NaturaNaturans Posted June 25 So, lets see: 1. meditations by aurelius Spoiler So, I am now in the procces of reading this book. I do not read cover to cover, as it was written not in an attempt to win a pulitzer, but to reflect. This is reflected in the Norwegian tittle of the work: «to my self.» A little note before i continue: Aurelius wrote in greek, I am reading a Norwegian translation and translating it to english, so it will naturally be flawed. In the forward (by Viggo Johansen,) he raises the following question: how can a book written by the most powerfull person on the plannet, 1800 years ago, be relavent for us today? He writers: (…) every evening he (Aurelius) sits down to write, in order to remember who he is - a human. Not an emperor, but a human. For this reason, stoicism can appeal to the emperor himself, the slave Epiktet, and us. Our shell and roles are vastly different, but we are united in being human, and feel the same love, anger, desire to live authenticly, attempt to live morally and mortality. Since the will is free, we are free as well. We can be forced to act a certain way, but no one but our self controls our will, reactions and thoughts. What does it mean to be human? Science can not help us here. Science assumed that man and nature is purley material, but Viggo points out that this is just an assumption, and nothing more. A plausible assumption, but and assumption none the less. Wise men and traditions have, however, allways talked about spirit and soul. Aurelius writers: «Things can never touch the soul, but stand inert outside it, so that disquiet can arise only from fancies within.» Allthough we are more advanced technologicaly advanced today, are we any wiser? Do we understand what it is to be human? I would say no. I would even say we are less developted in this aspect. And i think this «book» shows that. It has been read and admired for almost 2000 years, by slaves, commoners and nobility as well - it touches on what it means to be human. 2. Children of Ash and Elm Neil Price attempts to write about the norse from the perspective of the norse. Very refreshing considering how much church propaganda, romanticism, nazism and demonisation they have been subject to. 3. Bhagavad Gita I wrote a summary here: 4. embarresed to say so, but Harry Potter series. It literally was my childhood. Hope to hear about What books or texts has been special to you, and more importantly; why. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
