Plotinus in dialogue with the Gnostics

Plotinus in dialogue with the Gnostics

Plotinus. Enneads
Gnosticism

The point of view put forth in the following pages differs greatly from the common perspective according to which the treatises 30 to 33 constitute a single work, a Großschrift , and this single work, Plotinus’ essential response to the Gnostics. Our perspective is that of an ongoing discussions with his “Gnostic”—yet Platonizing—friends, which started early in his writings (at least treatise 6), developed into what we could call a Großzyklus (treatises 27 to 39), and went on in later treatises as well (e. g. 47-48, 51). The prospect of an ongoing discussion with the Gnostics bears an additional virtue, that of allowing for a truly dynamic understanding of the Plotinian corpus.

Jean-Marc Narbonne

Leiden ; Boston : Brill

2011

Series: Studies in Platonism, Neoplatonism, and the Platonic Tradition 11.

Book