Are We All Part of One Law? (Meditations 4.4)

May 27, 2025

Delve into the shared nature of human reason and its ties to a universal law. Explore how Stoic cosmopolitanism challenges traditional ideas of justice and morality. Discover why self-awareness is crucial in advocating for justice in a polarized world. The discussion highlights the importance of recognizing personal limitations and focusing on manageable responsibilities. Anecdotes about aging and entrepreneurship add humor and relatability, bringing Stoicism into practical, everyday scenarios.

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INSIGHT

Shared Reason and Universal Law

Marcus Aurelius conceives that human reason is a shared common faculty among all people.
This shared reason implies a potential universal law governing moral conduct arising from a common cosmic city.

INSIGHT

Natural Law vs Religious Morality

Stoic natural law is based on direct observation of nature and reason rather than divine command.
This grounds morality in something tangible and prevents outsourcing ethical decisions to unverifiable dogma.

INSIGHT

Stoic Decentralized Morality

Stoic ethics acts as a decentralized morality relying on individuals to reason and act within a universal framework.
It emphasizes personal responsibility in contributing to a cosmopolis by living in accordance with reason and natural law.

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In this episode of Practical Stoicism, I unpack Meditations 4.4, where Marcus Aurelius reflects on the shared nature of human reason and its connection to a universal law. While Marcus builds a case for a kind of Stoic cosmopolitanism—where all rational beings are part of one commonwealth—I explore how this can inform our understanding of decentralized morality and Natural Law. I also contrast Stoic justice with religious or centralized legal frameworks, and explain why Stoicism’s moral reasoning demands more personal responsibility and attentiveness to context.

Later in the episode, I answer a listener question about standing for justice in a polarized world. I argue that recognizing our limitations is a crucial part of ethical living. We can’t do everything, and pretending otherwise often causes more harm than good. Justice, from a Stoic perspective, begins with self-awareness and grows outward, rooted in reason and tempered by our roles and capacities.

Meditations 4.4

If mind is common to us all, then also the reason, whereby we are reasoning beings, is common… and thence, from this common City, is derived our mind itself, our reason and our sense of law, or from what else?

THREE TAKEAWAYS

— Stoic justice is grounded in Natural Law, not dogma or divine command.

— We must reason within our roles and limits, not pretend to be omnipotent.

— Our shared reason connects us to a universal moral framework—but that framework still depends on individual effort and context.

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