The Old Academy

doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521040549.003

Chapter 2 - The Old Academy

from Part 1 - GREEK PHILOSOPHY FROM PLATO TO PLOTINUS

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008

Edited by

A. H. Armstrong

Book contents

Get access

Summary

Introduction

Neoplatonism is a term usually designating Plato's philosophy as reinterpreted by Plotinus and post-Plotinian Platonists. The term is slightly misleading, in that to some it may suggest a more radical difference between the philosophies of Plato and Plotinus than is warranted, in that it tends to obscure the debt of Plotinus to Platonists before him, particularly the Old Academy and the Platonism of the period between the first century B.C. and his time (today often designated as pre-Neoplatonism or Middle Platonism), and finally in that it suggests that all post-Plotinian Platonism bears the stamp of Plotinus' philosophy, whereas in many cases his influence on other Platonists was only limited.

However, in what follows we shall, in the main, limit ourselves to indicating those Platonic and post-Platonic philosophic doctrines which were probably of major importance for Plotinus, and the knowledge of which helps us to place his philosophy in historic perspective. No attempt will be made to ascertain the primary sources of these doctrines or to reconstruct systems of which only fragments have survived, nor do we plan to compete with an apparatus fontium. We shall simply present those major philosophic doctrines which we, in explicit form, still possess and which Plotinus knew, or in all likelihood knew. The framework of our presentation is provided by four passages in Porphyry's Vita Plotini. In the first, Porphyry says that Plotinus' writings contain Stoic and Peripatetic doctrines, and that all of Aristotle's Metaphysics is present there in condensed form.

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge History of Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy , pp. 11 - 38

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521040549.003 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 1967

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albinus, ed. Hermann, C. F. in Platonis Dialogi, 6 vols. Leipzig, 1921–36; vol. VI.Google Scholar

Albinus, Épitomé, ed. Louis, P.. Paris, 1945.Google Scholar

,Alexander of Aphrodisias Commentaries on Aristotle, in Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca, I–III. Berlin, 1891–9. Minor Works, ed. Bruns, I., in Supplementum Aristotelicum, II, 1–2. Berlin, 1887, 1892.

Anonymous Commentary on the Theaetetus ed. Diels, H. and Schubart, W.. Berlin, 1905.Google Scholar

Antiochus, Fragments, ed. Luck, G. in Der Akademiker Antiochus. Bern, 1953.

Apuleius, De Philosophia libri, ed. Thomas, P.. Leipzig, 1908.Google Scholar

,AristoclesFragments, ed. Heiland, H., Aristoclis Messenii reliquiae.Giessen, 1925.

Atticus, Fragments, in Eusebius, Praeparatio evangelica XI 1–2; XV 4–12; ed. Baudry, J.. Paris, 1931.Google Scholar

Baeumker, C.Das Problem der Materie in der griechischen Philosophie.Munich, 1890 (reprinted Frankfurt, 1963).Google Scholar

Beutler, R., ‘Proklos’, Realencyclopädie der klassischen Altertumswissensch, XXIII/I (1957), esp. col. 242 f.Google Scholar

Cornford, F. M., Plato's Theory of Knowledge (1935)Google Scholar

Cornford, F. M., Plato and Parmenides (1939) f. and 198.

Cramer, F. H., Astrology in Roman Law and Politics [1954]).

Dodds, E. R. ‘The Parmenides of Plato and the Origin of the Neoplatonic “One”’, in Classical Quarterly, 22 (1928).CrossRef Google Scholar

Gaiser, K., Platons ungeschriebene (1963).

Gercke, A. ‘Eine platonische Quelle des Neuplatonismus’ Rheinisches museum, 41 (1886).Google Scholar

Hadot, P., ‘Étre, Vie, Pensée, chez Plotin et avant Plotin’, Les Sources de Plotin, Entretiens, v (1960).Google Scholar

Heinze, R., Xenokrates (1892), p. n. 1

Hopfner, T., Griechisch-ägyptischer Offenharungszauber, 2 vols. (1921–4), esp. vol. 1

Kramer, H. J., Der Ursprung der Geistmetaphysik (21967).

Krämer, H. J.Der Ursprung der Geistmetaphysik.Amsterdam, 1964.Google Scholar

Merlan, P., ‘Aristotle's Unmoved Movers’, Traditio, iv (1946).Google Scholar

Merlan, P., ‘Form and Content in Plato's Philosophy’, Journal of the History of Ideas, viii (1947).Google Scholar

Merlan, P.From Platonism to Neoplatonism, 2nd edn. The Hague, 1960.Google Scholar

Merlan, P.Monopsychism, Mysticism, Metaconsciousness.The Hague, 1963.CrossRef Google Scholar

Nicomachus, Introductio arithmetica, ed. Hoche, R.. Leipzig, 1866.Google Scholar

Numenius, Fragments, ed. Leemans, E. A.. Brussels, 1937.Google Scholar

,PanaetiusFragments, ed. Straaten, M., 3rd edn. Leyden, 1962.Google Scholar

,PeripateticsFragments, ed. Wehrli, F. (Die Schule des Aristoteles), 10 vols. Basel, 1944–59.

,plotinusEnneads ed. Henry, P. and Schwyzer, H. R. (vols. I–II (Vita Plotini and Enn. I–V) so far published, vol. III (Enn. VI) still to appear). Paris and Brussels, 1951–.Google Scholar

Plutarch, Moralia, ed. Hubert, C., Pohlenz, M., etc.: in progress. Leipzig, 1952–.Google Scholar

Plutarch, Moralia, ed. Bernardakis, G. N., 7 vols. Leipzig, 1888–96.Google Scholar

Plutarch, Moralia, ed. and tr. Babbitt, F. C., etc. (Loeb Classical Library): in progress. London, 1927.Google Scholar

,PorphyryAd Gaurum, ed. Kalbfleisch, K., in Abhandlungen der preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, phil.-hist. Kl. 1895, 33-62 [authenticity disputed]: French translation by Festugière, J. M., La Révélation d'Hermès Trismégiste, III, app. 1.Google Scholar

,PosidoniusFragments, ed. Bake, I.. Posidonii Rhodii reliquiae.Leyden, 1820.

Praechter, K., ‘Syrianos’ Realencyclopädie der klassischen Altertumswissensch, iv/2 (1932), esp. col. 1754 f.Google Scholar

,ProclusCommentarius in Parmenidem: pars ultima adhuc inedita, interprete Guillelmo de Moerbeka, ed. and tr. Klibansky, R., Labowsky, C., Anscombe, E.. London, 1953.Google Scholar

,Pseudo-Aristotlede mundo ed. and tr. Furley, D. J. (Loeb Classical Library). London, 1955.Google Scholar

Rist, J. M., ‘Plotinus on Matter and Evil’, Phronesis, vi (1961).Google Scholar

Robin, L., La théone platonicienne des Idées et des Nombres d'après Aristote (1908).

Robin, L.La théorie platonicienne des idées et des nombres d'après Aristote.Paris, 1908 (reprinted Hildesheim, 1963).Google Scholar

Ross, W. D., Aristotle's Metaphysics (1924), ad 987b14.

Schwyzer, H. R. ‘Plotinos’, in Paulys Realencyclopädie, 21. 1 (1951).Google Scholar

Speusippus, Fragments, ed. Lang, P. in De Speusippi Academici scriptis. Bonn, 1911 (reprinted Frankfurt, 1964).

Taylor, A. E.Plato, Philebus and Epinomis, tr. …by (1956) f.Google Scholar

,the older stoaStoicorum Veterum Fragmenta, ed. Arnim, J., 4 vols. Leipzig, 1903–24.Google Scholar

Theiler, W., ‘Plotin und die antike Philosophic’, Museum Helveticum, 1 (1944).Google Scholar

Theiler, W. ‘Plotin und die an tike Philosophie’, in Museum Helveticum, 1 (1944).Google Scholar

Theiler, W.Die Vorbereitung des Neuplatonismus.Berlin, 1930.Google Scholar

Theophrastus, Metaphysics, ed. and tr. Ross, W. D. and Fobes, F. H.. Oxford, 1929.Google Scholar

Ueberweg-Praechter, , Grundriss (1926).

Vogel, C. J., ‘La théorie de l' απειρον chez Platon et dans la tradition platonicienne’, Revue philosophique CXLIX (1959).Google Scholar

Vogel, C. J. ‘La théorie de l'ἄπειρον chez Platon et dans la tradition platonicienne’, in Revue Philosophique, 149 (1959).Google Scholar

Vogel, C. J. ‘On the Neoplatonic Character of Platonism and the Platonic Character of Neoplatonism’, in Mind, 62 (1953).Google Scholar

Volkmann-Schluck, K.-H., Plotin als Interpret der Ontologie Platos (21957).

Wieland, W., Die aristotelische Physik (1962)Google Scholar

Xenocrates, Fragments, ed. Heinze, R.. Leipzig, 1892.Google Scholar

Book contents

Chapter 2 - The Old Academy

Summary

Access options

References

Save book to Kindle

Save book to Dropbox

Save book to Google Drive