Some Notes on Plotinvs

Extract

Ennead I. 4. 3: Plotinus is arguing that happiness is fullness and completeness of life, and continues, according to the MSS. (Volkmann's edition, p. 66, 1. 20), οϋτω γ⋯ρ ἂν οùδέ έπακτòν τò ⋯γαθòν ύπάρΧοι, ούδ' ἂλλο τò ύποκείμενον άλλαΧόθεν γενόμενον παρέξει αύτò (or better αύτῷ, Marc A and Müller) ⋯ν άγαθῷεἶναι. Mr. MacKenna translates the last phrase by ‘a life needing no foreign substance called in from a foreign realm to establish it in good ’; Ficinus by ‘neque aliud quicquam aliunde adueniens efficiet ut subiectum collocetur in bono.’ Ficinus is undoubtedly right. τò ύποκειμένῷ means ‘the subject,’ which a few lines above (p. 66,1. 4) has been identified with the λογικ⋯ ζωή. The passage should be corrected by writing τῷ, ύποκειμένῳ, dependent on γενόμενον, for τò úποκείμενον.