While much of his time as Emperor was spent in battle, Marcus made a major impact on the study of philosophy by establishing four Chairs of Philosophy in Athens, one for each of the principal philosophical traditions (Platonic, Aristotelian, Stoic, and Epicurean).

FORBES: For Clearer Thinking, Give Your Brain a Daily Dose of Marcus Aurelius

The social sciences such as English, philosophy, and anthropology are areas of study that will remain relevant in our changing world.

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With the new pope being himself a trained scientist -- Francis graduated as a chemical technician before moving on to study philosophy, psychology and theology -- the timing could be right for a new era of cooperation between the Vatican and science, building on the work of the STOQ Project -- Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest -- which was created by Pope John Paul II in 2003.

CNN: Vatican seeks to rebrand its relationship with science