t every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value of his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others." This is a universal concept, and is still able to be applied, even centuries later.Aurelius, and Stoics in general, have an interesting view on the outer force or being which govern their lives. They believe in two principles, which seem almost contradictory on the surface. Those principles are monotheism, and the atomic theory. However, if one examines the roles of each in Stoicism, it becomes apparent that they can coexist. God created all of the universe, and all of the universe is made up of matter and atoms. It is interesting to note that several times in Meditations, Aurelius expressed a kind of doubt in God. He repeatedly used the phrase, "if there is a god," rather than a more definitive belief in a universal force. That may be one matter in which Aurelius differed slightly than the Stoics which he generally followed. Aurelius view on the soul and its purpose was significant in the Stoic belief. The soul was basically where all the important action in ones life took place. The mind (which was "belonging to principles") and soul combined to be far more superior than the body. The soul, which he referred to as the "ruling faculty," was definitely the most important part of a persons life, although he considered it "belonging to impulses." This is where one understood how to live in accordance with reason and nature, two of the most important ideas to Aurelius. The body he considered to be basically worthless, and "belonging to sensations." He almost seemed to think that the body tricked a person because the physical body senses pain and pleasure, two of the things he tried best to avoid. Neither of these things could affect a persons soul, so he considered the soul far superior to the body.Aurelius view on death is very much like that of Democritus. He viewed death simpl...
