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The Inner Citadel: The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

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Hadot manages an academically rigorous analysis of the _Meditations_ while also bringing out the vibrancy and robust spirituality which must have accompanied the ancient philosophies. Where most secondary sources for the Stoics focus upon dry-as-dust technical logistics (which the ancients universally decried), Hadot brings to the foreground the true purpose of ancient meditation techniques, and provides readers some hints of what it might have been like to study Stoicism as a life-philosophy instead of merely an academic curiosity. The book also provides a wonderful synopsis of Epictetus' teaching and style, which strongly influenced M.A. A fine companion with Hadot's _Philosophy As a Way of Life_.

Hadot's study of the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is undoubtedly the best educational discussion of one of the most underrated philosophers in history. A text like Meditations deserves a dedicated scholarly (but readable) supplement and Hadot has delivered it to us some thousand and a half years later.

Hadot's believes that the Meditations were not simply notes Marcus wrote to himself but rather a series of cognitive techniques practiced by many Stoics. He calls them "Imaginative Exercises." For example, there is the practice of "turning an obstacle upside down." Suppose you are helping someone (a virtue) and they make that difficult by being surly or unwilling to cooperate: patience and understanding. With this logic, there is rarely an excuse to ever find yourself at a philosophical impasse and is the epitome of Stoicism's adaptability.

Rather than think of Meditations as little bits of wisdom that Marcus jotted down, Hadot says, we should think of them a personal study of the tenets of Stoicism. Marcus is practicing what he has been taught as opposed to doing the teaching himself. This is a new interpretation as most other biographers have gotten caught up in comparing Marcus's actions and his words - analyzing whether or not he was a hypocrite, a drug addict, a warrior or an enfeebled emperor.

In Hadot's book we not only get a deep understanding of Marcus but we can see the love the author has for his subject. Hadot, through his discussion of Marcus, manages to also give the reader one of the best books on Epictetus and Seneca. His original translations of all three authors are welcome additions to the canon for the group. In short, if you liked Meditations or are researching the great Marcus Aurelius, this book is THE book on the topic. Starting anywhere else would be a waste of time.

Until I read this marvelous book, I regarded the "Meditations" of Marcus Aurelius as somber reflections on life by a wise and sensitive observer -- but not as much more. "The Inner Citadel" shows that the "Meditations" were really spiritual exercises shaped by a coherent Stoic philosophy, and intended to entrench a Stoic outlook in Marcus Aurelius' soul. The book connects Marcus Aurelius to other Stoic thinkers such as Seneca and Epictetus, and shows that Stoicism was both a sophisticated ethical system and an appealing form of non-supernatural piety. Anyone who enjoyed the "Meditations" will love "The Inner Citadel." It's a thoughtful and eye-opening book. Six stars.

Just finished Hadot's The Inner Citadel; and am astounded at Hadot's insights and depth of analysis. It leads me to understand Aurelius, his Meditations, and Stoicism. This provides a broader understanding of the context of the times as well as the contents of Aurelius' searching to be that "good man". Such is the unversal search of all.

As a student of Stoicism I have looked for a book which explains in detail the meaning of Marcus Aurelius's Meditations. "The Inner Citadel" by Pierre Hadot clearly succeeds in this task. It begins with a brief biography of the emperor and then pivots to discuss how his writings came to be widely distributed. The book clearly shows that Marcus's writings were not meant for anyone other than himself. Marcus wrote his Meditations as "Spiritual Exercises". Hadot breaks down the Meditations into its individual parts by showing how Marcus's writings fit neatly into the compendium of Stoic thought. Throughout the rest of this superbly written and annotated work I gained an understanding of the Meditations, which greatly exceeded my expectations. With careful documentation and laser-like precision the author shows how the tenets of Stoicism as articulated by Epictetus, Seneca and others are incorporated into the Meditations. By the end of the book I had a much clearer insight into Marcus the man and Marcus the philosopher.
This is not a book to be considered lightly. It took me many days of careful reading to sort through it. Some of the topics can be difficult to understand. It is a book that demands patience but the reward for the discerning mind is a glimpse into the spiritual life of a man who has been gone for almost two thousand years. This is a book that I plan to read more than once.

This is a very insightful work into the Stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius - both informative and practical.