My primary interest in reading the Enneads was finding the foundation for neo-platonic theurgy, therefore a practical interest in post—Plotinian thought in ceremonial Theion Ergon seduced me to read the foundational philosophy. For how, after all should I understand a system without grasping its roots? Although the system stemming from the Chaldean Oracles is somewhat different from neo-platonic philosophy, it has its motherly embrace there. Here, in the Enneads there is a major-work of a religion (religere - to delimit, after Macrobius) that has simple tenets at its structural approach and an in-depth elucidation for many cases that may trouble the neoplatonic follower. The hypothesis are well-weighted and they are balanced in a clear way, attempting to arrive at faith by reason, not by blind faith. There is not one area of life that may not be read through the lenses of the Enneads, yet the system remains open and compatible with scientific undertakings. Farah Godredj enumerated “three hermeneutic moments” when encountering literature: “Understanding, representation and relational relevance”, in relation to Plotinus, the first is understanding or incorporation that is existential hermeneutics, internalizing the text, giving it a broad setting in the topos, the second is attempting not to “totalitarize” the text keeping relativity in mind, and a multi-faceted approach to the narrative, the last one in short is an approach in building a philosophical ontology of the whole metaphysics, a certain angle of reading. I may add my own: “Explicit act”, that is practiced aretology, practicing beauty and awe, practicing the deification - which is the golden way to theurgy. Exchanging perspective, I put full thrust into the belief-mechanisms of the text and without stripping if of deep metaphysics I fully arrived at understanding a separate, whole, and intricate system of self-referential open ground for interpreting the Divine into it, often-wise I engage the text that produced interesting comparative grounds with my discoveries in theurgy, astrology, other religious systems, sometimes I ignored the more technical parts of it (I read them, but they didn’t appeal to me). Now, I haven’t fully grasped it with a major masterly mind that could recite the dynamics of the system in a flash, that requires years of practice and studies, and I never will, as I would have to be Plotinus and move “with his mind”, but by conversing with his mind via the text I may fully agree that the theology and interpretation that he created via clustered “generalizations” into the particular is beautiful, “arete-ical”, and provides ground for training beautiful men and women, in the ensouled, teological (goal oriented) manner. What gives good fruit in effects is a worthy enterprise.
( )

What a chore. Wait until the NeoPlatonists learn about evolution though. ( )

My primary interest in reading the Enneads was finding the foundation for neo-platonic theurgy, therefore a practical interest in post—Plotinian thought in ceremonial Theion Ergon seduced me to read the foundational philosophy. For how, after all should I understand a system without grasping its roots? Although the system stemming from the Chaldean Oracles is somewhat different from neo-platonic philosophy, it has its motherly embrace there. Here, in the Enneads there is a major-work of a religion (religere - to delimit, after Macrobius) that has simple tenets at its structural approach and an in-depth elucidation for many cases that may trouble the neoplatonic follower. The hypothesis are well-weighted and they are balanced in a clear way, attempting to arrive at faith by reason, not by blind faith. There is not one area of life that may not be read through the lenses of the Enneads, yet the system remains open and compatible with scientific undertakings. Farah Godredj enumerated “three hermeneutic moments” when encountering literature: “Understanding, representation and relational relevance”, in relation to Plotinus, the first is understanding or incorporation that is existential hermeneutics, internalizing the text, giving it a broad setting in the topos, the second is attempting not to “totalitarize” the text keeping relativity in mind, and a multi-faceted approach to the narrative, the last one in short is an approach in building a philosophical ontology of the whole metaphysics, a certain angle of reading. I may add my own: “Explicit act”, that is practiced aretology, practicing beauty and awe, practicing the deification - which is the golden way to theurgy. Exchanging perspective, I put full thrust into the belief-mechanisms of the text and without stripping if of deep metaphysics I fully arrived at understanding a separate, whole, and intricate system of self-referential open ground for interpreting the Divine into it, often-wise I engage the text that produced interesting comparative grounds with my discoveries in theurgy, astrology, other religious systems, sometimes I ignored the more technical parts of it (I read them, but they didn’t appeal to me). Now, I haven’t fully grasped it with a major masterly mind that could recite the dynamics of the system in a flash, that requires years of practice and studies, and I never will, as I would have to be Plotinus and move “with his mind”, but by conversing with his mind via the text I may fully agree that the theology and interpretation that he created via clustered “generalizations” into the particular is beautiful, “arete-ical”, and provides ground for training beautiful men and women, in the ensouled, teological (goal oriented) manner. What gives good fruit in effects is a worthy enterprise.
( )

An important read. Western Christendom was deeply affected by this book. I read it over a period of two months, while commuting for two hours a day. It is a stimulating read. Students of Medieval theology should read it in order to understand later developments. ( )

While exhibiting depth and some implication, the work is still best classified, in my opinion, as Platonic fluff. It falls into the class of philosophy starting with huge leaps about mystical concepts, followed by giant defining assumptions. It is beautiful, sensuous writing but to no worthy end. In "Descent" we are shown the possible alternatives to explain the free, lasting soul, descending into the limited, terminal body. My critique is best summarized by the introduction's point of highlighting an "unusually positive view of Matter." In "On the Good, the One," Plotinus combines Aristotelian unity with Platonic metaphysics. We are shown that unity is good because it neither seeks nor needs to be anything else. He also references Aristotle positively for considering every possible state but then not for considering probability. ( )