Marcus Aurelius Warns of Coronavirus In 2000 Year Old Meditations Text In Book X. Verse 5 of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations Book he writes,
“ Whatever happens to you was pre-ordained your lot from the first and that chain of causes which constitutes fate, tied your person and the event together from all eternity.”
Marcus being a student of Stoic Philosophy states that all of creation within the universe are equal citizens of “NATURE’S GOVENRMENT.” He wrote in Book X Verse 6.
“Whether atoms or nature rule the world I lay it down in the first place that I am part of that whole which is all under Nature’s Government. Secondly, I am in some measure related to those beings which are of my own order and species.”
Book X v.7- “All the parts of the whole that lie within the compass of the universe must of necessity corrupt and decay, by corruption I mean only alteration. Now, if this be an evil and a necessary one, by consequence the whole of nature be in a bad condition.”- Marcus Aurelius
So to this writer, Marcus is saying that everything in the universe is related(X.v.6) and a subject of “Nature’s Government” and in this writers opinion mankind has polluted and infected the nature of the planet to the point that the planet has polluted the nature of mankind. Marcus Aurelius goes on to state in Book X. 7 again above, that this alteration in nature, represented today with the Corona virus is a necessary one, by consequence the whole of nature must be in a bad condition.
In a month this virus has spread from China to Arkansas, USA. The NBA and the SEC Tournament has been cancelled due to the national threat of the virus spreading in crowds. Schools have been closed, which means people with young kids will have to take off work, if they don’t have the sick leave, will they be able to still have a job if they have to stay home for a month? If state governments shut down will workers have to use their sick leave and still get paid? In my other jobs, if you did not work, you don’t get paid. Americans are oblivious to the realities of poverty and sickness the majority of our fellow earthly brothers and sisters struggle with on a daily basis. America is going to be okay, Corona is a small cold compared to the Spanish Flu after World War 1 but the planet is telling us something is wrong. Whether this virus is natural or man made, regardless, it has gotten out of hand. Food testing and regulation must be done in China to the standard of the West to help prevent future sicknesses. From reports that I have read this virus has been traced to a sea food market in China. People in the East eat strange animals untested for diseases that Americans would never touch, partly because of culture, and partly because Americans are so spoiled that we have gotten used to our steady diet of beef, chicken and pork, whereas the majority of the world is not so privileged as we. In the 21st century, modern planet Earth has proven to be a small place. Perhaps some good can come from this virus, that we need to get right, to focus more on nature like Marcus Aurelius and the ancient stoic philosophers suggested. To be continued…
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