Neoplatonic Philosophy: Introductory Readings

by John M. Dillon (Translator), Lloyd P. Gerson (Translator)

The most comprehensive collection of Neoplatonic writings available in English, this volume provides translations of the central texts of four major figures of the Neoplatonic Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblichus, and Proclus. The general Introduction gives an overview of the period and takes a brief but revealing look at the history of ancient philosophy from the viewpoint of the Neoplatonists. Historical background--essential for understanding these powerful, difficult, and sometimes obscure thinkers--is provided in extensive footnotes, which also include cross-references to other works relevant to particular passages.

Genres: Philosophy, Esoterica, Classics, Religion

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

John Myles Dillon (/ˈdɪlən/; born 15 September 1939) is an Irish classicist and philosopher who was Regius Professor of Greek in Trinity College, Dublin between 1980 and 2006. Prior to that he taught at the University of California, Berkeley. He was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Athens on 15 June 2010. Dillon's area of research lies in the history of Platonism from the Old Academy to the Renaissance, and also Early Christianity.

Reviews

[Taylor Swift Scholar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very excited to read this but it turns out Neoplatonism is WORD SALAD.

[Matt Pitts]

I finished the selections from Plotinus (177 pages worth) and it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever read. Occasionally I found things I at least partially understood, and the portion on beauty was wonderful, but on the whole I consistently struggled to follow what he was saying and simply had to power through it.

[Fr. John Clark]

Good translations of some men just barely missing the truth and getting tangled up in knots in the meantime