普罗提诺《九章集》导论

by Dominic J. O'Meara, 多米尼克·奥米拉, 李博涵 (Translator)

本书是全面了解新柏拉图主义者普罗提诺思想的一部指南。作者多米尼克·奥米拉是新柏拉图主义研究领域的专家。本书开篇简要介绍了普罗提诺的生平和作品，正文部分对普罗提诺《九章集》中的重要论题进行了导读和论述，结语对普罗提诺思想的接受史做了详细的梳理，并列出进阶阅读 书单 。《九章集》是普罗提诺思想的结晶，由其学生波斐利编辑成书，共54篇，涉及灵魂、身体、理智、太一、自然世界、世界生成等议题。作者引导读者深入探索普罗提诺的原创思想，并揭示他对其他哲学家的思想的批判和发展，从而构建普罗提诺个人以及柏拉图主义思想的全景。

Genres: Philosophy, Academic, Religion

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 1993

Reviews

[Steven R. Kraaijeveld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across Dominic O'Meara's Plotinus: An Introduction to the Enneads at a book sale and quickly purchased it. I love Plotinus and always enjoy reading about him. O'Meara's introduction is a good one; it is important to realize, however, that it is an introduction not so much to Plotinus the man/philosopher as to The Enneads—the fifty-four treatises by Plotinus (six sets of nine, or 'nines' (enneades in Greek) that were arranged by his most diligent student, Porphyry. There is a short introduction on Plotinus' Life and Works, which is good as far as it goes (there are more detailed works available in this area—like Eyjólfur K. Emilsson's book on Plotinus in the Routledge Philosopher series), but the real value of O'Meara's work is in the way that he manages to present the major ideas of The Enneads succinctly while avoiding superficiality. He covers a number of themes in a clear and well-structured way, bringing in Plotinus' intellectual influences and opponents wherever relevant and showing how Plotinus tried to defend Plato and his ideas while also going beyond them and thus making his own important contributions to philosophy.

There are short chapters on the following themes:

• Soul and Body
• The Relation between Sensible and Intelligible Reality
• Soul, Intellect, and the Forms
• Intellect and the One
• Speaking of the One
• The Derivation of All Things from the One (I & II)
• Evil
• Beauty
• The Return of Soul: Philosophy and Mysticism

There is also an interesting epilogue on Plotinus in Western Thought, as well as useful guides to further reading for each of the chapters. These are perhaps a little dated (the book was first published in 1993), but they cover many of the classic and most important works on Plotinus, if not the very latest scholarship. But that's hardly a flaw of the book—that's just how it goes.

[ciel]

appears to be a comprehensive and gentle intro to plotinus. particularly enjoyed comparisons to plato, aristotle, hellenistic schools, and christian mysticism dudes.

definitely looking forward to read the enneads now (at last)? also many questions about relating hegel and plotinus especially considering The One vs The Spirit & individual soul vs individual consciousness.

[Marcela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introductions, even if they are good, are usually unsatisfactory. Part of their nature is to leave you with the feeling that you have missed parts of the whole picture, so you have to take the further steps of delving into the depths of the subject.
I found this introduction, however, extremely satisfactory in a way I had never felt towards any introduction. Plotinus’ thought is very challenging, complex, and leaves space for many interpretations, and yet O’Meara has written an introduction that is complete, comprehensible, honest, and feels very faithful to Plotinus’ thought, with constant references to the sources. Also it is not merely an exposition of ideas, but a true philosophical dialogue with Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics and the Platonists. It even challenges Plotinus, asks him questions, shows apparent contradictions, but then looks for the best responses in his works.
Surpassed all my expectations. Great book.

[Michael Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing introduction to Neoplatonic thought. In many ways it is incredibly similar to the monistic school of Vedanta. The idea of the Divine Intellect or The One is similar to Brahman, and the idea of a Neoplatonic soul is similar to the Vedantic concept of the Atman. Adi Shankara was born in 700 CE (disputed), Plotinus was born in 204c. Both thinkers were quite distant apart in terms of geography and era, but their thoughts are incredibly similar. Midldle Platonism is dualistic and it is very similar to Samkhya, both subordinate the material in favor of the intellectual/spiritual. Highly recommend for anyone interested in Neoplatonism.

[Pundapog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction, the actual Plotinus is impossible to read.

Plotinus’ metaphysics rests on the principle of prior simplicity. This principle requires that all composite things derive from a more simple, complete and powerful cause. The most simple, complete and powerful cause is the one. The one is ineffable insofar as it can not be both an object of thought/language, and a subject for itself (this would give it a composite nature).

The One's perfection emanates the (psuedo)-platonic Infinite Dyad. For Aristotle the two components of thoughts involve an actualised thinker, and a potential thought. The infinite dyad is the potential thought actualised by the One. When the One actualises itself thought thinks itself. This is the self-contemplating Divine Intellect which Plotinus identified with the Truth. The purpose of the Divine Intellect is to actualise the ineffable world and produce forms from that thought.

The Divine Intellect is truth insofar as the truth is the state where the 'object known is the same as the subject that knows.' This is not the case for empirical observation, you don't know 'the apple' but you know the sense impression of the apple. Self-knowledge is absolute/certain knowledge. Knowledge of your knowing creates an identity. Self-knowledge is characteristic to the divine intellect.

Returning to the Divine Intellect as the product of the One. Each generation relies on the principle of a generous perfection. Perfect things, such as the ineffable one, are productive. Plotinus reasons this through Aristotle's and Plato's deduction that things at their peak maturity tend to reproduce (Timaeus, 29e). The products of perfection contemplate the perfection which produced it. The divine intellect subsequently produces the soul, and the soul subsequently produces nature which subsequently produces matter.

The world soul, soul disembodied, contemplates the Divine Intellect. This contemplation organises nature, akin to Alcinous' view that the world soul organises the world by imitating God. This view is derived from Plotinus’ reading of the Timaeus. Timeaus' cosmology involves an artisan (the demiurge) who attempts to mimic a blueprint (the eternal forms) through some material (a receptacle). Plotinus states that nature is a secondary effect of a disembodied soul.

The soul is the 'prior independent perfection' which causes change in the body. The soul is the principle of activity which raises inert bodies to life. The soul interacts with the body not via mechanical causation, but by containing the body 'in' it. 'In' for Plotinus refers to a relation of dependency. This relation of dependency does not require the soul to corporeally manifest itself 'inside' a body. This resolves Plato's dilemma, where he holds that the incorporeal form physically manifests in the corporeal body. The soul is not a lifeless body, it is eternal and unchanging. The notion of 'presence' is thus not a 'embodied' one, but merely refers to the self-integrity of the soul, the of their 'total presence of each to each other'

Time emerges from the Soul. The Soul fragments itself in time to achieve unity and to further its contemplation of the divine intellect. Matter is the final deriviation of the One, it is a hollow and indeterminate reflection of the soul. It is evil.

The goal of Plotinus is unity with the one, which requires the adoption of an ascetic lifestyle to contemplate the One.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I found this book, along with four volumes of the Enneads, at a used bookstore and, having mostly encountered Plotinus’ name in reading St. Augustine, bought them so that I might understand St. Augustine better. This was a difficult book for me. I often had to go back and reread. For one, I was unfamiliar with the subject matter, but also I think Plotinus’s writing is just obscure and abstract. O’Meara introduces Plotinus by first overviewing his life, works, and sources, then breaking his thought down into topics that build up in a sequence. The last chapter is a discussion of Plotinus’s influence in later philosophy, theology, and art. The book ends with thorough suggestions for further reading and a bibliography. I’m looking forward to diving into parts of the Enneads myself after reading this introduction.

[Bennett Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This clear and illuminating exposition of Plotinus' thought is without parallel. It is the best introduction of Plotinus I have ever encountered. For those interest in Plotinus for his own sake, or for understanding Augustine (and Christian mysticism more broadly), it is indispensable.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the philosopher who influenced St. Augustine.

[Patrick Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite possibly the best introduction to the philosophy of Plotinus, communicated with clarity and brevity while still engaging with his ideas critically

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

At around 110 pages, this is a good enough introduction to the foremost Neoplatonist.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent companion guide for reading Plotinus. No idea why this print on demand book has to cost $50, however. Probably because there are desperate people like me who will pay it!

[Joel Zartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tough, but coherent and lucid. Most helpful.