Der Neuplatonismus der Spätantike

This chapter looks at the Neoplatonic reception of Plotinus’ philosophy. It focuses on five topics: the three hypostases, the analysis of the sensible world, matter and evil, intelligible matter and the soul. Although Plotinus’ doctrine of the three hypostases forms the basis of Neoplatonic metaphysics, post-Plotinian authors expanded the number of ontological levels by internally pluralizing Plotinus’ hypostases and adding further levels. Plotinus’ discussion of Aristotle’s categories influenced the Neoplatonic commentators’ categorial analysis of the sensible world. They carefully discuss, adopt or reject Plotinus’ criticism. An important bone of contention was Plotinus’ view that matter is evil. Post-Plotinian authors reject this assumption and develop an alternative theory of evil. Plotinus’ successors also criticize his account of intelligible matter, primarily for not capturing the nature of the noetic apeiron. Finally, most successors object to Plotinus’ doctrine of the undescended soul, mainly fearing that it would jeopardize the difference between the noetic realm and the soul.