Plotinus: The Enneads

Plotinus's Enneads—the foundational text of Neoplatonism presenting a complete philosophical system of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and mystical ascent to the One, profoundly influencing Christian, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy and establishing the contemplative vision that shaped Western mysticism for over a millennium.

Plotinus (204-270 CE) stands as one of the most influential philosophers in late antiquity. His Enneads (meaning 'groups of nine'), compiled by his student Porphyry into six sets of nine treatises, synthesize Platonic philosophy with original metaphysical insights and contemplative practice. Plotinus presents reality as emanating from the One (the absolute, ineffable source) through Intellect (nous) to Soul (psyche) to the material world, while teaching that the human soul can ascend back through contemplation to mystical union with the One.

What you'll discover:

• The One—the absolute, ineffable source beyond being and thought
• The three hypostases: the One, Intellect (nous), and Soul (psyche)
• Emanation—how reality flows from the One while the One remains unchanged
• The nature of beauty, virtue, and the Good
• Contemplation (theoria) as the path to union with the One
• The relationship between soul and body, time and eternity
• Evil as absence of good rather than positive force
• Mystical experience and the ascent of the soul

Plotinus's metaphysics presents a hierarchical cosmos: the One is absolute unity beyond all categories; Intellect is eternal thought thinking itself, containing the Platonic Forms; Soul mediates between eternal Intellect and temporal world, giving life and order to matter. The human soul participates in this cosmic structure—our higher soul remains in the intelligible realm while our lower soul engages with the body and material world. Through contemplation and virtue, we can ascend from sensory experience through discursive reasoning to intellectual intuition and finally to mystical union with the One.

What makes the Enneads essential is its synthesis of rigorous philosophy with mystical vision. Plotinus doesn't merely describe the One abstractly but speaks from direct experience of mystical union, which he reportedly achieved multiple times. His philosophy profoundly influenced Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, and Christian mysticism; Islamic philosophers like Al-Farabi and Avicenna; Jewish thinkers like Ibn Gabirol; and the entire Western contemplative tradition. His ideas on emanation, the ascent of the soul, and the ineffable One shaped how monotheistic religions understood God, creation, and mystical experience.

This definitive Lloyd P. Gerson translation presents the complete Enneads plus Porphyry's Life of Plotinus in one volume, with consistent vocabulary ideal for studying Plotinus's philosophical arguments. The second edition includes corrections and additional cross-references enriching understanding of Plotinus's complex presentation.

Perfect for: Students of ancient philosophy and Neoplatonism, readers interested in Platonic tradition and late antiquity, those studying the philosophical foundations of Christian, Islamic, and Jewish mysticism, students of metaphysics and philosophy of mind, readers exploring contemplative philosophy and mystical ascent, anyone interested in the relationship between philosophy and mystical experience, and scholars seeking the definitive English translation of this foundational text.

This hardcover edition presents the complete Enneads with Porphyry's Life of Plotinus—the definitive Gerson translation of Plotinus's masterwork that established Neoplatonism and shaped Western contemplative philosophy.