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Episode 111·January 27, 2021·neoplatonism

'The Philosopher of our Time': Introducing Plotinus

Plotinus was the greatest philosopher of late antiquity, and one of the most crucial thinkers for the long story of western esotericism. We introduce his amazing philosophy and the basics of his biography.

Listen on SHWEP12 sources in collection · 12 translated

Primary Sources

The Enneads

Plotinus · 1200 · Greek · 693 pages
Fully translated

The Enneads

Plotinus · 1200 · Greek · 331 pages

The Enneads is a towering achievement of late antiquity that reshaped the trajectory of Western and Near-Eastern thought, influencing everything from Christian theology to Islamic mysticism. Plotinus presents a bold metaphysical hierarchy—the One, the Intellect, and the Soul—arguing that true happin

Fully translated

Plotinus . Plotinos . Scilicet Plotini Enneades VI et Maximi Tyrii Dissertationes XI

Plotinus; Maximus of Tyre · 1350 · Greek · 412 pages

Plotinus strips away the distractions of the physical world to reveal the singular, transcendent source of all being. The text documents the final philosophical ascent of a man who viewed his own body as a temporary, secondary image. You will encounter arguments that collapse the boundaries between

Fully translated

The Enneads

Plotinus · 1455 · Greek · 267 pages

The Enneads is a monumental achievement in Western philosophy, serving as the bridge between classical Hellenic thought and the burgeoning spiritual traditions of Late Antiquity. Plotinus offers a unique perspective on reality, viewing the physical world as a mere 'image of an image' while positing

Fully translated

The Enneads of Plotinus

Plotinus (copied by John Skutariotes for Ficino) · 1460 · Greek · 363 pages

The 'Plotini Enneades' is the foundational pillar of Neoplatonism, presented here in a historic 1460 copy transcribed by the renowned scribe John Skutariotes. Plotinus offers a transformative perspective on reality, arguing that the material world is but a shadow of the 'Intelligible Realm' and that

Fully translated

Plotinus, Enneads I-VI; Porphyry, Vita Plotini

Plotinus; Porphyry · 1464 · Greek · 602 pages

This collection, organized by Porphyry, serves as a direct guide for anyone seeking to understand the soul's origin and ultimate return to the One. Plotinus treats philosophy not as an academic exercise, but as a practical path toward enlightenment. He argues that the physical world is merely a shad

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Corpus Hermeticum and Plotinus' Enneads (Cambridge, Trinity College, MS B.9.9)

Hermes Trismegistus; Plotinus · 1550 · Greek · 502 pages

This rare collection documents the struggle of the human soul to recognize its divine origin while trapped in the sensible world. It presents the Hermetic tradition as an intuitive, performative realization of truth, contrasted against the systematic, dialectical path of Plotinus. The text argues th

Fully translated

Enneads (1580 Greek-Latin, Ficino trans.)

Plotinus | Ficino, Marsilio (trans.) · 1580 · Latin · 850 pages
Fully translated

The Enneads

Plotinus | Ficino, Marsilio (trans.) · 1580 · Greek · 860 pages

The Enneads represents the pinnacle of Neoplatonic thought, a monumental synthesis where logic meets mysticism. Through the lens of Marsilio Ficino’s Renaissance commentary, Plotinus’s work is presented as a 'philosophical bait' designed to lead the intellectual mind toward religious faith through p

Fully translated

The Enneads

Plotinus · 1580 · Latin · 996 pages
Fully translated

Plotini Opera Omnia cum Ficini commentariis

Plotinus; Marsilio Ficino (trans.) · 1835 · Latin · 544 pages

Plotini Opera Omnia represents the pinnacle of Neoplatonic thought, blending the original 3rd-century mystical insights of Plotinus with the intellectual fire of the Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino. This text serves as a rigorous bridge between the classical logic of Plato and the burgeoning

Fully translated

The Enneads of Plotinus Vol. I

Plotinus / Stephen McKenna · 1917 · English · 178 pages

The Enneads of Plotinus, translated with poetic intensity by Stephen McKenna, stands as the foundation of Neoplatonism and a bridge between classical Greek logic and Western mysticism. Plotinus offers a bold metaphysical hierarchy—The One, the Intellectual-Principle, and the Soul—arguing that our tr

Fully translated

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