"There were at least two avenues for originality open to Plotinus, even if it was not his intention to say fundamentally new things. The first was in trying to say what Plato meant on the basis of what he wrote or said or what others reported him to have said. This was the task of exploring the philosophical position that we happen to call "Platonism". The second was in defending Plato against those who, Plotinus thought, had misunderstood him and therefore unfairly criticized him. Plotinus found himself, especially as a teacher, taking up these two avenues. His originality must be sought for by following his path."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Lloyd P. Gerson in "Plotinus" at Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Plotinus
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Plotinus
Plotinus [Πλωτῖνος] (c. 204/205–270) was a major philosopher of the ancient world who is widely considered the founder of Neoplatonism (along with his teacher Ammonius Saccas). His metaphysical writings have inspired centuries of Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics.
23 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Plotinus →
Related Quotes
"...such a one is agitated with a salutary astonishment; is affected with the highest and truest love; derides vehemen…"
"Perhaps, the good and the beautiful are the same, and must be investigated by one and the same process; and in like m…"
"All teems with symbol; the wise man is the man who in any one thing can read another."
"The sensitive eye can never be able to survey, the orb of the sun, unless strongly endued with solar fire, and partic…"
"Pleasure and distress, fear and courage, desire and aversion, where have these affections and experiences their seat?…"
"We may treat of the Soul as in the body — whether it be set above it or actually within it — since the association of…"
"What measures, then, shall we adopt? What machine employ, or what reason consult by means of which we may contemplate…"
"Withdraw into yourself and look. And if you do not find yourself beautiful yet, act as does the creator of a statue t…"
"Hence, as Narcissus, by catching at the shadow, plunged himself in the stream and disappeared, so he who is captivate…"
"It is now time, leaving every object of sense far behind, to contemplate, by a certain ascent, a beauty of a much hig…"