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March   26th

WHAT    RULES   YOUR    RULING  REASON?

“How    does    your    ruling  reason  manage  itself? For in  that    is  the key to  everything. Whatever    else

remains,    be  it  in  the power   of  your    choice  or  not,    is  but a   corpse  and smoke.”

—MARCUS AURELIUS,   MEDITATIONS,    12.33

he Roman satirist Juvenal is famous for this question: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who watches
the watchmen?) In a way, this is what Marcus is asking himself—and what you might ask yourself
throughout the day. What influences the ruling reason that guides your life?
This means an exploration of subjects like evolutionary biology, psychology, neurology, and even the
subconscious. Because these deeper forces shape even the most disciplined, rational minds. You can be
the most patient person in the world, but if science shows we make poor decisions on an empty stomach
—what good is all that patience?
So don’t stop at Stoicism, but explore the forces that drive and make Stoicism possible. Learn what
underpins this philosophy you’re studying, how the body and mind tick. Understand not only your ruling
reason—the watchmen—but whoever and whatever rules that too.