Worthy of study? Who know what? And why were the ancients so much smarter than we modern apes? They didn't have the tools to know science, but really how much sense do Lacan or Baudrillard make compared to the philosophers of late antiquity?
Where to start? Enneads?
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It's definitely inspiring, thought-provoking stuff. Enneads, sure. With a good introduction.
You should have a strong grasp on the dialogues of Plato before tackling Neoplatonism, as the latter is entirely dependent on the groundwork laid by the former. The Enneads in particular assumes a strong familiarity with Plato, as they were originally the personal scribblings of Plotinus later compiled and arranged systematically by his student Porphyry.
This is a post I've saved from a month ago. I hope it helps.
Thinking about this a bit more, how accurate would the following statement be:
Neoplatonism was adopted by mystics of all stripes and misunderstood unto inhuman doctrine. What was a proto-Hegelian system of understanding human experience became enmeshed with ethnic myth and forgotten, traded for secterianism. Wouldn't this fact necessarily prune later theologians: Augustine, Anselm, et al from serious study? And subsequently isn't our modern, faith-obligated understanding of Abrahamic religions a throwback to the Middle Ages? Is neoplatonism the perennial philosophy? Is there something it can teach us in the coming decades?
I'm triggered anons.
>Wouldn't this fact necessarily prune later theologians: Augustine, Anselm, et al from serious study?
No. Christian Neoplatonism flourished greatly during the Medieval Ages and the Renaissance with much originality and merit. Nicholas of Cusa and the Florentine Academy in particular comes to mind.
>And subsequently isn't our modern, faith-obligated understanding of Abrahamic religions a throwback to the Middle Ages?
Chrstianity is a scriptural tradition with great nuances in philosophy and theology. Faith is an important element, but far from the only one, let alone as being so important to overshadow everything else. The Middle Ages were only considered "dark" due to Enlightenment polemics against Christianity.
>Is neoplatonism the perennial philosophy?
No. Neoplatonism is a conglomation of Mediterrenean and Near Eastern mystery traditions, systematically developed and expounded in a rational fashion suited for the Greek intellectual milleu – it is a very particular branch of mysticism that deals with topics that are universal amongst soteriological traditions, but which nevertheless has it's own distinct flavor of philosophy and emphasis on praxis, not to mention the unique exegesis of Homeric, Orphic and Chaldean theology.
Perennialists are skilled at finding similarities and parallels between traditions, but fails horribly to see the structure of the bigger picture and understand each tradition on it's own merit.
A more than fair analysis, especially your last sentence. In my defense I am on my seventh shot of tequila and PBR.
>Nicholas of Cusa was noted for his deeply mystical writings about Christianity, particularly on the possibility of knowing God with the divine human mind — not possible through mere human means — via "learned ignorance".
tfw prince myshkin was a holy fool
This man understands the mysteries.
whodat
bump
neoplatonism dope af, bumping w/interest
no capitalism there
just the good, the beautiful and the true
fact is i wonder sometimes if the reason why we avoid talking about it is because we are horrified that the cynicism/despair goggles no longer work
emanations wreck our whole shit
by our i mean me
& by me i mean no one
>he said, pointlessly
neoplatonism is super-interesting
>esp in how you might think about reconfiguring your transcendental priorities for mad facebook gains & to be a true delight to those waiting in behind you in the line at starbucks
personally i think metaphysics (the true) > aesthetics (the beautiful) > politics (the good). but tastes vary and all roads lead back to the One i think
plotinus is cool
are you the dude who used to randomly post here with chloe moretz pics?
you post like he does
i'm something approximating a girardfag, a being stuck in a permanent identity crisis and attempting to memeing himself via Veeky Forums into some kind of internal coherency
i've yet to post a chloe moretz tho
my ideal woman would probably look like judge holden in drag combined with the facial tics and mannerisms of slavoj zizek
i doubt it. he's just being a bit absurd, frowning at an ego that doesn't exist. he's right about neoplatonism being interesting, but i'm not versed enough to discuss it.
Uzdavinys
don't you ever get tired of being such an attention whore?
everything about the way you talk, how you present your thought process, it all looks like an edgy teenager trying to impress someone, which is perfectly fine if you are one but if you aren't it's just embarassing
rude
>don't you ever get tired of being such an attention whore?
mainly only when i'm described as an attention whore
less so when i am not
funny how memes work
>have i become an attention whore?
>because if that js so, it is time to stop.
>everything about the way you talk, how you present your thought process, it all looks like an edgy teenager trying to impress someone, which is perfectly fine if you are one but if you aren't it's just embarrassing
not trying to impress anyone i assure you, this is literally the way i sound IRL.
but maybe you're right and it's time for a break.
maybe it is time for a Veeky Forums fast for a while
enjoy the silence, then
>and i genuinely do mean this, it's not a lacanian joke
girardfag out
I remember reading emperor Julian's stuff when I had to study for a late antiquity exam. Found that very interesting.
Can anyone recommend me some essential works to read, so I can get into this?
>fact is i wonder sometimes if the reason why we avoid talking about it is because we are horrified that the cynicism/despair goggles no longer work
yeh, i suspect this is the case. if an active evil agency does not exist, and evil is merely the absence of good, what is there for us to do but work towards the good? that's difficult! philosophers just wanna sit and think maaaaaaaan.
Platonic Theology
Agreed. Plato ended philosophy (or Socrates mayne).
Holy shit.
"Plato and Aristotle live in adjoining towns in the same country. We live in a different country. A brave new world.
For us an idea is only an opinion, and a form is only a shape, and an end is only a personal motive, and a substance is only a chemical, and happiness is only a feeling. Virtue is only prudery, justice only legality. Souls are religious myths and judgments that claim truth are judgmentalism and intolerance. We live indeed in a different world."
>a single good that isn't class dependent
>no capitalism here
Fuck. How do I get out of this? This shit is so accurate. I don't want it anymore.
Platonism is horsepiss. Avoid it, you tool.
>science
Platonists still believe in this joke?
>good
>beautiful
>true
None of these things are existent. Stop jerking yourself off you stinky Platonist.