The Cambridge Companion to Plotinus

by Lloyd P. Gerson (Editor)

Plotinus is the greatest philosopher in the 700 year period between Aristotle and Augustine. He thought of himself as a disciple of Plato, but in his efforts to defend Platonism against Aristotelians, Stoics, and others, he actually produced a reinvigorated version of Platonism that later came to be known as "Neoplatonism". In this volume, sixteen leading scholars introduce and explain the many facets of Plotinus' complex system. They place Plotinus in the history of ancient philosophy while showing how he was a founder of medieval philosophy.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, History, Reference, Mysticism

480 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 1996

About the author

Lloyd Gerson is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto.

Reviews

[Jason Merritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like other volumes in this series, it's well written. Unlike other volumes, however, it's written at a somewhat more advanced level. Overall, an excellent introduction.

[Cw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good for an indepth look at the Enneads, but I don't think I got much out of it that I didnt already get from reading the Enneads directly. Still, it wasn't bad.

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

I used this book for my thesis, which applied persistence theory to Plotinus' metaphysics.

Clear-cut sections tackle different aspects of Plotinus' philosophy in quite some detail. The sections are written by prominent Plotinus scholars, which makes for good references and an essential read for anyone wanting to know more about Plotinus' worldview.