Content-Type: text/html Wikipedia: Neo-Platonism

[Home]Neo-Platonism

HomePage | RecentChanges | Preferences
You can edit this page right now! It's a free, community project

Neo-Platonism is an ancient school of philosophy founded by Plotinus?. It was based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists; but it interpreted Plato in many new ways, such that Neo-Platonism was quite different from what Plato taught. (Though many Neo-Platonists would not admit it.)

Neo-Platonism begins with the Alexandrian philosopher Plotinus. His most important work was the [Six Enneads]?, in which he explains his philosophy. He claimed to have recieved his teachings from Ammonius Saccas, an illiterate dock-worker.

Plotinus taught the existence of an indescribable One, which emananated? the rest of the universe as a sequence of lesser beings. Later Neo-Platonic philosophers, especially Iamblichus, added hundreds of intermediate gods and beings as emanations between the One and humanity; but Plotinus' system was much simpler in comparison.

Later Neo-Platonic philosophers included Porphyry?, Proclus? and Iamblichus?.

Neo-Platonism was frequently used as a philosophical foundation for paganism, and as a means of defending paganism against Christianity; but many Christians were also influenced by Neo-Platonism. Most important of these was Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, whose work was very influential in the Middle Ages. Augustine was also deeply influenced by Neo-Platonism.

Neo-Platonism was revived in the Italian Renaissance by figures such as [Marsilio Ficino]?.


HomePage | RecentChanges | Preferences
You can edit this page right now! It's a free, community project
Edit text of this page | View other revisions
Last edited August 16, 2001 4:36 pm (diff)
Search: