1.

LifeandWorks
a. borninLycopolis,Egypt,around205A.D.
b. wasinterestedinthephilosophyofAmmoniusSaccasinAlexandria
c. followedEmperorGordianintoPersiain243A.D.untilthelatterwaskilled
d. wenttoRomein245A.D.,wherehewrotetheEnneads

(sixgroupsofnine
writings)
e. diedin270A.D.
f. hisstudentPorphyrycollectedandorganizedtheEnneads
2. TheThreeFundamentalPrinciplesofPlotinus'Metaphysics
a. TheOne
i.
TheOneisthecauseofeverythingthatexists
ii.
WhybelieveTheOneexists?
1. explanationsofcomplexthingstendtobesimpler
2. takentoitslogicalconclusion,theexplanatorypathmust
ultimatelyleadtosomethingthatisutterlyanduniquelyuncomplex
iii.
PlotinusthinksPlatoarguedforthistypeofprinciplein
TheRepublicas
theFormoftheGood,andinParmenides
iv.
TheOneisindescribable
1. sinceitisnoncomposite,itcannotbeacompositeofbothsubject
andpredicate,soitisindescribable
2. wecanonlyknowwhatitisnot
v.
Howsomethinguncomplexcanbethecauseofallcomplexthings
1. itisthevirtualcauseofallotherthings
ifAisavirtualcauseofB,thenAisbothsimplerinits
existencethanBandabletoproduceB
exampleofavirtualcause:acalculatorcontainsall
equationsvirtually
vi.
TheOnecausesthingsviaemanation
1. emanationisatemporalontologicaldependence:anobject
dependsontheOnehereandnowforitsexistenceandatevery
momentitexists
b. Intellect
i.
IntellectisthefirstemanationfromtheOne
ii.
IntellectisthelocationofthePlatonicForms:abstractarchetypesofall
thatexists
iii.
WhybelieveIntellectexists?
1. itgivesseparateidentitytoexistingthingsthatwouldotherwisebe
unitedvirtuallyintheOne
3+5=8meansthattheconcept3+5isidenticalto8but
thesetwoconceptsarestilldistinctfromeachother.Since
theyareunitedvirtuallyintheOne,theywouldhaveno
distinctidentityunlesseternallythoughtasseparate
conceptsbyIntellect
iv.
Intellectaloneisnotenoughtocausethingstoexist
1. thecomplexityofthoughtimpliesasimpleexplanation,whichis
theOne
v.
TheOneistheprincipleofcausationandtheIntellectistheprincipleof

individuation
c. Soul
i.
ii.

iii.

iv.

Thethirdemanation,outofIntellect,isSoul
Soulistheprincipleofdesireforthingsexternaltoornotyetacquiredby
theagentofdesire
1. desireforknowledge,forfood,forsleep,etc.
WhybelieveinSoul?
1. Intellectalreadyhastheformsinitandsohasnodeficiencies
2. soulexplainsthedeficienciesthatareimplicitintheactofdesire
SoulisrelatedtoIntellectasIntellectisrelatedtoOne
1.
2.

d. Matter
i.
Matterisassociatedwithevil,becauseitisresponsibleforthediminished
realityofintelligibleforms
ii.
Matterisonlyevilwhenitbecomestheendgoal
iii.
Therefore,attachmenttobodilythingsisattachmenttoevil,notbecause
thebodyisevilbutbecausematterasanendinitselfisevil,being
responsibleforthediminishedrealityofforms
3. HumanPsychologyandEthics
a. Humansarecomposite
i.
thepersonisacognitivesoulemployingabodyasaninstrument
ii.
Humansarethusconflicted:adesireforthecognitionofIntellect,and
alsoformaterial,andthusevil,thingsofthebody
b. Intellectthehighestpartofaperson
i.
apersonsintellectisincontactwiththeForms
ii.
theymustbecognitivelyidenticaltotheforms,otherwisetheywouldonly
beimagesorrepresentationsofthem
iii.
therefore,apersonsintellectiseternallydoingwhatIntellectisdoing
c. Choicebetweenreasonandmatter
i.
apersoncanchoosetofocusonmaterialthings,whichisassociatedwith
evil
ii.
orapersoncanchoosetofocusonhis/herrationalself,whichiswhatis
good
d. Ethics
i.
whateverincreasesintellectanddiminishesbodilyappetiteisethical
ii.
lowerformsofethicsincludecivicduties,whichseekmerelytocurb
appetiteforbodilythings
iii.
higherformsofethicsareintellectualpursuits
e. Identityofvirtues
i.
oneishappiestwhenoneisfocusedontheinterior:intellectinsteadof
bodilythings