Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 4 / In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four Periods

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

42933

Title

Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 4 / In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four Periods

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This volume presents Plotinus's philosophical inquiries into the nature of happiness, reason, and the soul. Through rigorous analysis of ancient schools of thought, the text argues that true well-being stems from intelligence and union with the divine, offering a timeless exploration of ethics and metaphysics.

Summary up to 500 words

In this selection from Plotinus's *Complete Works*, the author rigorously investigates the nature of happiness, systematically refuting the notion that it is merely a state of sensation or pleasure. Plotinus argues that true happiness resides exclusively in the rational life and the possession of the Good. He posits that perfect life consists in intelligence, a state where the soul no longer desires anything external. The text distinguishes between imperfect, image-like lives and the genuine life of the intellect, which is self-sufficient and divine. Plotinus explores the hierarchy of existence, asserting that the Good is superior to intelligence itself. He examines whether happiness can be attributed to plants or animals, concluding that while they possess life, they lack the rational faculty necessary for true happiness. Even if happiness were defined as living conformably to nature, the highest form of this life requires reason. The author argues that happiness depends exclusively on interior characteristics rather than external fortune. The work culminates in the definition of happiness as the actualization of wisdom, a condition where the sage is united with the supreme principle. In this state of complete unity with the intelligible realm, the soul transcends bodily needs and external circumstances. Consequently, the sage achieves inner peace that remains undiminished by adversity. Plotinus concludes that while humans possess happiness potentially, actual happiness is achieved only when the soul identifies with the Good, rendering all external goods irrelevant to the sage's spiritual fulfillment.

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Categories

• Classics
• Philosophy