Does the matter of the sensible world, for Plotinus as for Plato and Aristotle, exist without a cause of its existence? Long divided on the answer to that question, scholarly opinion now veers in favour of a derivation of matter from principles prior to matter, with disagreement limited to the details of the theory. What exactly is implied by the various passages of the Enneads where Plotinus writes of soul or physis in relation to `darkness' and `non-being', matter and form? (...) In the pages that follow, I argue that the soul's `making' of a `non-being' that by implication is matter, in Enn. III 9 [13] 3, is logically antecedent to the `making' of `visible form' ascribed to physis in Enn. III 8 [30] 2. A detailed study of the context and the syntax of the latter passage shows that, contrary to an interpretation put forward recently in this Journal, the two `makings' cannot be the same. (shrink)

In Ennead II 9,9,39–42 we find a singular passage in which Plotinus asserts that the cosmos ‘proclaims’ (προφητεύει) the divine order. It is the only passage in the Enneads where the verb προφητεύειν is used. In this paper the ‘prophetic function’ of the cosmos will be examined. It will be demonstrated how the mentioned passage – despite its unique character in the Enneads – points to the centre of Plotinus’ thought, namely his theory of the causality of intelligible beings. As (...) a sensual product of transcendent causes, the cosmos ‘proclaims’ these causes. In consideration of other relevant passages, the implications of this notion will be delineated to deliver a more comprehensive interpretation of the cosmic προφητεύειν, not least in the context of Plotinus’ remarks about the genesis of time and the fundaments of astrology. It will be shown how Plotinus can articulate his theory of manifestation in terms of a ‘sigetic prophecy’ – ‘sigetic’ in the sense that manifestation unfolds ‘silently’. (shrink)

The universe is the result of a production that pertains not to craft, but to nature. This production does not involve either reasoning or concepts, but is the result of a power that acts on matter like an imprint. The Intellect transmits the intelligible forms it harbors, to the hypostasis Soul, where they become rational formulas. The hypostasis Soul then transmits these rational formulas to the world soul, which produces animate and inanimate beings, as if it had been ordered to (...) do so. Yet since it is the lower part of the soul of the world that is responsible for these productions, its action, which depends on reasons that do not hold the first rank and are drawn from itself, manifests inferior quality, which explains imperfection and the presence of evil in the sensible universe, despite its government by Providence. (shrink)

This article critically explores the history and nature of a hermeneutic assumption which frequently guided interpretations of Plotinus from the 18th century onwards, namely that Plotinus advanced a system of philosophy. It is argued that this assumption was introduced relatively late, in the 18th and 19th centuries, and that it was primarily made possible by Brucker’s methodology for the history of philosophy, dating from the 1740s, to which the concept of a ‘system of philosophy’ was essential. It is observed that (...) the concept is absent from Ficino’s commentary from the 15th century, and that it remained absent in interpretations produced between the 15th and 18th centuries. It is also argued that the assumption of a ‘system of philosophy’ in Plotinus is historically incorrect—we do not find this concept in Plotinus’ writings, and his own statements about method point in other directions. Eduard Zeller is typically regarded as the first to give a satisfying account of Plotinus’ philosophy as a whole. In this article, on the other hand, Zeller is seen as having finalised a tradition initiated in the 18th century. Very few Plotinus scholars have examined the interpretative development prior to Zeller. Schiavone and Bonetti , for instance, have given little attention to Brucker’s introduction of the concept of a ‘system of philosophy’. The present analysis, then, has value for an understanding of Plotinus’ Enneads. It also explains why “pre-Bruckerian” interpretations of Plotinus appear alien to the modern reader; the analysis may even serve to make some sense of the hermeneutics employed by Renaissance Platonists and commentators, who are often eclipsed from the tradition of Platonism. (shrink)

O objetivo deste artigo é recolher passagens das Enéadas que contêm informação relevante para a investigação dos conceitos de espaço/lugar em Plotino. Espero poder indicar, depois disso, que pelo menos três noções de espaço/lugar coexistem na filosofia de Plotino: i) Plotino distingue espaço e matéria, mas dessa distinção não fica claro a) se o espaço subsiste à parte dos corpos, ou b) se ele é apenas um relativo, ou c) se ele é uma das propriedades dos corpos e, neste caso, (...) se ele tem algum tipo de modelo inteligível; iii) e, em várias passagens, Plotino formula uma versão platônica e imaterial do conceito estoico de espaço, afirmando que entes imateriais não estão num lugar, de modo que o corpo não é o lugar da alma, mas antes é a alma o lugar do corpo. (shrink)

Dentro del sistema filosófico de Plotino, el tema de la naturaleza se vincula intrínsecamente al de la contemplación. En relación con este tópico, el presente trabajo procura reflexionar acerca de si la doctrina plotiniana sobre la naturaleza y su potencia generativa implica sólo las nociones de dispersión y de multiplicidad o si sugiere, antes bien, otras ideas al respecto. En orden a estos lineamientos, se seguirá un estudio analítico y descriptivo, acompañado de una lectura a la vez hermenéutica y crítica (...) tanto de las fuentes como de la bibliografía secundaria. (shrink)

In the resolution proclaiming 2015 the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, the General Assembly of the United Nations drew atten- tion to the importance of light in the lives of the citizens of the world. This is of major importance, not only because light plays a crucial role in fields as diverse as arts, culture or technology, but also because ‘light’ is a major concept within the history of philosophy. Since the first Presocratic philosophers, light had an important (...) role in their philoso- phical systems and was one of the most resourceful concepts explaining realities and conveying their properties. Since these world-visions ‘light’ was much more than a physical reality or a symbol; it was a powerful metaphor, sometimes used against some ideas of ignorance, obscurantism or even evil. The relevance of Neoplatonist thinkers is proved by the extensive translations and commentaries undertaken during Middle Ages, which influenced art, physics, optics,and aesthetics. This paper will pay particular attention to the discussion of the concept of ‘light (phos)’ in Plotinus’ Enneads, and then we will discuss its metamorphosis in the thought of philosophers such as Proclus, Damascius and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. (shrink)

_ Source: _Volume 9, Issue 2, pp 129 - 145 The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of ἕξις in Plotinus’ virtue ethics. It is argued that since ἕξις signifies a quality of being in a permanent state of possession and virtue is defined as an ἕξις that intellectualizes the soul, therefore, it is suggested that virtue is an active ἕξις of the soul directed higher to the intelligible world in permanent contemplation of the Forms.