Plotinus: An Introduction to the Enneads - Softcover

O'Meara, Dominic J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0198751478 ISBN 13: 9780198751472

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1999

Synopsis

This is the ideal introduction to the thought of the third-century AD writer Plotinus, one of the greatest of ancient philosophers, now enjoying a major revival of interest. Dominic O'Meara has tailored the book carefully to the requirements of students: he writes clearly and authoritatively, assumes no knowledge of Greek or expertise in ancient philosophy, stays close to the texts, and relates Plotinus's ideas to modern philosophical concerns.

About this title

From the Back Cover

This book is addressed to those wishing to embark on a reading of Plotinus' works, the Enneads. One of the greatest of ancient philosophers, Plotinus is now attracting ever-increasing attention from those interested in ancient philosophy, in late Antiquity, and in the importance of this period for the Western intellectual tradition. Dominic O'Meara presents a brief outline of Plotinus' life, and of the composition of the Enneads, placing Plotinus within the intellectual context of the philosophical schools and religious movements of his time. He then discusses selected Plotinian texts in relation to a number of central philosophical issues - soul and body, intelligible and sensible reality, intellect, the One, speaking of the ineffable, the production of reality, evil, beauty, ethics, and mysticism - in order to show how Plotinus' thinking on these issues evolved, and to assess the historical importance of his philosophy. A bibliography and a thematically arranged guide to further reading, both on the issues examined here and on other topics in Plotinus, enhance the value of the book as a guide to study.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198751478
• ISBN 13: 9780198751472
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160