Plotin

Plotin, also known as Plotinus in English, was a Greek-speaking philosopher of the Roman Empire and the founder of Neoplatonism. Writing in the 3rd century CE, his thought became a foundational influence on late antique philosophy and on later Christian, Jewish, and Islamic intellectual traditions.

Life and work: Plotin is traditionally dated to be born around 204–205 CE in Lycopolis, Egypt. He studied philosophy in Alexandria under a teacher named Amelius and later moved to Rome, where he taught until his death in 270 CE. His lectures were transcribed by his student Porphyry, who later organized them into the Enneads, a six-tier collection that preserves Plotinus’s views.

Philosophical framework: The core of Plotinus’s philosophy is a hierarchical metaphysical structure of three hypostases: the One (the Good), the Intellect (Nous), and the World Soul. The One is the ultimate principle, beyond being and description; from it emanates the Nous, the realm of universal truths and intelligible forms; from the Nous emanates the World Soul, which animates the cosmos and individual souls. The goal of philosophy is to return to the One through contemplative ascent and virtuous living. Evil is explained as a privation or departure from the good rather than a positive force. While Plotinus emphasized philosophical purification, later Neoplatonists expanded the role of ritual and theurgy within the same metaphysical framework.

Influence and legacy: Plotin’s Enneads shaped later Neoplatonism and influenced medieval Christian thought (notably Augustine), as well as Islamic philosophy and early modern scholasticism. The term Neoplatonism describes the school founded on his ideas, which continued to be a major reference point for metaphysical and mystical philosophy for centuries.