15 - Plotinus and Plato on soul and action

Summary

This chapter discusses the Platonic origin of the treatise "On Free Will and the Will of the One". It presents an account of Plotinus' doctrine of inner and outer activity with a special focus on this doctrine's (by Plotinus' lights) Platonic origins. Plotinus replaces Plato's "external and internal action" with "external and internal activity". The notion of a twofold activity, one internal and another external is well known from metaphysical contexts in Plotinus. Plotinus evidently sees his two activities at work in the relationship between virtuous action and internal virtue. Indeed, he sees external human actions in relation to soul-states quite generally in the same way. Plato suggests that bad actions may bring ruin to a well-tempered soul. He also holds that some actions "preserve and help achieve" internal virtue.