Mereology （from the Greek μεpoζ） is the branch of ontology which studies the relations of part to whole and the relations of part to part within a whole. The roots of mereology can be traced back to the earliest ...Mereology （from the Greek μεpoζ） is the branch of ontology which studies the relations of part to whole and the relations of part to part within a whole. The roots of mereology can be traced back to the earliest ancient Greek philosophers （the Presocratics）, Plato, and Aristotle. The mereological approach of the Stoic philosophers in the 1 Roman Empire, however, has been neglected. In this paper, the author offers a sketch of how the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius Antoninus used mereology in the collection of brief, occasionally cryptic memoranda and self-exhortations which tradition has dubbed the Meditations. The thesis is that Marcus＇ account of parts and wholes is such a prevalent theme throughout this work because mereological analyses provide him an understanding of what he is, what the cosmos is and how it works, and the purposes of all rational beings, both as agents in the social community and as citizens of the state. That is, the conceptual power and explanatory flexibility of mereology enable Marcus to reason to conclusions about ontology, the nature of a human person, ethical ideals, and a political worldview. As a consequence, a good grasp of Marcus＇ mereology provides a clear and detailed overview of a wide swath of the philosophical terrain in his Meditations.展开更多
文摘Mereology （from the Greek μεpoζ） is the branch of ontology which studies the relations of part to whole and the relations of part to part within a whole. The roots of mereology can be traced back to the earliest ancient Greek philosophers （the Presocratics）, Plato, and Aristotle. The mereological approach of the Stoic philosophers in the 1 Roman Empire, however, has been neglected. In this paper, the author offers a sketch of how the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius Antoninus used mereology in the collection of brief, occasionally cryptic memoranda and self-exhortations which tradition has dubbed the Meditations. The thesis is that Marcus＇ account of parts and wholes is such a prevalent theme throughout this work because mereological analyses provide him an understanding of what he is, what the cosmos is and how it works, and the purposes of all rational beings, both as agents in the social community and as citizens of the state. That is, the conceptual power and explanatory flexibility of mereology enable Marcus to reason to conclusions about ontology, the nature of a human person, ethical ideals, and a political worldview. As a consequence, a good grasp of Marcus＇ mereology provides a clear and detailed overview of a wide swath of the philosophical terrain in his Meditations.
