Plotinus Ennead IV.3-4.29: Problems Concerning the Soul - The Enneads of Plotinus

Marc Notes: Translated from the Ancient Greek.; Includes bibliographical references and index.; For Plotinus, the nature and status of the human soul is one of the central problems of philosophy. Ennead IV.3-4.29 constitutes his most penetrating enquiry into this topic, addressing the issues of the relation of the individual soul to the World Soul, the descent of the soul into body, its relations with that body, problems of personal identity and the nature of memory, sense perception, and the true seat of the emotions many of which still have a resonance today. Biographical Note: John M. Dillon is Emeritus Fellow and former Regius Professor of Greek at Trinity College Dublin as well as founder and Director Emeritus of the Centre for the Study of the Platonic Tradition in Trinity College. He is the author of many books on the history of the Platonic tradition, including "The Middle Platonists; Alcinous, The Handbook of Platonism; Iamblichus, De Anima; The Heirs of Plato: A Study of the Old Academy, " "347--274 BC"; and editor of three collections of essays on Platonism and Christianity and on the platonic heritage. In 2004 he was awarded the Academy Gold Medal in the Humanities by the Royal Irish Academy, and in 2010 he was elected a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens. Henry J. Blumenthal was a leading British scholar in the area of Neoplatonism. From 1965 until his untimely death in 1998 he worked at the department of Classics and Archeology, University of Liverpool, starting out as lecturer in Greek, gaining full Professorship, and eventually becoming Head and then Chair of the department. He is the author of "Plotinus' Psychology: His Doctrines of the Embodied Soul, and Aristotle and Neoplatonism in Late Antiquity." Many of his articles, spaning over a quarter of a century, were gathered and published in the collection "Soul and Intellect."Jacket Description/Back: "Taking up the initial version of a work begun by one of the best connoisseurs of Plotinus in the English language, Henry Blumenthal, who died tragically in 1998, John Dillon, whose competence concerning the Platonic tradition is acknowledged by all, proposes this annotated translation of "Ennead" IV.3-IV.29. [It] contains, in elegant English illuminated by numerous notes, a mine of information on the productive and providential functions of the world soul according to Plotinus, and on the peregrinations and functions of the human soul." --Luc Brisson, Director of Research, Jean PEpin Centre, CNRS (France) "This is a volume to treasure, by two of the most authoritative contemporary voices on Neoplatonism. The translation succeeds in being both fluent and accurate while the commentary is exceptionally helpful in guiding the reader through the intricacies and obscurities of Plotinus' philosophy of the Soul."--Suzanne Stern-Gillet, Professor of Ancient Philosophy, University of Bolton "We could have no better guide to the thought of this complex but crucially important treatise in Plotinus' OEuvre than John Dillon, who is able to build on the legacy of the late Henry Blumenthal." --David T. Runia, Professorial Fellow, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne "Dillon and Blumenthal offer us an authoritative new translation of one of Plotinus' most intricate and insightful writings on psychology. Their commentary guides us effectively through the maze of the author's complex argumentation, which concerns the nature of the soul, its relation to the body, its inner life and its passions." --Paul Kalligas, Assistant Professor of Ancient Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens "Dillon and Blumenthal have produced a much needed, up-to-date translation of Plotinus' writings on soul, and an incisive commentary that portrays the aporetic approach to Plotinus' investigation as well as the ingenuity of his reasoning. For students and scholars alike, this commentary will likely become an essential accompaniment to Blumenthal's "Plotinus' Psychology: His Doctrines of the Embodied Soul.""--Danny MuNoz-Hutchinson, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, St. Olaf College Contributor Bio:  Dillon, John M John M. Dillon is Regius Professor of Greek at Trinity College Dublin, and director of the Centre for the Study of the Platonic Tradition.