How do I get into Neoplatonism? Plotinus? How do I continue? What are the prerequisites? Just Plato?

How do I get into Neoplatonism? Plotinus? How do I continue? What are the prerequisites? Just Plato?

Attached: orpheus.jpg (1000x1482, 213K)

Other urls found in this thread:

hpb.narod
sofiatopia.org/maat/ten_keys.htm
amazon.com/Theurgy-Soul-Neoplatonism-Iamblichus-Hermeneutics/dp/0271023228
youtube.com/watch?v=WzrMEDPJ2Co
twitter.com/SFWRedditImages

Plato and Aristotle are a must. You will never understand why the monad is prior to the peripatetic prime mover or how that mover is a divine multiplicity without reading some of Aristotle. Once that's done you can just read the Enneads, although knowing as much as you can about Hellenic culture and a cursory understanding of epicurean and stoic doctrine helps as well, particularly stoic conceptions of matter.

fpbp

what would you say is the minimum or necessary texts by Aristotle you should read to understand Plotinus?

Besides discussing notions of a prime mover, Plotinus makes heavy use of the concepts of actuality, potentiality, form, and matter. He also discusses prior (including Aristotelian) notions of time so Physics and Metaphysics are definite prerequisites. I would buffet that with a reading of the Categories beforehand. You could probably skate by with those three since Plotinus is far more concerned with metaphysics than he is with ethics.

You honestly don't need to read Aristotle if you don't want to. Watch some lectures about him if you prefer. Bruce Gore has some on youtube, as well as Mark Thorsby. Gregory Sadler does too, but they are overwhelmingly about Aristotle's ethics and politics, which are not relevant.

Lectures are for morons too lazy to pick up a book. Read the damn thing and make up your own mind about it

First be familiar with the basics of Plato just in general. In order to really get into Neoplatonism, there's parts of Plato that are very important. Start with Republic VI 509b:
>Therefore, you should also say that not only do the objects of knowledge owe their being known to the good, but their being is also due to it, although the good is not being, but superior to it in rank and power.
The key thing to note is Plato saying the Good is the source of the being of everything else, and also that it is ABOVE being.
To pick up more on the discussion about being, you need to read the Sophist. The second half of the Parmenides is crucial to Neoplatonism. Parmenides and Socrates discuss the nature of the One there. Parmenides gives three different accounts. Plotinus will later take these accounts to relate to his three hypostases (the first to the One proper, the next two to Mind and Soul). You should be familiar with the creation story in the Timaeus, with the demiurge knowing the forms and then creating the world and putting the world soul in it. Now remember that the Good is above Being and the source of Being; this sets up two principles already. The demiurge knows the forms; the middle Platonists take this to mean the mind of the demiurge contains the forms. The demiurge creates all else and contains the forms in its mind: it is going to be identified with Being, and this will be the Nous/Mind of Plotinus. Then you have Psyche/Soul, who the demiurge brings forth and puts in the world. It helps to learn a little about middle Platonism before diving into Neoplatonism just to see the development. But when you start, go for the Enneads.

I forgot to add, but you also should take at Plato's Second Letter. Though considered spurious now, it talks about 'three kings' in an obviously cryptic, esoteric-suggesting manner, and Plotinus interpreted this to mean three principles had to exist: One, Mind, Soul.

Aristotle himself delivered his philosophy to his students via lectures. It's you who is the moron.