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9568531 No.9568531 [Reply] [Original]

How do I into Plotinus?

>> No.9568537

into it in your butthole if you know what I mean

>> No.9568582

>>9568531

First, you need to read Plato (at least Republic, Phaedo, Symposium, Parmenides and Timaeus).
Then a bit of Aristotle (Metaphysics, De Anima).
This is stuff that I think could be useful to better understand Plotinus, though reading both philosophers in their entirety is always better.

Then you start with the Enneads. A good intro reading (or to read along with the actual book) is P. Hadot - Plotinus, or the Simplicity of Vision. Also Rist - Plotinus Road to Reality is kind of a classic in secondary literature.
But I would advise to at least start the actual Enneads along with these, otherwise secondary literature is not going be very helpful.

If you are just curious, though, you can take an abridge version of the enneads (something cheap like 'the Essential Plotinus', or the Penguin version) and see if you like it.

Plotinus is not always an easy reading, but I think he's a wonderful philosopher and deserves to be read! Good luck anon!

>> No.9568947

>>9568531
If you want to keep it simple, the essential part is to gain a solid grasp on Plato - everything else is secondary.

There are two short treatises from Antiquity which might be of benefit as an introduction to Plato and Plotinus, respectively; The Platonic Doctrines of Albinus and Launching Points to the Realm of Mind by Porphyry.

Get McKennas translation published by Larson as it carries a very poetic flavor and compares several difficult passages against the translations of Taylor, Guthrie and Armstrong.

>> No.9568995

>>9568531
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y8_RRaZW5X3xwztjZ4p0XeRplqebYwpmuNNpaN_TkgM/mobilebasic?pli=1

This is a damn god send

>> No.9569082

Additionally, there are a bunch of youtube videos which explain certain concepts advanced by Plotinus:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=plotinus

>> No.9569191

>>9568995
I get the feeling that the compiler of that link either hasn't read or comprehended several of the philosophies in question. The Neoplatonic and Christian sections in particular are lacking some seriously important works.

Into the trash it goes.

>> No.9569256

>>9569191
>"Into the trash it goes."
>the single most helpful philosophy chart anyone on lit has ever made

make your own then you ungrateful nigger