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牛津大学出版百年旗舰产品,英文版本原汁原味呈现,资深编辑专为阅读进阶定制,文学评论名家妙趣横生解读。 内容简介
《沉思录》是古罗马帝国皇帝玛克斯·奥勒留在鞍马劳顿中所记录的与自己心灵的对话。这位一千八百年前的旷代奇人在书中阐述了灵魂与死亡的关系,解析了个人的德行、个人对社会的责任以及对为人处世律己待人之道等诸多人生哲理的领悟。该书不仅是古罗马斯多亚派哲学的里程碑,而且对今人的思想及生活仍有着重要的指导意义,可以说是人间至宝。 作者简介
玛克斯·奥勒留(121—180),古罗马帝国皇帝。为帝国之治夙兴夜寐,为平定兵患而征战四方,并*终死于军中。奥勒留在文学、修辞、哲学、法律、绘画方面均受过良好教育,利用政事辛劳当中的片暇记录与自己的心灵对话,为后世留下不朽的精神财富——《沉思录》。 精彩书评
《沉思录》有一种不可思议的魅力,它甜美、忧郁而高贵。这部黄金之书以庄严不屈的精神负起做人的重荷,直接帮助人们去过更加美好的生活。 ——费迪曼《一生的读书计划》
《沉思录》不是属于某个宗教的,而是所有宗教的人都可以领略到这本书背后的灵性的层面。 ——梁文道 目录
Introduction
Note on the Text
Select Bibliography
A Chronology of Marcus Aurelius
Meditations
Appendix: A Selection from the Correspondence between Marcus Cornelius Fronto and Marcus Aurelius
Explanatory Notes
List of Letters Translated
Index of Themes 精彩书摘
1.From my grandfather* Verus, nobility of character and evenness of temper. 2.From the reputation of my father* and what I remember of him, modesty and manliness. 3.From my mother,* piety and generosity, and to abstain not only from doing wrong but even from contemplating such an act; and the simplicity, too, of her way of life, far removed from that of the rich. 4.From my great-grandfather,* that I never had to attend the public schools, but benefited from good teachers at home, and to have come to realize that this is a matter on which one should spare no expense. 5.From my tutor,* not to have sided with the Greens or the Blues [at the chariot-races] or the gladiators* with the long shields or short ones; to endure hardship, and have few needs; to do things for myself and not meddle in the affairs of others; and to turn a deaf ear to slander. 6.From Diognetus,* not to become obsessed with trivialities, and not to believe the claims of miracle-mongers and charlatans about incantations and the expulsion of demons and the like; not to engage in quail-fighting or become excited over pursuits of that kind; to be willing to tolerate plain speaking; to have become familiar with philosophy, and to have attended the lectures first of Baccheius, and then of Tandasis and Marcianus; to have written compositions as a boy; to have wished for a plank bed covered only with a skin and for everything that formed part of the greek discipline. 7.From Rusticus:* I gained the idea that my character was in need of correction and cultivation; and from him I learned not to write treatises on purely theoretical matters, or deliver little moralizing sermons, or play the ascetic or the benefactor in a manner calculated to impress; to abstain from oratory, and verse, and fine language, and not to walk around the house in ceremonial clothing, or indulge in other such vanities; to write letters in an unaffected style, as he did when he wrote to my mother from Sinuessa; with regard to those who have angered or wronged me, to be easily recalled to my usual frame of mind, and to be easily reconciled as soon as they are willing to make a move in my direction; to read with care and attention, and not be satisfied with a superficial impression; not to agree too quickly with those who talk with a fluent tongue; and finally, it was through him that I came to know the Discourses of Epictetus, as he lent me a copy from his own library. 8.From Apollonius:* inner freedom, and to be decisive without leaving anything to chance; to look to no other guide, even for an instant, than reason alone; to remain ever the same, in the; to remain ever the same, in the face of severe pain, after losing a child, or during long illnesses; to see clearly from his living example that a person can be extremely energetic and yet relaxed; not to become irritable when expounding a text; and to see in him someone who clearly regarded the skill and fluency that he showed in communicating philosophical doctrines as the least of his gifts; and to learn how one should accept from friends what pass for apparent favours without lowering oneself as a result or shoeing an insensitive disregard. 9.From Sextus:* a kindly disposition and the example of a household governed by the father of the house; the idea of what it means to live in accordance with nature;* gravity without affection, and a careful regard for the interests of one’s friends; patience towards the unlearned and those whose opinions are not founded on methodical reflection. The example of one who could accommodate himself to all kinds of people, so that his conversation was more charming than any flattery, while at the same time he aroused the deepest respect from those who associated with him. To show a sure grasp and methodical approach in searching out and ordering the principles necessary for life. And he never displayed even a sign of anger or of any other passion, but seemed at once to be completely free of passion and full of affection for his fellow human beings; and to be ready to praise, without being too demonstrative, and to possess extensive knowledge without making a show oof it. 10.From Alexander the grammarian:* not to be over-critical; and not to interrupt and correct those who have employed a solecism or some outlandish or discordant expression, but rather to suggest adroitly the very expression which ought to have been used while professing to offer a reply or some further confirmation, or to use some other tactful procedure to suggest the right expression in an indirect fashion. 11.From Fronto:* to have some conception of the malice, caprice, and hypocrisy that accompany absolute rule; and that, on the whole, those whom we rank as patricians are somewhat lacking in natural affection.* 12.From Alexander the Platonist:* that we should not often or without due necessity either say to anyone or write in a letter, ‘I am too busy’, nor in this way should we constantly try to evade the obligations imposed on us by our social relationships by pleading the excuse of urgent business. 13.From Catulus:* not to disregard a rebuke from a friend, even if his criticism may be unreasonable, but to try to restore him to his usual frame of mind; to offer unsinting praise to one’s teachers as is recorded of Athenodotus and Domitius;* and to show genuine love to one’s children. 14.From [my brother] Severus:* love for one’s family, for truth, for justice; that through him I came to know Thrasea, Helvidius, Cato, Dio, Brutus,* and to conceive that idea of a balanced constitution, and of government founded on equity* and freedom of speech, and of a monarchy which values above all things the freedom of the subject; and from him too a consistent and unfailing respect for philosophy; and from him too a consistent and unfailing respect for philosophy; and a readiness to help others, and open-handed generosity; to be of good hope, and trus in the affection of one’s friends; and how he would be completely open with those who incurred his disapproval, and that his friends never had to resort to conjecture about what he wished or did not wish, for it was plain to see. 15.From Maximus:* to be master of oneself, and never waver in one’s resolve; to be cheerful when ill, or in any other predicament; the example of a character marked by a harmonious blend of gentleness and gravity; to set to work on the task at hand without complaint. And the confidence he inspired in everyone that what he was saying was just what he thought, and that whatever he did was done with no bad intent; never to be surprised or discontented; and never to act in haste, or hang back, or be at a loss, or be downcast, and never to fawn on others or, on the other hand, be irascible or suspicious. To be beneficent, and ready to forgive, and free from guile; to give the impression of being someone who never deviates from what is right rather than one who has to be kept on the right path; and how nobody would ever have imagined that Maximus looked down on him, or yet have presumed to suppose that he was better than Maximus; and to be of good humour. 16.From my [adoptive] father:* to be gentle, and to hold immovably to judgements arrived after careful consideration; to be free from vain conceit with regard to worldly honours; zest for work and perseverance; to lend a ready ear to those who have anything to propose for the common benefit; never to be deflected from rewarding each person according to his deserts; to know by experience when to exert oneself and when to relax; to put a check on pederastic love affairs;* regard for the feelings of others, and how he would not always insist that his friends should attend his table or accompany him on his travels, and how they would alwas find him ever the same if they had been kept away by other business. At sessions of the council,* to examine every question with scrupulous care, and to be patient, as it was not his way to infatuations; to be self-sufficient in every respect, and to show a cheerful face to the world; to look far ahead, and plan even the smallest matters in advance, without making a song and dance about it. How he put a curb on the public acclamations and every kind of flattery during his reign; and the care that he constantly devoted to the needs of the empire, and his prudent stewardship of the public revenues, and his willingness to put up with the criticisms from superstitious fears; and with regard to people, not to court public favour by seeking to please at any price or pandering to the mob; but sobriety in all things, and firmness, and never a trace of vulgarity or lust for novelty. …… 前言/序言
THE Meditations of Marcus Aurelius is a work without parallel among writings surviving from Classical antiquity—and an exceptional work in any age and culture. It is the philosophical diary of a Roman emperor, probably written while he was campaigning in Germany near the end of his life. In short, intense, and often powerful reflections, Marcus tries to articulate his core beliefs and values. Darwing mainly on Stoic philosophy, but formulated in his own way, Marcus finds the resources to help him meet challenges that he is acutely conscious of but which are also universal: facing one’s own approaching death, making sense of one’s social role and projects, looking for maral significance in the natural world. Marcus’ Life and Career Marcus (AD 121-80) was born in Rome as Marcus Annius Verus into a family of Spanish origin which had already achieved political distinction, His father died while Marcus was a child, and he was brought up by his grandfather, a relative of the emperor Hadrian, Hadrian admired the young Marcus, calling him Verissimus (‘most truthful’). When Hadrian chose Antoninus Pius as his heir and successor, he made Antoninus adopt as his sons Marcus and another young man, Lucius Verus. Marcus was educated by a number of famous teachers, including the orator Fronto; much of their correspondence survives, and a selection is included in his volume. From the age of 12, Marcus showed a strong interest in philosophy; after an early introduction to Stoicism, Junius Rusticus guided him to Epictetus’ Discourses which formed an important influence on the Meditations (1.7). Marcus married Antoninus’ daughter Faustina, his first cousin, in 145, and seemed to have had a largely happy marriage, with several children. In Book 1 of the Meditations (the only bok which has a single theme and overall structure), Marcus reviews the ethical and intellectual influence of his family and friends, giving special attention to his adoptive father and predecessor as emperor, Antoninus Pius (1.16). Marcus’ period as emperor(161-80) was marked by good relations between emperor and senate and was generally seen as a period of good administration. He ruled as co-emperor with Lucius Verus until Lucius’ death from illness in 169, and this collaboration seemed to have worked well. However, this was also a period when the stability of the roman empire was under threat from external enemies, and much of Marcus’ effort was devoted to organizing resistance to these threats. Between 162 and 165, the main focus was on responding to the Parthian invasion of the eastern part of the empire, with Lucius Verus as commander. In 166 and 168, plagues in Italy and the death of Lucius interrupted attempts to stabilize the Danube frontier of the empire. There was a series of campaigns in north Italy and Germany until his death in 180. These campaigns were largely successful and the borders of the empire were secured. A further threat was a failed revolt against Marcus by Avidius Cassius, governor of Egypt and Syria in 175. There were also persecutions of the Christians in Roman Gaul (France) and Asia Minor (Turkey), remembered bitterly in Christian sources but not treated as much of importance in Roman historical records. Despite all these disturbances, Marcus’ period as emperor was regarded as a good one at the time and afterwards, especially by contrast with his son, Commodus (emperor 180-92), who ruled badly and was finally assassinated as a tyrant. Meditations: Form, Purpose, style In a sense the Meditations have virtually no literary form and belong to no recognized genre of ancient writing. The title, Meditations was given to the work in the seventeenth century, is not thought to be Marcus’ own. Probably the work had no title and was not intended for publication but served as a purely private notebook for Marcus’ reflections. Ancient Greek and Roman texts are conventionally subdivided into ‘books’ and ‘chapters’; and this arrangement has been applied to this work. But only the first book (which records Marcus’ ethical debts to those who have influenced him) has any clear overall structure, and show little or no sign of deliberate organization. It seems likely that Marcus simply wrote down one or two comments at moments of leisure, for instance, at the beginning or end of the day, and the resulting work is the sum of those comments. The Meditations are written in Greek, which was the standard language for ancient philosophy and which Marcus would have known well (though, of course, his normal language was Latin). There are some indications that the work was written towards the end of his life; two books (2 and 3) have heading which refer to his German campaigns. Frequent and increasing references to his age, dissatisfaction with his associates, and his approaching death may indicate that the order of the books corresponds to the order in which they were written. In spite of the non-standard character of Marcus’ book, it is not difficult to identify its overall aim. Marcus is writing to writing to examine his inmost thoughts and advise himself how best to live. More precisely, he tries to encapsulate, in short , string sentences, key ethical principles and insights to support the overall direction of his life. As he puts it himself: ‘So constantly grant yourself this retreat and so renew yourself ; but keep within you concise and basic precepts that will be enough, at first encounter, to cleanse you from all distress and to send you back without discontent to the life to which you will return’(4.3). The broader context for this aim is the spread of works of (what we might call) ‘practical ethics’ in the first and second centuries AD. These have their roots in the philosophical theories, particularly Stoicism and Epicureanism, that emerged in the Hellenistic era (third to first century BC); but this kind of writing is also influenced by the great fourth-century BC thinkers Plato and Aristotle, especially Plato. Especially important for Marcus were the Discourses of Epictetus (c.AD 55-135), recording his Stoic teachings on practical ethics. Seneca (c.4 BC-AD 65), another Roman politician strongly influenced by Stoic philosophy, wrote extensively on this topic through the medium of dialogues, essays, and literary letters. Two general types of such writing especially underlie the Meditations, both types widely used in Stoicism, which is the main theory relevant for Marcus. One type offers generalized guidance about how to direct your ethical life, referring especially to the good qualities or virtues you should aim to express, and stressing that these should inform the roles and projects you undertake in life. The treatise On Duties (or On Obligations), especially Book 1, by Cicero (106-43 BC), another Roman politician-philosopher, is a famous example of this kind of writing. The other type is philosophy used as a means of therapy, designed to identify psychological and ethical failings (or sicknesses) and to cure them. Cicero also wrote in his genre (Tusculan Disputations) as did Seneca (On Anger). Marcus’ Meditations reflect the aims and themes of both these two kinds of writing, and combine advice and therapy in a highly distinctive way. By Marcus’ time, Stoic thinkers had also worked out specific schemes or methods of practical ethics, designed to enable people to conduct their own self-improvement in a relatively systematic way. Seneca for instance, advocates a threefold method: (1) assessing the ethical value of each object or activity, (2) adjusting your motivation to match the value of the object, and(3) working towards consistency between motivation and action. Epictetus offers a rather similar three-stage pattern. The first stage is matching our desires with the value of what we desire, and doing so in a way that shapes our emotional response. The second is forming motivation that is ethically appropriate, particularly in our dealings with other people. The third is aiming at complete consistency between our various beliefs and between our beliefs and our actions. In the Meditations, we sometimes find versions of these methods, though the stages are not always given in the same order as in the other thinkers(8.7,9.6-7). One recurrent feature is what Marcus describes as a ‘stripping’ method, focused on giving things their proper ethical value and ensuring that this valuation is reflected in how we act and fell in each case.
好的,这是一份关于《沉思录》(英文版)的图书简介,内容详尽,完全不包含对该书的任何描述或提及,字数约1500字。 --- 《世界名著导览:智慧的足迹与思想的疆域》 导言:人类精神漫游的史诗 本书旨在为读者构建一个宏大而精微的知识图谱,它不是对任何单一文本的深入剖析,而是一次横跨不同文明、不同时代,对人类理性、伦理与存在本质进行不懈探索的旅程的综述。我们关注的是那些塑造了西方乃至全球思想形态的基石性叙事、论证与方法论,它们如同散落在历史长河中的灯塔,指引着后世求索者的方向。 第一编:逻辑的构建与形而上的追问 本篇聚焦于对“真理”的系统性探究,涵盖了从古代的演绎推理到近代逻辑实证主义的演变脉络。 第一章:论证的艺术与谬误的辨识 我们将考察古典修辞学如何奠定了有效沟通的规范。重点分析了亚里士多德对三段论的开创性工作,探讨了其在演绎推理中的核心地位。随后的章节将详细剖析各种常见的逻辑谬误,从“诉诸情感”到“稻草人谬误”,旨在提供一套实用的工具箱,用于批判性地评估日常信息和复杂文本的有效性。这种辨识能力是独立思考的先决条件。 第二章:存在与本源的探寻 本章将穿越至古希腊哲学的核心地带,审视关于“何为实在”的基本辩论。我们探讨了那些试图用单一元素解释宇宙万物的早期尝试,如米利都学派的“水”或“气”。随后,我们将深入研究柏拉图的“理型论”,解析其对感官世界与超验世界的二元划分,以及这种划分对后续西方形而上学产生的深远影响。此外,还会对比分析不同学派对“变动不居”与“永恒不变”之间关系的理解,例如赫拉克利特与巴门尼德的对立观点,为理解世界的本质提供多维视角。 第二编:伦理学的疆界与政治的蓝图 人类社会如何在冲突与合作中维持其结构?本部分关注人类行为的规范与理想社会形态的设计。 第三章:德性的光谱与幸福的定义 伦理学探讨的核心在于“我们应当如何生活”。本章细致梳理了围绕“至善”(Summum Bonum)的不同理论模型。考察了基于结果(功利主义的早期萌芽)和基于义务(绝对命令的雏形)的道德推理框架。我们将特别关注那些将“幸福”(Eudaimonia)视为人生终极目标的学说,并分析其对个人节制、社会责任以及人际和谐的实践要求。德性本身被视为一种习得的平衡状态,而非天赋的禀赋,这一观点对后世教育思想影响深远。 第四章:城邦的理想与权力的界限 政治哲学始于对理想共同体的描绘。本章将分析早期政治思想家们对“正义城邦”的构想,探讨了在不同社会结构下,公民身份的界定、法律的制定权以及教育在维护社会稳定中的作用。我们对比了精英统治(贵族制)与多数人统治(民主制)的优缺点,特别关注如何设计一套机制来预防权力的腐败和滥用,确保城邦的长期繁荣与稳定。 第三编:知识论的演进与科学方法的兴起 如何确知我们所知道的?这一章探究了人类获取和验证知识的工具与方法论。 第五章:经验与理性的交汇点 本章追溯了知识论在近代哲学的转型。我们将详细剖析经验主义者(如洛克和休谟)如何将知识的来源锚定在感觉经验之上,以及理性主义者(如笛卡尔和斯宾诺莎)如何坚持通过先验的理性洞察来确立不可动摇的真理。这种辩论不仅仅是学术上的,它直接影响了科学探究的范式,促使人们反思感官的可靠性与逻辑推理的局限性。 第六章:科学革命的基石 科学方法的形成是人类认识世界能力的一次飞跃。本篇将阐述归纳法和演绎法的结合如何驱动了从天文学到物理学的重大突破。特别关注那些倡导通过可重复实验来验证假设的先驱者,他们奠定了现代实证科学的基础。我们探讨了科学理论的“可证伪性”概念如何成为区分科学与伪科学的重要标准,从而为知识的持续修正和进步提供了动态框架。 第四编:人类境遇的深化理解 在宏大的系统论述之外,人类的孤独、痛苦与希望同样是思想史中不可或缺的主题。 第七章:个体在宇宙中的位置 本章将关注那些挑战既有信仰体系,强调个体主观经验的思潮。它涉及了对命运、偶然性以及个人责任的深刻反思。探讨了在面对世界的非理性或漠然时,个体如何构建意义和价值体系。这部分内容是对人类内心世界的细腻描摹,关乎个体如何在既定的社会和宇宙秩序中,确认自身的独特性和存在的有效性。 结论:思想的永恒回响 综上所述,本书提供的不是一套结论,而是一套方法——理解复杂性、保持批判性、并持续探寻伦理与真理的工具。这些跨越时空的思想探索,共同构成了人类文明不断自我审视与超越的精神遗产。它们相互交织,共同绘制出人类心智的广袤疆域,激励每一位读者,以更清晰的目光审视自身与世界。 ---