In the Meditations, Marcus spends a lot of time reminding himself that he was put on this earth for a purpose. Given the fact that he's, you know, Emperor of Rome, you might think he would believe his purpose was to rule everything and have ultimate power. Well, you'd be wrong. This guy believes his purpose is to do social acts and benefit the common good.
That's essentially the nature and purpose of every human being, according to Marcus. He just happens to be in a unique position to really put it into practice.
Marcus is big on causes—what sets life in motion, brings completion to human existence, and keeps everything in balance. And while he has no great opinion of life on earth—it's "shoddy," ephemeral, and generally irritating—he does believe that we serve a purpose for what he calls the Whole. We exist for each other, as Marcus says, and to give back what we've received from the cosmos.
Questions About Life, Consciousness, and Existence
- What does Marcus see as his purpose on earth?
- What is the role of the Whole in human existence? In the life of the universe?
- What does Marcus mean when he says that human beings were made for each other?
- Why does Marcus continuously talk about the "shoddy" nature of human life on earth? What exactly is he getting at?
Chew on This
Marcus feels that earthly existence is both a trap and a duty.
Although all things are connected in Marcus's philosophy, he sees intellectual isolation as one of the greatest goods for the directing mind.