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The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius: Selections Annotated and Explained Russell McNeil, PhD Editor, Malaspina Great Books In 1862 the English literary critic and poet Matthew Arnold described Marcus Aurelius as "the most beautiful figure in history." The Stoicism of Aurelius is grounded in rationality and rests solidly on an ethical approach rooted in nature. Stoicism promises real happiness and joy in this life and a serenity that can never be soured by personal misfortune. This philosophy has universal appeal with practical implications on problems ranging from climate change and terrorism to the personal management of sickness, aging, depression and addiction. I truly believe that the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius has much to offer us now...(Click on book cover for more)

Category:	Classical Literature
Name:	Thomas Paine
Birth Year:	1737
Death Year:	1809
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Biography, Lectures, and Research Links:	Biography Blog Thomas Paine SEARCH NOW: by title by author Thomas Paine (January 29, 1737-June 8, 1809) was an American Founding Father. As a pamphleteer, Paine elucidated the Patriot cause and gave direction to the American Revolution, causing his readers to think about the issues in terms of fundamental principles. English by birth, Paine was raised in Norfolk among farmers and other common people. His formal education was minimal. His major accomplishment as young man was to be fired twice in four years from his job as collector of excise taxes. His first recorded writing was a short article in favour of better salaries and working conditions. His mother was a member of the Church of England, and his father was a Quaker. There has been some historians who have argued he was strongly influenced in his views by father. Paine's world view would be liberal in the 21st Century. In the 18th, it was radical. He had no use for royalty, and very little for government which he viewed as a necessary evil. He was anti-slavery and was an early supporter of social security, public education and many other ideas that came to fruition tens of decades later. He was a Deist and outspoken critic of organized religion. After meeting Benjamin Franklin in London, Paine emigrated to America in 1774 where he published an antislavery tract and became co-editor of Pennsylvania Magazine. No great fan of the English King (or any other royalty for that matter), Paine soon became an articulate spokesman for the American independence movement. Paine's pro-independence pamphlet Common Sense published in January of 1776 quickly became well known to every literate colonist. It is claimed that as many as half a million copies may have been distributed in a country with only a few million inhabitants. Legend tells that Paine was tarred and feathered at one time in New Jersey, but no proof exists to this legend. Many scurrilous tales about Paine were circulated, first in reaction by the British during the time of the American Revolution, and later by his political opponents. Thomas Paine used his powerful ability to present ideas common to his time in clear form, in contrast with highly philosophical approaches carried by his colleagues. Common Sense convinced many Americans, including George Washington to seek redress in political independence from the United Kingdom. Benjamin Rush had a great influence on this work, as well as its name. (Paine proposed the title Plain Truth). It was instrumental in bringing about the Declaration of Independence. Paine also has the distinction of being the man who proposed the name United States of America for the new nation. During the Revolutionary War Paine published a series of pamphlets called The American Crisis that served to inspire Americans during the long struggle. The first Crisis paper, published December, 1776, began with the immortal line, "These are the times that try men's souls". Following a series of military failures, morale was wavering among the Patriot army. The first Crisis paper was so uplifting that Washington had it read to all of his troops. He was also an inventor, receiving a patent in Europe for the single span iron bridge, working with John Fitch on steam engines, and developing a smokeless candle. In 1791, Paine published Rights of Man, an abstract political tract published in support of the French Revolution. The book -- which was highly critical of monarchies and European social institutions -- was so controversial that the British government put Paine on trial in absentia for seditious libel. Paine had already (prudently) left for Paris. Although Paine was an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution, as a member of the National Convention, he opposed the execution of Louis XVI. That was enough to bring Paine -- who was never noted for his diplomacy -- into conflict with the increasingly out of control revolutionary leaders. Paine was imprisoned and sentenced to death by Maximilian Robespierre, Paine escaped beheading apparently by chance. A guard walked through the prison placing a chalk mark on the doors of the condemned prisoners. He placed one on Paine's door - but because a doctor was treating Paine at that moment, the prison door was open. When the doctor left, the door was swung closed, such that the chalk mark faced into the cell. Later, when the condemned prisoners were rounded up for execution, Paine was spared because there was no apparent chalk mark on his cell door. Purportedly in 1800, Napoleon met with Paine, and stated that 'a statue of gold should be erected to him in every city of the earth'. Paine did not like Napoleon, by all accounts. In prison, convinced he would soon be dead, Paine wrote The Age of Reason, an assault on organized religion. A second part was written and published after his release from prison. He died in Greenwich Village, New York, at 59 Gross Street in New York, New York. Purportedly, Thomas Paine's writings have greatly affected Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, as well as his other contemporaries such as George Washington. There is a museum in New Rochelle, New York in his honor. [This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and uses material adapted in whole or in part from the Wikipedia article on Thomas Paine.] The Great Books: Thomas Paine Please browse our Amazon list of titles about Thomas Paine. For rare and hard to find works we recommend our Alibris list of titles about Thomas Paine. Post Comments, Questions or Suggestions! This database is maintained by Malaspina Great Books.
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About this Database:

This web page is part of a biographical database on Great Ideas. These are living ideas that have shaped, defined and directed world culture for over 2,500 years. By definition the Great Ideas are radical. As such they are sometimes misread, or distorted by popular simplifications. Understanding a Great Idea demands personal engagement. Our selection of Great Ideas is drawn from literature and philosophy, science, art, music, theatre, and cinema. We also include biographies of pivotal historical and religious figures, as well as contributions from women and other historically under-represented minorities. The result is an integrated multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary database built upon the framework of the always controversial Great Books Core List published in 1940 by the late Great Books Pioneer Mortimer Adler (1902-2001). Most of the works on that list are available in the 60 volume Great Books of the Western World.