Meditations: A New Translation (Modern Library)

Sometimes Amazon bundles multiple translations under one product listing, so this is the Gregory Hays translation. Overall I give the translation 5/5 just from the perspective of being well-written and free of errors. This is my first reading so I can't speak to "accuracy" per se, but overall the flow of the prose gives me a lot of assurance that it's a faithful translation. This translation comes with a large opening section detailing Marcus Aurelius' life and the geopolitical and social factors surrounding the work, as well as the history we know of how the work survived and was transmitted. This background is great because the Meditations were in part Marcus' personal diary. Many lines were only meant as personal reminders - a sort of philosophical to-do list - and some lines are still such non-sequiturs that scholars can't place them. Overall though, the Meditations is sort of a philosophical play book. Marcus is essentially coaching himself - how to act, what to think about, how to carry yourself. It makes for an incredibly actionable philosophical work. Overall, it's precisely the fact that Meditations was never meant to be read which makes it such good reading! This isn't a thorough treatise trying to explain why stoicism is the best philosophy, it's more of a step-by-step guide for how to live and breathe this philosophy. Famously, this work constantly mentions death. Marcus Aurelius constantly reminded himself that he was mortal, and that he could die at any time. He clearly expresses that this belief helps him act honorably at all moments. If you believe you could die today, Aurelius believed you'd be much more likely to express yourself fully and to avoid saying anything which was dishonest or which would cause you to feel regret later. This doesn't mean he ignored the future - preparing for a good life tomorrow, including diet and exercise, has benefits today as well as tomorrow. Meditations is rarely dry. It's quick, aphoristic "to-do list" style means varied points are given one after another. If you don't get something from one paragraph, the next might still be very important to you. It's similar to Nietzsche in that regard. Unlike Nietzsche however, this book goes strongly against ego. Aurelius doesn't say he is a genius, but that he is a human like any other. Overall this is a fairly unique work in terms of major philosophical books. Because this book wasn't meant to be published, it's one of the most brutally honest and effective works out there, especially because this ethos meshes with stoicism. One stoic principle might be, "write everything down - but write honestly, as though it will never get published". Aurelius accidentally accomplished that in strong fashion, and the philosophical world is all the better for it.

a really good book to introduce oneself to the stoicism philosophy, and understand what this philosophy is about, and how it can change the way see things, and react to them.

So very wise words from the ancient past. I saved a few passages to reread. The translation is very modern and easy too understand. I am kind of on the fence about it, in some ways it is almost too modern. Maybe taking away some of the weight of the words. Some themes are repetitive, Biden coming down to the fact we are all going to die so it doesn’t matter.

Meditations is a masterclass in mental discipline and personal clarity. This translation makes the ancient wisdom of Marcus Aurelius feel incredibly relevant and practical. What stood out most was his focus on controlling your thoughts, staying grounded in reason, and rising above chaos with calm and purpose. I’d recommend this book to entrepreneurs, leaders, athletes—anyone who wants to build resilience and act with intention. I gave it five stars because it’s more than a book—it’s a mindset upgrade.

Pretty good book on Stoicism 101. Marcus Aurelius talking about logos reminded me of jedis talking about the force. Lots of commonality between stoicism and Christianity as far as forgiveness, not being a slave to your emotions, not complaining, being mindful of your thoughts, only worrying about what you control and not being anxious about anything, although for slightly different reasons. Lots of great quotes. I should have highlighted them but one favorite was "You have to assemble your life yourself - action by action." Another was "When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly. They are like this because they can't tell good from evil." “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” - This is a huge one. We can often identify crazy things being said by others but we're not always so great at ignoring the noise our brain generates. At other times you really are just reading the written ramblings of someone's diary, but there's a lot of great wisdom in there.

Delivered on time and undamaged. This is an interesting book by an interesting author (Marcus). It is a clear translation and easy to understand for someone like me. I am an avid history buff but I’m no academician so I won’t be comparing it to the original work. I got the book out of curiosity and to extend my knowledge of ancient wisdom. I was not disappointed and refer back to the contents on occasion. It has expanded my knowledge of many more modern works and I have discovered that a great many notable individuals from the more recent past have based views directly from this work. It’s easy to follow and really a great pleasure to read and share with others.

This book exceeded my expectations. The hardcover is well made and feels high quality with no damages from shipping, and the content itself is motivating, inspiring, and helpful for living a better life. Marcus Aurelius truly is a great stoic philosopher and leader which you can tell from his experiences and notes to himself. I’m very happy with this purchase and would highly recommend it.

The Modern Library edition has the Hayes translation, but they also have a full novella of introductions - to the point where it is worth rebinding. It is a short text, written to be concise and accessible by quick lookup... not padded so heavily with pundits.