Neoplatonism [Paperback]

R. T. Wallis (Author), Lloyd P. Gerson (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0872202879 | ISBN-13: 978-0872202870 | Publication Date: October 1995 | Edition: 2nd

Neoplatonism, a development of Plato’s metaphysical and religious teaching, whose best-known representatives were Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus and Proclus, was the dominant philosophical school of the later Roman Empire and has been a major influence of European and Near Eastern thought and culture ever since. Yet the school’s philosophy is only now coming to be studied in detail by historians of philosophy, largely because of the difficulty of the Neoplatonists’ writings and the lack of a good summary exposition. This defect Dr. Wallis sought to remedy in this, the first full-length study of the school by a single author to appear for over half a century. Lloyd Gerson’s new Foreword sets that contribution in context; he also provides an up-dated Bibliography.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A lucidity remarkable in the face of the formidable complexity of the material discussed.'--Theology --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Hackett Pub Co Inc; 2nd edition (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872202879
• ISBN-13: 978-0872202870
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,618 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Lucid Guide to Neoplatonism, June 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Neoplatonism (Paperback)

Neoplatonism is an ancient movement of philosophical thought which has endured as the basis of most western metaphysics from its inception to the present day. Wallis' book is probably the best and most up-to-date general guide to neoplatonism, with clear elucidation of its main schools and figures, a useful map to help contextualize them, and a great bibliography (current to about 1995) of original texts and secondary scholarship that makes this a book for seasoned scholars as well as beginners. It is also -- without a doubt -- the most lucid of such guides available.

The book has a couple of drawbacks that do not really compromise its overall utility: 1) In the understandable interest of concision, Wallis has reproduced almost no extended quotations from original sources. In consequence, the reading can be barren. I'd suggest reading Wallis alongside with Dodds' short work "Select Passages Illustrating Neoplatonism" to provide a more spirited overview. 2) Some of Wallis' frequent contrasts between neoplatonic and orthodox Christian doctrine seem to a) privilege the Christian perspective b) make neoplatonism appear more motivated than it is with issues that are of greater interest to Christian theologians. These are both very minor points, and do not challenge this book's well-deserved reputation as a classic in the field.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best introduction to the subject, January 4, 2007

By 

Eduardo E. Eskenazi Boverman (Barcelona, SPAIN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Neoplatonism (Paperback)

Clear, serious, erudite and yet accesible. Plotinu's study is first rate.