Plotinus

421 Pages·2017·3.7 MB·English

by  Eyjólfur K. Emilsson

Plotinus
Plotinus (AD 205–270) was the founder of Neoplatonism, whose
thought has had a profound influence on medieval philosophy, and
on Western philosophy more broadly. In this engaging book,
Eyjólfur K. Emilsson introduces and explains the full spectrum of
Plotinus’ philosophy for those coming to his work for the first time.
Beginning with a chapter-length overview of Plotinus’ life and
works which also assesses the Platonic, Aristotelian and Stoic traditions
that influenced him, Emilsson goes on to address key topics including:
• Plotinus’ originality
• the status of souls
• Plotinus’ language
• the notion of the One or the Good
• Intellect, including Plotinus’ holism
• the physical world
• the soul and the body, including emotions and the self
• Plotinus’ ethics
• Plotinus’ influence and legacy.
Including a chronology, glossary of terms and suggestions for
further reading, Plotinus is an ideal introduction to this major figure
in Western philosophy, and is essential reading for students of
ancient philosophy and classics.
Eyjólfur K. Emilsson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of
Oslo, Norway. He is the author of Plotinus on Sense-Perception (1988),
Plotinus on Intellect (2007) and (with Steven K. Strange) of a translation
and commentary, Plotinus: Ennead VI.4 and VI.5: On the Presence of Being, One
and the Same, Everywhere as a Whole (2015). He has published numerous
articles on Plotinus and other ancient philosophers and translated
Plato’s Republic and other Platonic dialogues into Icelandic.
Routledge Philosophers
Edited by Brian Leiter
University of Chicago
Routledge Philosophers is a major series of introductions to the great
Western philosophers. Each book places a major philosopher or
thinker in historical context, explains and assesses their key
arguments, and considers their legacy. Additional features include a
chronology of major dates and events, chapter summaries, annotated
suggestions for further reading and a glossary of technical terms.
An ideal starting point for those new to philosophy, they are also
essential reading for those interested in the subject at any level.
Also available:
Hobbes A. P. Martinich
Leibniz Nicholas Jolley
Locke E. J. Lowe
Hegel Frederick Beiser
Rousseau Nicholas Dent
Schopenhauer Julian Young
Darwin Tim Lewens
Rawls Samuel Freeman
Spinoza Michael Della Rocca
Merleau-Ponty Taylor Carman
Russell Gregory Landini
Wittgenstein William Child
Heidegger John Richardson
Adorno Brian O’Connor
Husserl, second edition David Woodruff Smith
Aristotle, second edition Christopher Shields
Kant, second edition Paul Guyer
Hume Don Garrett
Dewey Steven Fesmire
Freud, second edition Jonathan Lear
Habermas Kenneth Baynes
Peirce Albert Atkin
Plato Constance Meinwald
Eyjólfur K. Emilsson
Plotinus
First published 2017
by Routledge
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© 2017 Eyjólfur K. Emilsson
The right of Eyjólfur K. Emilsson to be identified as the author of this
work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Names: Eyjólfur Kjalar Emilsson, author.
Title: Plotinus / by Eyjólfur K. Emilsson.
Description: New York : Routledge, 2017. | Series: Routledge
philosophers | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016032746 | ISBN 9780415333481 (hardback : alk.
paper) | ISBN 9780415333498 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780203413159
(e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Plotinus.
Classification: LCC B693.Z7 E945 2017 | DDC 186/.4--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016032746
ISBN13: 978-0-415-33348-1 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-33349-8 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-203-41315-9 (ebk)
Typeset in Joanna MT and Din
by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Chronology ix
Introduction 1
One
Life, works and philosophical background 8
Two
The world according to Plotinus 37
Three
The One and the genesis of Intellect 70
Four
Intellect 104
Five
Soul 144
Six
The physical world 185
vi Contents
Seven
The human being I:
The soul–body compound 228
Eight
The human being II:
The higher soul and we ourselves 269
Nine
Ethics I:
Virtue, happiness and the ethics of everyday life 296
Ten
Ethics II:
Mystical experience, theodicy, freedom and beauty 335
Eleven
Plotinus’ legacy and influence 373
Glossary 381
General bibliography 388
Index 405
Acknowledgements
In writing this book, I have enjoyed the assistance and goodwill of
several friends and colleagues. It is meant to be Plotinus made
understandable to those not yet initiated but curious. I have benefited
from comments and questions from a number of such people, who
despite knowing a lot about many things, including the history of
philosophy, would take no insult in not being counted among the
Plotinus experts. I have found their reactions highly instructive
because it is people like these I have had in mind in writing the book.
So many thanks to Arna Mathiesen, Ambra Serangeli, Hallvard
Fossheim and Pétur Knútsson, who each read and commented on
parts of the manuscript at an early stage. To this list would also belong
my former teacher, colleague and friend, Páll Skúlason, former rector
of the University of Iceland, who during his terminal illness was an
eager reader of my early chapters, expressing hopes that he would be
able to see a draft of the whole. Sadly, that did not happen.
Friends among Plotinian scholars have read and commented on
parts of my drafts. In this regard I would especially like to thank
Damian Caluori, who carefully read drafts of the first half of the
book and with whom I have had long and intense conversations
about the Intellect and Soul; Pauliina Remes, who read and
commented on Chapters 7 and 8; Julia Annas who read and
commented on Chapters 9 and 10; and Dominic O’Meara who gave
me comments on Chapters 6, 9 and 10, and has in addition been an
inspiration and a great conversation partner over the years. James
Wilberding, Riccardo Chiaradonna and Paul Kalligas have advised
me on some points and been helpful in providing materials not
viii Acknowledgements
readily available to me. There are many others. I feel very privileged
to have as friends and acquaintances a large number of Plotinian
scholars from many different countries. This community is
characterized by respect and friendliness that I think is becoming
rare in the academic world. I wish to express my gratitude to all
these friends and colleagues from whom I have learnt a lot. The
three anonymous readers for Routledge offered useful comments of
different kinds. Thanks are owed to them too.
I also wish to thank my department, the Department of Philosophy,
Classics, the History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo, and
especially its present chair, Mathilde Skoie, who has always been
understanding and ready to provide assistance, financial and
otherwise. Many thanks to Lars Gjøvikli, Gina Green and Inger
Bakken Pedersen for a splendid job with the bibliography and other
finishing touches.
Last but not least: thanks to my whole family for their support
and patience. Our puppy, Ulven, who has endeavored to tear and
chew my books (he finds my copy of Numenius especially tempting)
during the past months and has in many ways been a nuisance, does
not receive any thanks on that score. He has, however, been effective
in keeping me from being entirely sedentary and is at any rate easily
forgiven almost everything.
Chronology
205 Plotinus is born in Egypt.
232 Plotinus begins his eleven years of study with Ammonius
Saccas in Alexandria.
242 Plotinus sets out with emperor Gordian on a military
expedition against the Persians with the goal of acquainting
himself with the philosophers of Persia and India.
244 Plotinus settles in Rome and takes up teaching philosophy
there.
246 Amelius joins Plotinus’ school in Rome and stays with
him till 269.
253 Plotinus begins to write his treatises.
254–268 Gallienus emperor. Plotinus was on friendly terms with
him and his wife, Salonina.
263 Porphyry, arriving from Greece, joins Plotinus’ school
in Rome. Plotinus had then written twenty-one treatises.
268 Porphyry departs from Rome to Sicily. Plotinus has written
twenty-four treatises in addition to the first twenty-one.
269 Plotinus leaves Rome for Campania. He sends five
treatises to Porphyry in Sicily.
270 Porphyry receives four additional treatises. Plotinus dies.
301 Porphyry writes the Life of Plotinus. The Porphyrian edition
of the Enneads appears.