Eyjolfur Emilsson :Plotinus and Plato on Soul and Action October 27, 2011

NSSR Philosophy Thursday Night Workshop: Eyjolfur Emilsson :Plotinus and Plato on Soul and Action

Thursday, October 27, 2011 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

In the treatise ”On free will and the will of the One” (VI.8.[39]) chapter 6, Plotinus says in connection with human self-determination:so that also in practical actions self-determination and being in our power is not referred to practice and outward activity but to the inner activity of virtue itself, that is, its thought and contemplation.In this paper I wish to comment on this remark. Despite its brevity this passage is indeed quite revealing about more than one aspect of Plotinus’ thought. Firstly, it shows something about the application of Plotinus’ so-called doctrine of double activity, whichdistinguishes between an inner and an outer activity. We see here that this doctrine is not only applied to "metaphysical generation", isalso applied in the context of the soul, virtue, and action. This is in itself quite interesting and significant. Secondly, our short passage shows us something remarkable about how Plotinus reads Plato, in this case in particular how he reads Republic IV, 443c-d. He takes a Platonic remark that has to do with the relationship between the soul, virtue, and action, and puts it into a new context, fairly remote from Plato’s original concerns. Nevertheless, there lies a plausible understanding of Plato behind Plotinus’ application of the Platonic phrase.I shall proceed as follows: First I present some context for the quotation above. Then I discuss the Platonic origin of the quotation and in the third I give an account of Plotinus’ doctrine of inner and outer activity with a special focus on this doctrine’s -by Plotinus’ lights -- Platonic origins; this will reveal some interesting points about Plotinus’ interpretation of Plato’s views on the soul quite generally. In the fourth, last, and longest section I shall consider whether the understanding of Plato on the relationship between soul and action revealed by this and other Plotinian passages is at all plausible as an interpretation of Plato’s account of the relationship between the soul and action in the Republic.

Location:

6 E 16 St Room D 1103

Admission:
Free; no tickets or reservations required; seating is first-come first-served

Official Website: http://www.newschool.edu/NSSR/eventsList.aspx?id=69885&DeptFilter=NSSR+Philosophy