Plotinus (Arguments of the Philosophers) [Paperback]

Lloyd P. Gerson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415174090 | ISBN-13: 978-0415174091 | Publication Date: May 8, 1998

This major study brings Plotinus, the most important philosopher in the centuries between Aristotle and Augustine, into current philosophical discussions. Once neglected among contemporary philosophers, Plotinus' work is attracting greater interest within the context of later Greek philosophy.

Lloyd P. Gerson offers a detailed account of Plotinus' arguments in the major philosophical areas of metaphysics, epistemology, psychology and ethics. He examines the work of Plotinus both in its historical context and in its sustained systematic rigor. Focusing on Plotinus' defence of Platonism against Aristotle and on the development of Neoplatonism, Gerson constructs a powerful and systematic account of reality that is surprisingly relevant to modern debates.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Dr Gerson's Plotinus possesses an impressive breadth of expertise, on the one hand, and attempts to break new ground, on the other.' - Heythrop Journal

'An important landmark in Plotinian studies ... This is a masterful survey of the chief features of Plotinus' thought from the perspective of contemporary philosophy, and as such is warmly to be welcomed ... It is enriched with a comprehensive bibliography and useful indices.' - Hermathena, A Dublin University Review

From the Publisher

This book is available either individually, or as part of the specially-priced Arguments of the Philosphers Collection. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (May 8, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415174090
• ISBN-13: 978-0415174091
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understand the very influential philosopher, June 22, 2001

By 

Derek Law (Shanghai, China) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Plotinus (Arguments of the Philosophers) (Paperback)

It might not be clear to modern readers how important Plotinus was. His Enneads, consisting of 54 essays, is an attempt for a world view that is going to exert great influence on medieval Islam and Christianity. In this work of Gerson, he continued the thinking he laid out in his <God and Greek Philosophy> where he pinpoints the central question Greek philosophers tried to answer: What is the ultimate cause and principle of explanation? In this way, the superiority of the Plotinian answer over that of Plato's and Aristotle's becomes clear. The reading in this book is very dense, but it is rewarding to me personally to see how studying of ancient Greek philosophy CAN be of value in the contemporary world in clarifying our own ideas and our implicit world view.

Without understanding Plotinus (and arguably Origen) and the anchor points, it is virtually impossible to understand and compare the various medieval philosophies from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus.