I came across this thought #55 in Book 7 in "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius
(Roman Emperor and Philosopher, 121 to 180 AD):
"Do not look around at the directing minds of other people, but keep
straight ahead to where nature is leading you - both universal nature, in
what happens to you, and your own nature, in what you must do yourself.
Every creature must do what follows from its' own constitution. The rest of
creation is constituted to serve rational beings (just as in everything else
the lower exists for the higher), but rational beings are here to serve each
other. So the main principle in man's constitution is the social. The second
is resistance to the promptings of the flesh. It is the specific property of
rational and intelligent activity to isolate itself and never be influenced
by the activity of the senses or impulses: both these are of the animal
order, and it is the aim of the intelligent activity to be sovereign over
them and never yield them the mastery - and rightly so, as it is the very
nature of intelligence to put all these things to its' own use. The third
element in a rational constitution is a judgment unhurried and undeceived.
So let your directing mind hold fast to these principles and follow the
straight road ahead: then it has what belongs to it."
I think this quote touches on some of what Mr. Persig built his
philosophy upon, perhaps similar ideas from different sources. It gives us
an idea of the foundations that brought us to MOQ. I am always delighted
when historic knowledge dovetails into present-day leading-edge knowledge. I
hope the subscribers to MOQ find this of interest.
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