理性与命运的交织——马可?奥勒留与《沉思录》的成书

Interwoven Rationality and Destiny—The Writing of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations

马可•奥勒留(Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus),身处“五贤帝”的末位,也是斯多葛学派(The Stoics)最后的代表,此后罗马帝国在衰落的道路上越走越远。在历史学和哲学的视角下,本文首先从马可的童年与青年寻找他早年教育与生活中埋下的《沉思录》(Meditations)的种子。其次分析当时的政治环境、政治思想的变化,寻找马可所沉思的对象。最后回到马可所在的社会现实,从当时的历史温度中体会马可的沉思,体会理性与命运的变化。晚期斯多葛学派即使因历史现实差异而有所不同,但给出了当时的人们所需要的解答,如理性、命运等,实现了延续与发展。

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus is the last one of the Five Good Emperors of Rome, and he is also the final representative of The Stoics. The Roman Empire went to decline after his death. In this passage, from the perspective of philosophy and history, the first part will from seek the seeds of Meditations from Marcus’ childhood and youth. During that time, he was educated and lived his life. Secondly, it will analyze the change of political environment and political thought at that time and look for the object of Marcus’ meditation. Finally, it will be back to the social reality where Marcus was, from the historical temperature of the time to understand Marcus’ meditation, to find the change of rationality and destiny. The late Stoics, even though it was different from the difference of historical reality, gave the solutions that people needed at that time, such as rationality, destiny, freedom, and so on, and realized the continuation and development.