Plotinus and the Platonic Metaphysical Hierarchy

Description

This book is not an attempt to put forth a comprehensive treatment of being and unity in Plotinus’ Enneads, or a comprehensive account of being and unity in Greek philosophy. Indeed I do not deal with important issues and movements in Stoicism or Scepticism to any great degree, although there is much to learn from a study of Plotinus’ relationship to these schools. I am here rather concerned with Plotinus’ approach to Aristotle and Aristotle’s approach to Plato. Hence I have chosen specific elements and movements that help to show the significance of the Platonic Metaphysical Hierarchy as informing the larger metaphysical position of Plotinus. It may be that I am trying to make small steps in the direction of a method for systematically understanding Plotinus’ metaphysics, but this is certainly a very minimal step in that direction. I do think that the metaphysical position of Plotinus is more easily understood with the help of the Platonic Metaphysical Hierarchy as a frame or a gauge.