The Virtual University: Marcus Aurelius Part 2

[truthseeker010101]

Prior to taking his position at Ave Maria University, Professor Sugrue taught at Princeton University, the City College of New York, Columbia University, Manhattan College, New York University, Hampton University, and Touro College. He served as the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University from 1992 to 1994.

[truthseeker010101]

Dr. Michael Sugrue is Professor of History at Ave Maria University. A graduate of the Great Books Program, he earned his B.A. in History from the University of Chicago and his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in History from Columbia University.

[gongboy83]

I would elect Michael Sugrue Philosopher King.

[VVillowz]

None of you could hold your breath standing near Marcus Aurelius. He breathed as if under the pressure of the whole sea.

[StuartLoria]

Historically speaking Cirus the great would be another example of the philosopher king

[TheDuckmonk]

@StuartLoria Meh, not so much.

[soulbrotherblue]

to only fear to not adhere to your morals, beautiful

[gongboy83]

Three people who disliked this video hold none of Aurelis' virtue.

[Sonicthehedgehog73]

Everyone says they love marcus aurelius, but if somone was like this today. You wouldn't like that person. 

[NLR884evr]

@Sonicthehedgehog73 Did you not listen to the professor? Marcus Aurelius was a man of wisdom, justice, virtue, and moderation. And those attributes are just as admirable in the 2nd century AD as they are today.

[saruman84]

Please post more lectures with this guy! He is amazingly good.

[sbergman27]

If an Emperor of Rome wanted to get drunk... he could have wine brought in by the boatload... as long as he was comfortable letting his guard down in front of the multitude of people who would like to assassinate him for their own gain. The price of being a Roman Emperor was eternal vigilance. And it's not as though they could even necessarily count upon the praetorian guard. The Emperor wielded awesome power. But faced greater daily dangers than the average factory worker, today.

[sbergman27]

Marcus Aurelius made one horrific mistake. And it was something which was completely within his own control. He made his son, Commodus, his heir. Commodus had already revealed himself to be a terrible choice. And at no time in the history of Imperial Rome, to that point, had the crown been handed down from father to blood-son. (Domitian?) Commodus was worse than Caligula and Nero combined. Even with Stoic philosophy firmly in hand, our minds, and genes, can trick us.

[TenderTrap86]

@sbergman27 Yes. You were smart to point that out. That was Marcus' one big mistake. It's interesting that this professor said that the 4 preceding emperors were better than most, but not up to Marcus level. This is true. However, the first 4 of the 5 Good Emperors has the prudent insight to not appoint their own relatives as their successors. Instead, they adopted who they saw as worthy successors as adult children, and appointed them. Commodus's reign was the beginning of the fall for Rome.

[Houseraider]

I wish i could meet Marcus. He must be some kind of a " superman ".

[infokemp]

I wish we had folks of Marcus Aurellius ilk today.

[tranquil87]

@infokemp the last one we have had that i know of is Austin Osman Spare... google 'logomachy of zos'

[cantavoidtrite]

I LOVE this prof (Michael Sugrue). Where can I find more lectures by him? Thanks.

[Mark0Brazil]

No lbssa9

what happen is that while Aurelius exercised the Power in a unusual way, Maquiavel denounced the most usual ones  through his works

[jorgebestard]

Thank you for these videos.

[Ibssa9]

Aurelius was equally ruthless then Machiavelli. You're comparing red to blue when comparing the two. Aurelius believed in a totally different set of principles then did Machiavelli. Meditations is a guide to Marcus's thoughts, not to his leadership ability. He knew that nothing he did was of value anyways in the great realm of time.

[Weedlab11]

This is some good stuff.

Grazie mille!

[Satakunta]

Thanks for this. Really great stuff!

[mrzinn24]

good

[istalin]

So did everyone else. Compare his greatness in context.

[qtronman]

Very engaging stuff.

[bjwlsy]

Thank you very much for posting this.