The Inner Citadel

Pierre Hadot presents Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations as a working notebook of Stoic practice rather than a polished philosophical treatise. The focus falls on how an emperor tried to keep a steady mind amid pressure, loss, and responsibility, using brief reminders to align judgment, desire, and action with nature and reason. Its importance lies in showing ethics as a lived discipline: attention to the present, acceptance of what cannot be controlled, and commitment to justice and self-command. The result is a vivid portrait of inner life shaped by daily exercises meant to transform character.