Plotinus
Paperback | Pages: 688 pages Rating: 4.05 | 2703 Users | 53 Reviews
Details Books As The Enneads
| Original Title: | Ἐννεάδες |
| ISBN: | 014044520X (ISBN13: 9780140445206) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Narration Concering Books The Enneads
I suppose, once again, I will prove my Platonist sympathies by reviewing this book so positively. It's not that I am always in agreement with Plotinus (I'll follow this up below), but this is such an influential and foundational work of Philosophy and Neo-Platonism that I really can't give it a lower review in all fairness. I also was engaged in the book from beginning to end. This is a dense work. It's the full unabridged Enneads published by Digireads. I had already read the Essential Plotinus, which was a very sparse selection of the Enneads. I am incredibly glad that I did not let the reading of that very insufficient sampling be my only foray into Plotinus. Just to give an idea of how meager that sampling was, let me list by Ennead and treatise what was found in the Essential Plotinus: I, 2; I, 3; I, 6; III, 8; IV, 3; IV, 8; V, 1; V, 2; V, 9; VI, 9. There are six Enneads, each containing nine treatises, in the complete Enneads. Elmer O'Brien did not include any treatises from the second Ennead and barely touched Enneads 3 and 6. There are many treatises in here that are equally, if not more, thought provoking and engaging, e.g. II, 6; III, 2; III, 7, III, 9; IV, 4; V, 1; V, 3-6; VI, 2; VI, 6; VI, 7--are some that I've marked for re-reading. All of the above prove beyond any doubt the merits of Plotinus. The one thing I was struck by was Plotinus discussions of Being. There is much here that was later explored by the German Idealists; given my penchant for that school of philosophy, I was surprised and intrigued by how many parallels exist between Plotinus and Hegel and Schelling, but even with Kant and Fichte to some degree. The first treatise where this starts to become evident is treatise 6 of the second Ennead, entitled Quality and Form-Idea. Thankfully, the translators included in brackets the Greek original for Plotinus' terms for kinds of Being, e.g. "to on" and "e ousia", translated here as "being" and "reality", respectively. In various places throughout the Enneads, the way Plotinus uses these terms, parallels Schelling's and Hegel's use of the German terms "Seyen" and "Seyende". There are some differences, but the parallels are close enough to say without question that Plotinus was working within the same lines of thought. He discusses passivity and activity within these concepts of being, which is a notable feature of Schelling's work. Mind is also important for Plotinus as it was for Hegel's work. Here, presumably, the word translated as "Intellectual-principle" is most likely the Greek "nous", but, unfortunately, the underlying Greek term is not cited here. To say that Plotinus foreshadowed all later Idealism would be an understatement I think. There are plenty of things I disagree with Plotinus about. Like most Platonists going back to Plato himself, Plotinus believed in the transmigration of souls (i.e. reincarnation)--one of the concepts Plato most likely took from the Pythagoreans. I won't get into my issues with that doctrine here. He also has a vacillating view regarding matter. He argues that all evil stems from matter (yet opposes the gnostics on related issues, ironically enough) but also believes that the supra-lunar world has some more divine and "pure" form of matter. He never really explains why sub-lunar and supra-lunar forms of hyle differ. One is left to speculate that the supra-lunar forms consist of less matter and more mind. Still, it is curious that the luminaries wind up taking part in less matter and earthly forms in more. What exactly initiated that cosmic lottery is not explored. If the luminaries are, say, 3/4 mind and 1/4 matter, they are still 1/4 evil. They are still evil to some degree. Some actions of these divine luminaries must be questionable if that is the case. He also believes in an eternal universe. I reject that idea for the absurdities that result. The above brings up my other issue: Plotinus, like the gnostics, utterly trivializes the nature of evil. How matter can display overt willful evil seems to contradict the Platonic notion of the passivity and inert nature of matter. Once again, one is left to speculate that because in Platonism no being is willfully evil, they are only evil by ignorance or by obstruction; matter seems to function more as an ignorance inducing, and good obstructing, hindrance. But using this as an explanation for the nature of willful evil, which certainly exists (counter to Platonist doctrine), can only be said to be a poor explanation. Plotinus' pantheism is somewhat ambiguous. He always keeps an aspect of divinity transcendent, so not all aspects of divinity are embodied in the cosmos. I don't feel the need to comment on that aspect of his philosophy. I don't want to make this review too long. The point of all my reviews is to provide my thoughts on the book I've read and I've done that. The complete Enneads is highly recommended. The history of Philosophy in general, and Platonism and Idealism in particular, are indebted in varying degrees to Plotinus.Define Based On Books The Enneads
| Title | : | The Enneads |
| Author | : | Plotinus |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Abridged Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 688 pages |
| Published | : | June 27th 1991 by Penguin Classics (first published 250) |
| Categories | : | Philosophy. Classics. Nonfiction. Religion |
Rating Based On Books The Enneads
Ratings: 4.05 From 2703 Users | 53 ReviewsWeigh Up Based On Books The Enneads
Am still re-reading Plotinus' "Six Enneads", as written/edited by his student Porphyry, and translated into English by Stephen MacKenna. MacKenna's poetic (non-academic) translation is an added bonus. I've now read enough interpretations and synopses of Plotinus to be truly appreciative of any writer who can communicate the spirit of Plotinus' life's work. And MacKenna does just this."Thought" and "Understanding" are impossibly difficult concepts to articulate, and Plotinus is able to do soOnly read some sections.The language is lame, the translation I utilized must've been old.Plotinus provides interesting arguments for a good divine creator, and a metaphysics.I'll get back to this work later on, maybe if I find a better translation with today's language.
Really interesting and influential but dense and overlong.
Plotinus says in this work the goal is not to become a good man but to become a god. I love that about this and know its not meant in an egoistic way. For even Buddha is in agreement: Virtuous and devout men go to heaven - but a different path is taken by the Awakened Ones. [Dhammapada 126]This man, Plotinus, was born possibly even a little before 200 AD and was purported to be close to those at the very root of esoteric, primordial Christianity; as well as riding the zeitgeist on the verge (as
Plotinus imagined himself as Plato's best and most dedicated student. He Casts Plato's philosophy in a new light which, while not always easy to understand, is somehow comforting and interesting to read. I don't like how he codifies what he believes to be THE Platonic philosophy, but I think that, unlike Aristotle, he was at least well-intentioned in doing so.
The foundational text of Neo-Platonism and the western mystical tradition. Building on Plato, concepts like transcendence, the emanation of Being and the ascent of the soul are here given a much fuller treatment. The debt to Aristotelian metaphysics and the Stoic idea of Providence is also heavy.While I admit to being drawn at least in part to mystical ideas, I can't help being stupefied by certain fundamental problems that are raised again and again in the course of the treatises which Plotinus
The peak of pagan philosophy; like a cathedral in thought. You can immediately see why so many Church Fathers adopted Plotinian themes (though adapted for Trinitarian theology, of course). One curious thing about Plotinus is that you keep expecting him (or at least I kept expecting him) to refer to a revelation as the source of his system ... I found myself thinking, "wait, how does Plotinus know this?" It seems that he almost treats all previous thought as scripture, and then sets himself the
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