alot of the classical works,in this case the Meditations.The Roman spirit of renunciation is well preserved in this translation.Although some of the passages don't seem to make sense(probably because of translation from the original tongue).Too much stress is placed on the Roman military achievement,in fact they conquered more with their philosophy of life.When the mind is persuaded the next step in conquest is more easily achieved.This Roman emperor seems like a guy you could talk sense with over a cup of a good red wine.Matter of fact I think I'll go talk to him now!!and.........one swig i'll dedicate to the Christian monks who preserved his meditations.(maybe two)
STOIC RELIGION AT ITS BEST.......2007-09-16
THIS IS NOT SOME BOOK THAT YOU READ FROM FRONT TO BACK...NO, YOU TAKE YOUR TIME WITH A PASSAGE, ANY PASSAGE, AND YOU THINK ABOUT IT. IN OTHER WORDS YOU MEDITATE FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES. WARNING: THIS IS NOT A GOOD ONE TO START YOUR STOIC STUDIES WITH, LEARN THE PRINCIPLES, THEN TEST IF YOU CAN PICK THEM OUT FROM THIS BOOK.
Meditations of Marcus Aurelius.......2007-08-12
It is an inspiration to read the private thoughts of Rome's Philosopher King. He remains as relevant in 2007 as he did in 170 AD
Ageless Wisdom.......2007-08-06
Meditations, in its own right, was never meant to be a book in the first place. That's why I can't mark it down for its fragmented passages and randomly recurring themes, which are sporadically placed throughout the book. Even with this issue, though, it's fascinating to remember the author and the conditions under which it was written. Marcus Aurelius, the last of the Five Good Emperors (about 180 A.D.), kept a personal diary while he was on a campaign at war towards the end of his reign. It's astonishing to recall that this philosophical work was originally solely a personal diary, in which he was reminding himself of his beliefs.
Meditations is still a fantastic book that offers deep insight into the nature of the human mind, and of nature itself. It questions and debunks some of the largest fears and desires which we let gain control of ourselves with great prose. His philosophical beliefs are well grounded on Stoic principles, and successfully illuminate themselves by the end of the book.
The only problem I had with the book was with its dismal view of human life. I can't complain, because it's part of his philosophy, but the book gets pretty dismal at times. But his advice really cheers one up at other points of his work as well.
I would recommend this book whether you're interested in the classics or not. Because it's timeless nature means that you don't have to be very familiar with Greek/Roman principles to understand it completely. If you need a book to lift you up, to enlighten you, or to deepen your knowledge of the nature of things, I would highly suggest this book.
Best translation of the Meditations I've read.......2007-07-25
This is by far the best transaltion of Marcus' Meditations I've read. The language is very accessible and the notes in the back clarify many of the more vague passsages. This one is going to stay in my library.
Average customer rating:
- Inner peace and ethical living
|
The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus: And a Selection from the Letters of Marcus and Fronto
Marcus Aurelius
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Ancient
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Medieval
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Greek & Roman
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0198147619 |
Book Description
This new edition brings Farquharson's authoritative 1944 translation up to date and includes a helpful introduction and notes for the student and general reader. Rutherford includes a selection of letters from Marcus to his tutor Fronto--most of which date from his earlier years--that offer
personal detail and help to fill out the somber portrait of the emperor that is found in the Meditations.
Customer Reviews:
Inner peace and ethical living.......2004-01-24
This is a truly great book, and I've read it three times now. This is inspite of the fact that the style is a bit dense for the modern reader.
Personally, I have always been attracted to the Stoic emphasis on inner peace and ethical living according to the example of nature and the cosmos. It is not surprising to me that Aurelius was also a great influence on Henry David Thoreau.
I understand that President Clinton cited this as his favorite book, though for the life of me I cannot concieve of him as a Stoic- Epicurian perhaps, but not Stoic....
I was struck by Aurelius's repeated admonition that it makes no difference whether one lives 40 years or 10,000- you will still have experienced everything, for nothing is new and everything repeats in endless cycles. He is right, once you get past 40, these repeating cycles become more and more apparent....
Book Description
Many Guatemalans speak of Mayan indigenous organizing as "a finger in the wound." Diane Nelson explores the implications of this painfully graphic metaphor in her far-reaching study of the civil war and its aftermath. Why use a body metaphor? What body is wounded, and how does it react to apparent further torture? If this is the condition of the body politic, how do human bodies relate to it--those literally wounded in thirty-five years of war and those locked in the equivocal embrace of sexual conquest, domestic labor, mestizaje, and social change movements?
Supported by three and a half years of fieldwork since 1985, Nelson addresses these questions--along with the jokes, ambivalences, and structures of desire that surround them--in both concrete and theoretical terms. She explores the relations among Mayan cultural rights activists, ladino (nonindigenous) Guatemalans, the state as a site of struggle, and transnational forces including Nobel Peace Prizes, UN Conventions, neo-liberal economics, global TV, and gringo anthropologists. Along with indigenous claims and their effect on current attempts at reconstituting civilian authority after decades of military rule, Nelson investigates the notion of Quincentennial Guatemala, which has given focus to the overarching question of Mayan--and Guatemalan--identity. Her work draws from political economy, cultural studies, and psychoanalysis, and has special relevance to ongoing discussions of power, hegemony, and the production of subject positions, as well as gender issues and histories of violence as they relate to postcolonial nation-state formation.
Customer Reviews:
invaluable.......2001-08-29
In A Finger in the Wound: Body Politics in Quincentennial Guatemala, anthropologist Diane M. Nelson provides an analysis and ethnography of the Guatemalan State that is not only rich in its theoretical scope and in its empirical breadth, but that also brings to life the challenges of political struggle and everyday politics in Guatemala. This book contains information about Guatemalan political and government entities and events, such as the Academy of Mayan Languages, the ratification of ILO Convention 169, Guatemalan government actors and ministries, the Maya cultural rights movement, and the effects of the 36-year-long civil war, while simultaneously conveying incisive analysis of both actual actors in these struggles and the manner in which popular imagery, fantasies, fears, and stereotypes play into the struggles for self-representation of people in these different groups. While Nelson takes the Maya cultural rights movement and nation-state identity as her focus, because she focuses on the relations that constitute particular identities rather than on just the identities themselves, she provides an integrative analysis of how different identities-Maya, Ladino, gringo, "the State", "non-State actors", males and females, and others- constitute each other. The result is a book that offers insight not just into the Maya cultural rights movement in relation with the Guatemalan state and into the political context in the aftermath of the civil war, but also into how gender identities shape the roles and positions of women and men in relation with ethnic identities and the nationalist ladino discourse of the state. Using jokes, metaphor, and extensive ethnographic accounts from years of fieldwork, Nelson offers an analysis of Guatemala's recent political and social context, and the wider global context, that is both intellectually and politically provocative. She dares to make the connections that raise difficult questions; [i]f the subject of feminism, for example, does not exist as woman but is instead the effect of institutions and practices that produce the category of `woman' (and then never as a fixed identity), then how does one fight women's oppression?" (71). Nelson explores such questions through developing the concept of fluidarity as " a practice of necessarily partial knowledge-in both the sense of taking the side of, and of being incomplete, vulnerable, and never completely fixed (Clifford 1986). This neologism plays with the idea of solidarity in an attempt to keep its vitally important transnational relations open and at the same time question its tendency toward rigidity, its reliance on solid, unchanging identifications, and its often unconscious hierarchizing (42) ". The concept of fluidarity challenges readers to place themselves in relation with Guatemala's political and social context by acknowledging that all identity is mutually constitutive and by making connections with the wider global and transnational context within which Guatemala is located. A Finger in the Wound suggests that it is the inherent instability of identity that makes apparently solid identities possible; "[i]t is precisely at the sites of struggle and of production-the state, the school, and the family-that identifications are both reiterated and appropriated . . . . Fluidarity looks to these spaces and relations, rather than to any solid identity positions, in order to discern and support democratizing work" (70). Fluidarity does not suggest that solid identity positions are not also vital to struggles for democracy, but rather that every solid identity is itself a relation, constituted through multiple identifications with others, and often able to change as these identifications and spaces change. Nelson is careful to point out that every group is heterogeneous and mutually self-constituting with multiple others. She reminds us that while the Maya Movement challenges the binary in which the Guatemalan state leans on indigenous culture in order to define itself as modern, literate, urban, the Maya Movement in turn leans on Mayan women; Mayan men's reluctance to support Mayan women's participation in the Maya cultural rights movement "suggests their dependence on the mujer maya as prosthetic, the need for her to act as a legitimizing link to the land, to the past, and to tradition" (275). Nelson also uses the metaphor of the body and prosthetics to talk about the productiveness of political and social struggles as always articulatory processes of identity production that make the structured relations between people with different historic investments open to transformation as these interactions also transform the people involved in struggle. In her discussion about the relation of struggles over identity with hegemonic attempts to create a national identity in Guatemala she tells the following joke: "[t]he calls for national unity over ethnic difference turn us to Benedict Anderson's `imagined community', with `a deep horizontal comradeship' (Anderson 1983, 16), [and] clear borders with unproblematized state sovereignty,' . . . (40). Perhaps we can imagine this ideal `modern nation' as a piece of clothing meant to cover all its inhabitants. And thus the goal of Guatemala's national project would be to stitch together the various materials-Mayan, ladino, criollo, Garifuna, German, and Chinese-to form a suitable outfit that would clothe and protect the `Guatemalan' as well as fashion (in the sense of define or represent) `Guatemalan-ness.' If the clothes make the man, however, then this ideal nationalism may fit Guatemala like the camel hair suit of the joke: `A man has a camel hair suit made for him but the next day goes back to the tailor and says, `The sleeve's too short.' The tailor replies, `You can't recut a camel hair suit, but just hold your arm like this [over-extended] and no one will notice.' The man goes out with his arm like that, but the next day returns to say the right leg is too long. The tailor tells him to hold his leg like this [bent up] and no one will notice. Well, this goes on until the guy is walking around with his limbs every which way. A couple see him, and the woman exclaims, `Look at the poor deformed man!' And her husband says, `Yeah, but doesn't his camel hair suit fit great!'" (Nelson 1999: 178-179). Nelson uses this joke to comment on the disjuncture between the warm comfort and promise of pleasure offered by an ideal of a national identity that can resolve the deep wounds of centuries of violent colonization, of highly unequal economic relations and of the recent civil war, and the fact that the only way such a "suit" of national identity could fit is through painful contortions that these different wounded subjects are pushed to make to fit such a suit. But, as Nelson suggests throughout the book, the "camel suit of national identity" can itself be thought to consist of the interactions between the different subjects-body parts-of Guatemala's body politic. While nationalist ladino discourse may attempt to pressure the different constituencies and their antagonisms to fit into a national united identity, similar to how the Maya cultural rights movement may pressure Mayan women to fit into a homogenous and united political Mayan identity, instead of these different people-Mayans as well as ladinos, gringos, and others- only getting pressured and constricted by this suit of collective identity, they are also using it in ways that transform the suit; they are not just getting shaped by its attempts to mold them into an uncomfortable fit with the rest of the nation, but are actively shaping "the suit" through using the different spaces and mechanisms opened up in this discourse to fight for self-definition and representation. This book is an invaluable tool not just for people who are interested in Guatemala, but also for anyone interested in the subjects of identity politics, nation-state formation, the relations between ethnicity and gender, for political activists who are concerned with the difficult contradictions and challenges of social struggle, and for any student of anthropology.
A feminist and postmodern perspective.......1999-11-05
The book is tight, however, it is an overwhelming barage of self-interest and personal agrandizment within the discipline. In contrast to other ethonographies, Fingure is more of a venue ethnography; Nelson uses the book to further her own persona, beliefs and character in the true postmodern spirit. Between the brash jokes (although they relflect reality) and impressive vocabulary emerges a theme of ethnographer as "superwoman". This theme made me wonder if Nelson was being extreme with intent to show me that she could transcend ideological gender boundaries that exist within anthropology. Although Nelson effectively provides deep insight into Guatemala and indigenous affairs there, she interjected to much "I" into the work. Those looking for a postmodernist view of Guatemalan idigenous affairs would enjoy this book. Those searching for an objective view should refer to another piece.
Indispensable.......1999-10-21
Diane Nelson's extraordinary "ethnography of the state (3)" takes its title from a metaphor often used by Guatemalans to describe the indigenous cultural rights activism that has emerged in the wake of the Guatemalan war, a constant reminder to Guatemalans of the racial divisions that have structured national history and identity. A Finger in the Wound is an enormously rich and complex work, one that defies easy description or summation of its arguments. Nelson's stated aim is to examine the post-war emergence of Maya cultural activism; her integrative approach and subtle analysis, however, has produced a much more ambitious work. Through the prism of the state institutions, non-governmental organizations, cultural rights groups, popular culture, jokes (the appendix listing Rigoberta Menchú jokes is worth the price of the book alone), and global relations of production, Nelson examines the formation of Guatemala's racialized nationalism. Nelson's analysis deftly combines poststructural, gender, marxist, and psychoanalytic theory to argue for the articulated, relational nature of Ladino and Maya identity: "ethnic, gender, and nation-state identities are mutually constitutive, meaning that they do not exist outside their relation to each other, and at this historical moment the Guatemalan state is an important matrix through which these relations occur (7)." Unlike previous studies of Guatemala that dismiss the state as inherently illegitimate, Nelson takes the state seriously. Capacity to repress, while important, cannot alone explain its tenacity: "The state . . . is not a clear-cut set of interests that gets what it wants through repressive apparatuses. In Guatemala it has been and is still extraordinarily repressive-that is why there is so much attention to wounded bodies in this book. But it is also, and simultaneously, a set of relations: a structure of domination, yes, but one which in turns forms the conditions of possibility for all political work (28)." Nelson work demonstrates that these structures of domination often have unintended effects. One such effect is the space that has opened up in the wake of the war within state institutions for Maya activism. A Finger in the Wound examines the hostile reaction by many Ladinos, including Leftists, to this organizing. Nelson points out that while indigenous identity is an indispensable component of Guatemalan nationalism, Maya activists, by assuming what is considered a "western" lifestyle, threatens the binary assumptions -- particular/universal; past/future; female/male; etc. -- that underwrite racial, gender, and national identity. Importantly, Nelson's is the first study to examine critically the role gender ideologies and relations play in the development of the pan-Maya movement. Nelson admits to suffering from postmodern doubt: "In working on this book . . . I have found 'the people' to be rather more heterogeneous, 'the state' less clearly bounded . . . than I had acknowledged. As I became involved . . . in passionate internal divisions within the pueblo . . . as I witnessed the state becoming a site of struggle rather than an enemy to be smashed . . . I have had to confront the instability of my previous solid representations (46)." By not ignoring contradictions and ambiguities, Nelson reminds readers that the best way to understand the complexities of culture and history is through a dialectical approach. Aside from the force of its arguments, the relevance of A Finger in the Wound lies in its ability to situate an examination of unstable identities within a larger analysis of domination and rule, while simultaneously understanding how each informs and changes the other. This work represents the best of new cultural and social scholarship; it provides historians and anthropologists of Central America with an integrative theoretical framework for understanding the inseparable relationship between ethnic identity, capitalism, and state formation. --excerpt from forthcoming review in Hispanic American Historical Review
Books:
- Madame de Pompadour (New York Review Books Classics)
- Main Lines, Blood Feasts, and Bad Taste: A Lester Bangs Reader
- Marx for Beginners
- Miles Gone By: A Literary Autobiography (with CD)
- Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977
- Muchas vidas, muchos sabios
- My Life in France
- Olafur Eliasson
- One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
- Out of Place: A Memoir
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love Them : When Loving Hurts and You Don't Know Why
- Kaiseki: The Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto's Kikunoi Restaurant
- Cry Uncle
- China Shakes the World: A Titan's Rise and Troubled Future -- and the Challenge for America
- Cinema Today
- History: Fiction or Science
- Galapagos Wildlife, 2nd: A Visitor's Guide
- Instant Tax Relief for Real Estate Agents
- Entrepreneur's Notebook: Practical Advice for Starting a New Business Venture
- Car Wars: Fifty Years of Backstabbing, Infighting, And Industrial Espionage ....
Meditations (Penguin Classics)
St. Thomas Aquinas on Politics and Ethics (Norton Critical Editions)
Enchiridion (Dover Thrift Editions)
On the Good Life (Penguin Classics)
Discourses of Epictetus
