Plotinus
Founder of Neoplatonism and philosopher of the One.
Plotinus (c. 204–270 AD) was an ancient Greek philosopher born and raised in Roman Egypt, widely regarded by modern scholars as the founder of Neoplatonism. He began studying philosophy at age twenty-eight, around 232, traveling to Alexandria where he was initially dissatisfied with every teacher until he encountered the self-taught Platonist Ammonius Saccas. Declaring Ammonius the man he had been seeking, Plotinus studied under him for eleven years. His thought was also shaped by Aristotle, the pre-Socratics Empedocles and Heraclitus, Middle Platonists such as Alexander of Aphrodisias and Numenius, as well as Stoic and Neopythagorean ideas. At about thirty-eight, he joined Emperor Gordian III’s campaign against Persia to investigate Persian and Indian philosophy, but after the emperor’s death he barely escaped to Antioch. At forty, during the reign of Philip the Arab, he settled in Rome, where he taught for most of his remaining life. His inner circle included Porphyry, Amelius, the senator Castricius Firmus, and the physician Eustochius; his students also included women such as Gemina and Amphiclea. Plotinus attempted to persuade Emperor Gallienus to rebuild a settlement in Campania as a “City of Philosophers” under Plato’s Laws, but the subsidy was never granted. He later lived in Sicily and died on an estate in Campania bequeathed by his student Zethos. His final words, according to Eustochius, were: “Try to raise the divine in yourselves to the divine in the all.” In his metaphysical writings, Plotinus described three fundamental principles: the One, the Intellect, and the Soul. His works profoundly influenced pagan, Jewish, Christian, Gnostic, and early Islamic metaphysicians and mystics, and shaped later theological concepts across multiple religions.
- field
- Philosophy
- nationality
- Ancient Greek (born in Roman Egypt)
- known_for
- Founder of Neoplatonism; described the One, the Intellect, and the Soul as three fundamental principles
Lore & Background
Dissatisfied with every teacher, he found his mentor in the self-taught Platonist Ammonius Saccas, studying under him for eleven years. At age forty, during the reign of Emperor Philip the Arab, he settled in Rome, where he taught for most of his remaining life. His inner circle included Porphyry, Amelius Gentilianus, the senator Castricius Firmus, and the doctor Eustochius. He also had students among Roman senators and women, including Gemina, in whose house he lived. Plotinus attempted to persuade Emperor Gallienus to rebuild a settlement in Campania as a 'City of Philosophers' under Plato's Laws, but the subsidy was never granted. He spent his final days in seclusion on an estate in Campania bequeathed by his friend Zethos. His last words, according to Eustochius, were: 'Try to raise the divine in yourselves to the divine in the all.'
Reader's Guide
Plotinus's significance lies in his founding of Neoplatonism, a system that profoundly shaped Western and Near Eastern thought. His metaphysical writings describe three fundamental principles: the One, the Intellect, and the Soul. The One is a supreme, totally transcendent entity beyond all categories of being and non-being, identified with the Good and Beauty. From the One emanates the Intellect (Nous), and from the Intellect the Soul (Psyche), in a constant process of emanation rather than creation. This framework influenced generations of pagan, Jewish, Christian, Gnostic, and early Islamic metaphysicians and mystics. His ideas on the duality of the One later informed mainstream theological concepts across different religions. The term 'Neoplatonism' was coined by 19th-century historians to describe his philosophy. His works, compiled by Porphyry as the Enneads, were originally lecture notes and essays written from c. Despite poor eyesight and disdain for editing, his writings were polished by Porphyry into their modern form. Plotinus's distrust of materiality, common to Platonism, led him to view phenomena as a poor image of higher intelligible reality, and he refused to have his portrait painted.
Did You Know?
- Plotinus was a student of the self-taught philosopher Ammonius Saccas for eleven years.
- He attempted to persuade Roman Emperor Gallienus to build a 'City of Philosophers' in Campania based on Plato's Laws.
- His final words were: 'Try to raise the divine in yourselves to the divine in the all.'
- His works, the Enneads, were compiled and edited by his student Porphyry after his death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Plotinus?
Plotinus was an ancient Greek philosopher active in the third century AD, born in Roman Egypt and later based in Rome. He is best known as the originator of Neoplatonism, a philosophical tradition that dominated intellectual discourse from late antiquity through the Renaissance.
What are Plotinus's core ideas?
He structured all of reality around three emanating principles: the One as the ultimate source, the Intellect as the domain of pure thought and forms, and the Soul as the intermediary linking the divine to the material world. These ideas were preserved in a collection of his writings known as the Enneads.
Why is Plotinus important to the history of philosophy?
As the founder of Neoplatonism, he gave late antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance a unified metaphysical framework that shaped theology, mysticism, and natural philosophy for well over a millennium. His tripartite model of One, Intellect, and Soul became a reference point for virtually every major philosophical and religious tradition that followed.
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