The Notion of the Present Moment In Marcus Aurelius

Abstract

In my paper, I build on Pierre Hadot’s claim that it is Marcus Aurelius’ invention that the correct use of mental impressions can happen only in relation with present events and present impressions. My paper adds two aspects to his claim. I intend to prove that Marcus Aurelius considers life as a series of present moments within the framework of the Stoic notion of time, and enrich Hadot’s claim with two details, namely an analysis of the notion of the present moment (παρὸν) and the notion of now (νῦν), and I explain why it is necessary to tighten befitting actions to each other as closely as possible. The individual elements of Marcus Aurelius’ philosophy are not revolutionary but their combination results in a new Stoic theory of action.