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An Essay on the Beautiful
An Essay on the Beautiful
42 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1955
36 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Plotinus
393 books318 followersEgyptian-born Roman philosopher Plotinus and his successors in the 3rd century at Alexandria founded and developed Neoplatonism, a philosophical system, which, based on Platonism with elements of mysticism and some Judaic and Christian concepts, posits a single source from which all existence emanates and with which one mystically can unite an individual soul;
The Enneads
collects his writings.
Saint Thomas Aquinas combined elements of this system and other philosophy within a context of Christian thought.
People widely consider this major of the ancient world alongside Ammonius Saccas, his teacher.
He influenced in late antiquity. Much of our biographical information about Plotinus comes from preface of Porphyry to his edition. His metaphysical writings inspired centuries of pagan, Islamic, and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plotinus
Saint Thomas Aquinas combined elements of this system and other philosophy within a context of Christian thought.
People widely consider this major of the ancient world alongside Ammonius Saccas, his teacher.
He influenced in late antiquity. Much of our biographical information about Plotinus comes from preface of Porphyry to his edition. His metaphysical writings inspired centuries of pagan, Islamic, and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plotinus
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 14, 2024
"If you become thus purified residing in yourself, and having nothing any longer to impede this unity of mind, and no farther mixture to be found within, but perceiving your whole self to be a true light, and light alone; a light which though immense is not measured by any magnitude, nor limited by any circumscribing figure, but is everywhere immeasurable, as being greater than every measure, and more excellent than every quantity; if, perceiving yourself thus improved, and trusting solely to yourself, as no longer requiring a guide, fix now steadfastly your mental view, for with the intellectual eye alone can such immense beauty be perceived."
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March 22, 2015Poor Introduction but a Good Example of Neoplatonic Philosophy
Plotinus was a 3rd Century c.e. philosopher whose work was an attempt at bringing new life to the ideas of Plato. He would later be described as an early founder of the Neoplatonist philosophic movement. This is a later category used by 19th century historians, but he himself would have only identified himself as a Platonist philosopher an nothing more.
Thus the ideas found within, An Essay on the Beautiful is very much in line with the idea of finding beauty by looking for it's purest essence. This idea was derived from Plato's theory of forms. The most prominent idea put emphasized by Plotinus is that in order to understand beauty you need to search for it's underlying form or essence. He also identifies "pure" beauty with the "pure" good and to understand it you need to be a good or virtuous person otherwise your judgement is not clear and you will not be able to discern what is truly beautiful, because you are not truly good.
The ideas are strait forward and you can see certain "Neoplatonic" ideas showing up in early Christian theology with Saint Augustine being a prime example.
The text was clearly translated, but often times uses an incredibly complex words where much simpler ones would work.
The only downside of this version is the lengthy introduction that tells us absolutely nothing about what's in the text or anything about Plotinus. It is just a bunch of flowery words praising the ideas within without telling you anything about them or the person who wrote it.
This book is not for everyone. It would enjoyed most by students of philosophy, history, or ancient religion. Otherwise if you want to read it go knock yourself out because though it's philosophic in nature, it is short and the ideas are strait forward.
Plotinus was a 3rd Century c.e. philosopher whose work was an attempt at bringing new life to the ideas of Plato. He would later be described as an early founder of the Neoplatonist philosophic movement. This is a later category used by 19th century historians, but he himself would have only identified himself as a Platonist philosopher an nothing more.
Thus the ideas found within, An Essay on the Beautiful is very much in line with the idea of finding beauty by looking for it's purest essence. This idea was derived from Plato's theory of forms. The most prominent idea put emphasized by Plotinus is that in order to understand beauty you need to search for it's underlying form or essence. He also identifies "pure" beauty with the "pure" good and to understand it you need to be a good or virtuous person otherwise your judgement is not clear and you will not be able to discern what is truly beautiful, because you are not truly good.
The ideas are strait forward and you can see certain "Neoplatonic" ideas showing up in early Christian theology with Saint Augustine being a prime example.
The text was clearly translated, but often times uses an incredibly complex words where much simpler ones would work.
The only downside of this version is the lengthy introduction that tells us absolutely nothing about what's in the text or anything about Plotinus. It is just a bunch of flowery words praising the ideas within without telling you anything about them or the person who wrote it.
This book is not for everyone. It would enjoyed most by students of philosophy, history, or ancient religion. Otherwise if you want to read it go knock yourself out because though it's philosophic in nature, it is short and the ideas are strait forward.
December 25, 2021
Nope. Plotinus is not for me. I got his complete works in a 99 cent Kindle edition, but I think that I will probably stop with this one. Given how smart Plato was, it is surprising to me how dumb the Neoplatonists are. Plotinus gets too caught up in the idea of the Forms. He starts with some good ideas, first suggesting that beauty is to be found in a pleasing composition of elements. Along the same lines others have suggested that the essence of beauty is symmetry, and I think that there is some truth in that, perhaps in part for reasons that can be found in evolutionary biology, but Plotinus points out that we also find beauty in unity - a sheet of pure polished gold or a cloudless blue sky. His answer is to find beauty in the Forms. By definition the Forms are perfect, and in their perfection, the Forms are beautiful. But I found his reasoning tautological since his definition of the Forms is the stripping away of all elements that are not beautiful until only the beautiful remains. And if there is a Form for everything, how about the Form of Ugliness? Or the Form of Evil? I acknowledge that it it took 1800 years after Plotinus for Bertrand Russell to articulate the paradox of the barber who shaves all men who do not shave themselves, but you don't need to be Mr. Russell or have the benefit of all of the developments of philosophy between Plotinus and Mr. Russell to see the flaw in this one. And then Plotinus goes on to equate the Beautiful and the Good. I don't think so. For starters, I don't think think that Eve would have bitten into the apple if she had not found it to be beautiful. History and literature are filled with stories of stunningly beautiful women and handsome men who were not good. But the error here is even more obvious when you can consider some very ugly things that can be good by almost anyone's definition. Is the mold that is used to make penicillin beautiful? You can get around this problem by coming up with specialized definitions of goodness and beauty by pruning off things where the two terms as commonly used don't coincide, but that wouldn't be honest philosophical argument.
May 26, 2024
This was an interesting work by first century Neoplatonist, Plotinus. Briefly, he analysed the concept of beauty and distinguished between corporeal beauty and incorporeal beauty in the soul (in particular the virtues). For him, although Beauty is one with the Good, the Good can still be thought of as the source of Beauty which flows outward from it. His most fascinating incites surround his method for seeing the highest form of beauty above the senses. One must cut oneself off from the world of sense which perceives corporeal beauty and begin to look within at the soul with the inner eye (the eyes of faith, might I add?) through contemplation. “For, it is here necessary that the perceiver and the thing perceived should be similar to each other before true vision can exist.” This is passage is important to his understanding of deification and conforming oneself to the Divine. “Everyone therefore must become divine, and of godlike beauty, before he can gaze upon a god and the beautiful itself. Thus proceeding in the right way of beauty he will first ascend into the region of intellect, contemplating every fair species”. Ultimately, it is a useful resource to better understand the Platonic understanding of Beauty, the Good, and contemplation.
February 13, 2025
“If it be said because of the inherent concord, we reply that there is a certain concord and consent in evil souls, a conformity of sentiment, in believing (as it is said) that temperance is folly and justice generous ignorance. It appears, therefore, that the beauty of the soul is every virtue, and this species of the beautiful possesses far greater reality than any of the superior we have mentioned.”
—
“What is the beauty of bodies? It is something which at first view presents itself to sense, and which the soul familiarly apprehends and eagerly embraces, as if it were allied to itself. But when it meets with the deformed, it hastily starts from the view and retires abhorrent from its discordant nature. For since the soul in its proper state ranks according to the most excellent essence in the order of things, when it perceives any object related to itself, or the mere vestige of a relation, it congratulates itself on the pleasing event, and astonished with the striking resemblance enters deep into its essence, and, by rousing its dormant powers, at length perfectly recollects its kindred and allies.”
—
“How can that which is inherent in body, accord with that which is above body? Let us reply by asking how the architect pronounces the building beautiful by accommodating the external structure to the fabric of his soul? Perhaps, because the outward building, when entirely deprived of the stones, is no other than the intrinsic form, divided by the external mass of matter, but indivisibly existing, though appearing in the many”
—
“When sense beholds the form in bodies, at strife with matter, binding and vanquishing its contrary nature, and sees form gracefully shining forth in other forms, it collects together the scattered whole, and introduces it to itself, and to the indivisible form within; and renders it consonant, congruous and friendly to its own intimate form.”
—
“The simple beauty of color arises, when light, which is something incorporeal, and reason and form entering the obscure involutions of matter, irradiates and forms its dark and formless nature. It is on this account that fire surpasses other bodies in beauty, because, compared with the other elements, it obtains the order of form; for it is more eminent than the rest, and is the most subtle of all, bordering, as it were, on an incorporeal nature. And too, that though impervious itself it is intimately received by others, for it imparts heat, but admits no cold. Hence it is the first nature which is ornamented with color, and is the source of it to others; and on this account it beams forth exalted like some immaterial form.”
—
“Without some previous perception of beauty it is impossible to express by words the beauties of sense, but we must remain in the state of the blind, so neither can we ever speak of the beauty of offices and sciences, and whatever is allied to these, if deprived of their intimate possession. Thus we shall never be able to tell of virtue's brightness, unless by looking inward we perceive the fair countenance of justice and temperance, and are convinced that neither the evening nor morning star are half so beautiful and bright.”
—
“Hence, becoming impure, and being on all sides snatched in the unceasing whirl of sensible forms, it is covered with corporeal stains, and wholly given to matter, contracts deeply its nature, loses all its original splendor, and almost changes its own species into that of another; just as the pristine beauty of the most lovely form would be destroyed by its total immersion in mire and clay.”
—
“The soul, thus defined, becomes form and reason, is altogether incorporeal and intellectual, and wholly participates of that divine nature, which is the fountain of loveliness, and of whatever is allied to the beautiful and fair. Hence the soul reduced to intellect becomes astonishingly beautiful.”
—
“Bodies themselves participate of beauty from the soul, which, as something divine, and a portion of the beautiful itself, renders whatever it supervenes and subdues, beautiful as far as its natural capacity will admit.”
—
“Since the object of contest to souls is the highest beauty, we should strive for its acquisition with unabated ardor, lest we should be deserted of that blissful contemplation, which, whoever pursues in the right way, becomes blessed from the happy vision; and which he who does not obtain is unavoidably unhappy. For the miserable man is not he who neglects to pursue fair colors, and beautiful corporeal forms; who is deprived of power, and falls from dominion and empire but he alone who is destitute of this divine possession, for which the ample dominion of the earth and sea and the still more extended empire of the heavens, must be relinquished and forgot, if, despising and leaving these far behind, we ever intend to arrive at substantial felicity, by beholding the beautiful itself.”
—
“You will ask, after what manner is this beauty of a worthy soul to be perceived? It its thus. Recall your thoughts inward, and if while contemplating yourself, you do not perceive yourself beautiful, imitate the statuary; who when he desires a beautiful statue cuts away what is superfluous, smooths and polishes what is rough, and never desists until he has given it all the beauty his art is able to effect. In this manner must you proceed, by lopping what is luxuriant, directing what is oblique, and, by purgation, illustrating what is obscure, and thus continue to polish and beautify your statue until the divine splendor of Virtue shines upon you, and Temperance seated in pure and holy I majesty rises to your view.”
—
“What is the beauty of bodies? It is something which at first view presents itself to sense, and which the soul familiarly apprehends and eagerly embraces, as if it were allied to itself. But when it meets with the deformed, it hastily starts from the view and retires abhorrent from its discordant nature. For since the soul in its proper state ranks according to the most excellent essence in the order of things, when it perceives any object related to itself, or the mere vestige of a relation, it congratulates itself on the pleasing event, and astonished with the striking resemblance enters deep into its essence, and, by rousing its dormant powers, at length perfectly recollects its kindred and allies.”
—
“How can that which is inherent in body, accord with that which is above body? Let us reply by asking how the architect pronounces the building beautiful by accommodating the external structure to the fabric of his soul? Perhaps, because the outward building, when entirely deprived of the stones, is no other than the intrinsic form, divided by the external mass of matter, but indivisibly existing, though appearing in the many”
—
“When sense beholds the form in bodies, at strife with matter, binding and vanquishing its contrary nature, and sees form gracefully shining forth in other forms, it collects together the scattered whole, and introduces it to itself, and to the indivisible form within; and renders it consonant, congruous and friendly to its own intimate form.”
—
“The simple beauty of color arises, when light, which is something incorporeal, and reason and form entering the obscure involutions of matter, irradiates and forms its dark and formless nature. It is on this account that fire surpasses other bodies in beauty, because, compared with the other elements, it obtains the order of form; for it is more eminent than the rest, and is the most subtle of all, bordering, as it were, on an incorporeal nature. And too, that though impervious itself it is intimately received by others, for it imparts heat, but admits no cold. Hence it is the first nature which is ornamented with color, and is the source of it to others; and on this account it beams forth exalted like some immaterial form.”
—
“Without some previous perception of beauty it is impossible to express by words the beauties of sense, but we must remain in the state of the blind, so neither can we ever speak of the beauty of offices and sciences, and whatever is allied to these, if deprived of their intimate possession. Thus we shall never be able to tell of virtue's brightness, unless by looking inward we perceive the fair countenance of justice and temperance, and are convinced that neither the evening nor morning star are half so beautiful and bright.”
—
“Hence, becoming impure, and being on all sides snatched in the unceasing whirl of sensible forms, it is covered with corporeal stains, and wholly given to matter, contracts deeply its nature, loses all its original splendor, and almost changes its own species into that of another; just as the pristine beauty of the most lovely form would be destroyed by its total immersion in mire and clay.”
—
“The soul, thus defined, becomes form and reason, is altogether incorporeal and intellectual, and wholly participates of that divine nature, which is the fountain of loveliness, and of whatever is allied to the beautiful and fair. Hence the soul reduced to intellect becomes astonishingly beautiful.”
—
“Bodies themselves participate of beauty from the soul, which, as something divine, and a portion of the beautiful itself, renders whatever it supervenes and subdues, beautiful as far as its natural capacity will admit.”
—
“Since the object of contest to souls is the highest beauty, we should strive for its acquisition with unabated ardor, lest we should be deserted of that blissful contemplation, which, whoever pursues in the right way, becomes blessed from the happy vision; and which he who does not obtain is unavoidably unhappy. For the miserable man is not he who neglects to pursue fair colors, and beautiful corporeal forms; who is deprived of power, and falls from dominion and empire but he alone who is destitute of this divine possession, for which the ample dominion of the earth and sea and the still more extended empire of the heavens, must be relinquished and forgot, if, despising and leaving these far behind, we ever intend to arrive at substantial felicity, by beholding the beautiful itself.”
—
“You will ask, after what manner is this beauty of a worthy soul to be perceived? It its thus. Recall your thoughts inward, and if while contemplating yourself, you do not perceive yourself beautiful, imitate the statuary; who when he desires a beautiful statue cuts away what is superfluous, smooths and polishes what is rough, and never desists until he has given it all the beauty his art is able to effect. In this manner must you proceed, by lopping what is luxuriant, directing what is oblique, and, by purgation, illustrating what is obscure, and thus continue to polish and beautify your statue until the divine splendor of Virtue shines upon you, and Temperance seated in pure and holy I majesty rises to your view.”
April 17, 2009
It would be wrong to claim this is an easy read. It is not - and for a good reason. Plotinus, in a few brief pages, takes the enquiring soul on a journey from sensible beauty (the world around us with its exquisite flowers and forms) to the world of Intelligible Beauty, that is entirely outside time and space. The exposition is masterly and gives an insight into the mind of one of the greatest thinkers of the last few millennia.
December 28, 2019
This essay changed my life. The writings on "the one" as well.
November 16, 2021
This is a very basic access to Plotinus’ text. Around half the book is taken up with introduction and notes, which are of limited value. The translation is relatively clear, albeit dated, as it is more than a hundred years old.
Plotinus was a third century Neo-Platonist. He is an important philosopher in his own right, but he is particularly important to historians of Christianity, as his views influenced Eastern and Western Christian thinkers.
This particular treatise gives his views on beauty. Modern philosophers will find his assumptions draw-dropping, but we have to remember that Plotinus’ philosophy is mystic. It is based upon his direct apprehension of ultimate reality by the ‘inner eye’ (68%). And so he invites his readers to judge him: as ‘anyone acquainted with the supreme beauty can see for themselves’ about what he is saying (58%).
This approach can lead to ‘emperors new clothes’ outcomes, so that the educated were slow to challenge Plotinus. But there was also an undeniable attractiveness to his thesis.
Essentially he argued that the ultimate goodness (God) is an ultimate beauty. People’s souls are ugly and deformed to the extent that they deviate from goodness and beauty, by failing to acquire virtue and moral goodness (39%).
Human life is a chipping away at the soul to shape it by virtue so that it becomes more beautiful and good-like (72%). In so far as the good is God, then this is the mystical idea of theosis, holiness as becoming God-like
Less helpful is Plotinus’ dualistic ambivalence towards matter. In his milieu this was to contribute towards Manichaeanism and its effective war upon physicality. In its lesser form here in Plotinus, he is following Platonic influences in flagging up that material bodies and bodily passions deform the soul (or mind). This means that one of the purposes of life is for the soul to seek to be purified from its earthly attachments (50%), which it does by practising virtue. The physical body can acquire a degree of beauty, being effectively redeemed, but only to the extent that it is subdued by the soul (57%)
Although the text is relatively clear, there is an oddly critical tone in places. The translator complains that he is not going to go out of his way to ‘accommodate sublime truths to the meanest of understandings' of his readers as that would be a contemptible prostitution of ideas (77%). In a final blast he warns the reader that if you think Plotinus’ ideas are weak or erroneous, then that just shows that you yourself are an object of pity and contempt (86%).
Whether this style of writing, criticising the reader, was ever an appropriate style; it certainly doesn’t work well in modern books. I think this book would have worked a lot better if its introduction and notes had been removed. Even better would have been an new introduction which explained Plotinus and notes which linked this text to his other writings, and those who used them after him.
Plotinus was a third century Neo-Platonist. He is an important philosopher in his own right, but he is particularly important to historians of Christianity, as his views influenced Eastern and Western Christian thinkers.
This particular treatise gives his views on beauty. Modern philosophers will find his assumptions draw-dropping, but we have to remember that Plotinus’ philosophy is mystic. It is based upon his direct apprehension of ultimate reality by the ‘inner eye’ (68%). And so he invites his readers to judge him: as ‘anyone acquainted with the supreme beauty can see for themselves’ about what he is saying (58%).
This approach can lead to ‘emperors new clothes’ outcomes, so that the educated were slow to challenge Plotinus. But there was also an undeniable attractiveness to his thesis.
Essentially he argued that the ultimate goodness (God) is an ultimate beauty. People’s souls are ugly and deformed to the extent that they deviate from goodness and beauty, by failing to acquire virtue and moral goodness (39%).
Human life is a chipping away at the soul to shape it by virtue so that it becomes more beautiful and good-like (72%). In so far as the good is God, then this is the mystical idea of theosis, holiness as becoming God-like
Less helpful is Plotinus’ dualistic ambivalence towards matter. In his milieu this was to contribute towards Manichaeanism and its effective war upon physicality. In its lesser form here in Plotinus, he is following Platonic influences in flagging up that material bodies and bodily passions deform the soul (or mind). This means that one of the purposes of life is for the soul to seek to be purified from its earthly attachments (50%), which it does by practising virtue. The physical body can acquire a degree of beauty, being effectively redeemed, but only to the extent that it is subdued by the soul (57%)
Although the text is relatively clear, there is an oddly critical tone in places. The translator complains that he is not going to go out of his way to ‘accommodate sublime truths to the meanest of understandings' of his readers as that would be a contemptible prostitution of ideas (77%). In a final blast he warns the reader that if you think Plotinus’ ideas are weak or erroneous, then that just shows that you yourself are an object of pity and contempt (86%).
Whether this style of writing, criticising the reader, was ever an appropriate style; it certainly doesn’t work well in modern books. I think this book would have worked a lot better if its introduction and notes had been removed. Even better would have been an new introduction which explained Plotinus and notes which linked this text to his other writings, and those who used them after him.
September 15, 2025
Ano bang kamagandahan? Ito'y authentic existence daw. Totoo yan.
December 29, 2021
Good as principle of Beauty. Beauty could be seen in anything by intellect and a unity of mind.
It starts as a decent philosophical essay, progresses into weaker prose, to finish with mottos, advices, and meditations.
An essay is seen successful if it pulls off well half a dozen ideas, which this one manages, only to disappoint in prose, argument, illustration, and the bloody reference of the divine!
This is the first work I read of Plotinus, and any neoplatonic author of antiquity. I am disappointed, going to try a shot in the the six Enneads by the same author.
It starts as a decent philosophical essay, progresses into weaker prose, to finish with mottos, advices, and meditations.
An essay is seen successful if it pulls off well half a dozen ideas, which this one manages, only to disappoint in prose, argument, illustration, and the bloody reference of the divine!
This is the first work I read of Plotinus, and any neoplatonic author of antiquity. I am disappointed, going to try a shot in the the six Enneads by the same author.
September 26, 2015
Beauty is subjective. I think beauty is love while the author sees it as intellect
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews