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2 books match the query 'Problems Concerning'

cover of PLOTINUS Ennead IV.4.30-45 & IV.5: Problems Concerning the Soul: Translation, with an Introduction and Commentary

PLOTINUS Ennead IV.4.30-45 & IV.5

Problems Concerning the Soul: Translation, with an Introduction and Commentary

Gary M. Gurtler, SJ

Parmenides Publishing, 2015

Ennead IV.4.30–45 and IV.5 retrieves the unity in this last section of Plotinus’ treatise on Problems concerning the Soul. Combining translation with commentary, Gurtler enhances both the accuracy of the translation and the recovery of Plotinus’ often unsuspected originality. This is especially true for IV.5, where previous translations fail to convey the concise nature of his argument against both the Aristotelian and Platonic theories of vision. Plato and Aristotle each claim that vision depends on the light between the eye and the object, but Plotinus presents evidence that this is not the case and develops a novel theory of light as a second activity that moves from source to object directly, even arguing that color is in the light itself rather than merely a quality of the object. This theory of vision, in turn, depends on the nature of sympathy developed especially in IV.4.30–45, where Plotinus shows how action at a distance is both possible and necessary for the proper unity in diversity of the sensible cosmos.
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cover of PLOTINUS Ennead IVI.3-4.29: Problems Concerning the Soul: Translation, with an Introduction and Commentary

PLOTINUS Ennead IVI.3-4.29

Problems Concerning the Soul: Translation, with an Introduction and Commentary

John M. Dillon

Parmenides Publishing, 2015

For Plotinus, the nature and status of the human soul is one of the central problems of philosophy. Ennead IV.3­–4.29 constitutes his most penetrating enquiry into this topic, addressing the issues of the relation of the individual soul to the World Soul, the descent of the soul into body, its relations with that body, problems of personal identity and the nature of memory, sense perception, and the true seat of the emotions —many of which still have a resonance today. 

The treatise is an excellent example of Plotinus’ distinctive method of enquiry: not dogmatic (though he is no sceptic), but worrying away at questions until he has uncovered their complexities to the best of his ability. Such a work requires detailed commentary, such as is provided here, to tease out fully the fascinating convolutions of his thought.
 
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