7 - Plotinus and the Neoplatonic synthesis

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The term ‘Neoplatonism’ is an eighteenth-century label coined by German scholars (‘Neuplatonismus’) used pejoratively to indicate unwholesome contaminations of the pure stream of ancient Hellenic thought. I use that term here simply to refer to the last phase of ancient Greek philosophy, beginning with Plotinus (204–270 ce) and ending effectively with the pervasive domination by Christianity of the Greek world in the sixth century. I focus primarily on Plotinus, the ‘founder’ of Neoplatonism, because of his explicit engagement with the entire history of philosophy as he knew it, from the Presocratics up to contemporary Peripatetics. As we shall see in a moment, Plotinus provides one dogmatic response to the sceptical onslaught. In particular, it is, not surprisingly, a response made from a Platonic perspective. Precisely because Plotinus was so conscious of the ongoing eight-hundred-year long dialogue among the Greek philosophical schools, his dogmatic response is really something quite original. In regard to epistemology, it is a response steeped above all in Aristotle's analysis of cognition. Plotinus was more than willing to invoke Aristotle's assistance on behalf of a defence of Platonism against sceptical attacks on the possibility of knowledge and rational belief. Although Plotinus is critical of Aristotle on numerous matters, there is no indication that this critical stance included epistemology. Plotinus' originality lay in an attempt to articulate the position with regard to knowledge and belief that I outlined in the first chapter.