Die Alte Akademie

This chapter traces the influence of the Old Academy on Plotinus’ philosophy. By ‘Old Academy’, it refers to those philosophers (with the exception of Plato and Aristotle) who were active in Platoʼs school until its sceptical turn under the scholarchy of Arcesilaus. Among them, two stand out as of major importance for the subsequent history of ancient philosophy, Speusippus and Xenocrates. Though there is no explicit reference to them in Plotinus’ Enneads, they are credited by some modern scholars with originating metaphysical ideas which shaped ancient Platonism in general and Plotinusʼ thought in particular. Having outlined Speusippusʼ and Xenocrates’ metaphysical views on the basis of the oldest source, Aristotle, the chapter assesses the influence they may have had on Plotinus’ views, also taking into account later testimonies which have been quoted as evidence for a high level of influence.