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Thinking Being: Introduction to Metaphysics in the Classical Tradition
Eric D. Perl, Loyola Marymount University
In Thinking Being, Eric Perl articulates central ideas and arguments regarding the nature of reality in Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Aquinas. He shows that, throughout this tradition, these ideas proceed from and return to the indissoluble togetherness of thought and being, first clearly expressed by Parmenides. The emphasis throughout is on continuity rather than opposition: Aristotle appears as a follower of Plato in identifying being as intelligible form, and Aquinas as a follower of Plotinus in locating the first principle “beyond being”. Hence Neoplatonism, itself a coherent development of Platonic thought, comes to be seen as the mainstream of classical philosophy. Perl’s book thus contributes to a revisionist understanding of the fundamental outlines of the western tradition in metaphysics.
In Thinking Being, Eric Perl articulates central ideas and arguments regarding the nature of reality in Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Aquinas. He shows that, throughout this tradition, these ideas proceed from and return to the indissoluble togetherness of thought and being, first clearly expressed by Parmenides. The emphasis throughout is on continuity rather than opposition: Aristotle appears as a follower of Plato in identifying being as intelligible form, and Aquinas as a follower of Plotinus in locating the first principle “beyond being”. Hence Neoplatonism, itself a coherent development of Platonic thought, comes to be seen as the mainstream of classical philosophy. Perl’s book thus contributes to a revisionist understanding of the fundamental outlines of the western tradition in metaphysics.
228 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 8, 2016
This is an excellent introduction to classical or Platonic metaphysics. Perl examines five philosophers: Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Thomas Aquinas. He is interested chiefly in continuities, and so instead of creating a genealogy/history of classical metaphysics, or tracing watersheds, he moves from philosopher to philosopher as along a string of pearls, allowing their insights (and occasional disagreements) to illuminate one another. Thinking Being is the rare book that explains Platonic forms in a way that does not baffle or alienate, but even persuades. Perl as he appears here is not an especially demotic author, but his concision and clarity, along with his quiet enthusiasm, ensure a read that is not merely highly informative, but engrossing.
September 6, 2023
Brilliant exposition to different strands of thought, but rather than pitting Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, and Aquinas against one another, this works intends to draw bridges to show the similitudes between their ideas.
April 6, 2022
Very good introduction into NeoPlatonic tradition. Highly recommend.
August 20, 2021
A clear and probably as concise as you can get overview of the classical tradition of metaphysics, a review of the questions "What is being?" and "Why is there being instead of nothing?"
Tracking the thematic developments and consistencies between titanic philosophers, Perl makes a strong case for the absolute union between "thinking" and "being." It is improper thusly to bifurcate the essential and existential in this formula. What happy chance to have read this right after Tillich's 'The Courage to Be,' as this lends essential heft to Tillich's existential prognoses.
Can't give this one 5 stars, though. If you're going to charge $150 for an academic book, it better be airtight and errorless. There are more than a handful of simple proofreading misses within these pages, which is kind of infuriating for something written at such a high level.
Came to this book from Vervaeke's 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.' Not disappointed by his recommendation.
Tracking the thematic developments and consistencies between titanic philosophers, Perl makes a strong case for the absolute union between "thinking" and "being." It is improper thusly to bifurcate the essential and existential in this formula. What happy chance to have read this right after Tillich's 'The Courage to Be,' as this lends essential heft to Tillich's existential prognoses.
Can't give this one 5 stars, though. If you're going to charge $150 for an academic book, it better be airtight and errorless. There are more than a handful of simple proofreading misses within these pages, which is kind of infuriating for something written at such a high level.
Came to this book from Vervaeke's 'Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.' Not disappointed by his recommendation.
December 14, 2021
While less than 300 pages this is an incredibly long and at times difficult read. Nonetheless, Perl offers a clear teaching of Perminides, Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, and Aquinas concerning the very essence of “being.” By looking at these five thinkers, Perl is able to trace the history of thought on the subject matter and is able to articulate how the points from philosopher to philosopher connect and where they disconnect. A helpful read in the area metaphysics.
February 16, 2023
Dr. Perl is a wonderful guide, a lucid writer. The breadth of his learning is impressive; I'm enthralled. I've been introduced to some other awesome philosphers and books and I'll be following up on those soon.
This is my second reading of the book but I'm sure I'll come back to it. It's that good.
This is my second reading of the book but I'm sure I'll come back to it. It's that good.
September 7, 2026
The central problem in Eric D. Perl’s Thinking Being is how thought can genuinely know reality. If thinking is something occurring within a subjective mind while being exists independently “outside” it, how can we know that our thoughts actually correspond to reality?
Perl’s Platonic answer is that this division between thought and being is ultimately mistaken.
Plato:
For Plato, reality is intelligible. The Forms explain why particular things can be understood at all.
We encounter many beautiful things, for example, but our ability to recognize them as beautiful points toward Beauty itself. The Form is therefore not merely a concept constructed by the mind; it is an intelligible reality that particular things participate in.
This allows Perl to solve the problem of the one and the many: many particular things can possess a common intelligible nature because they participate in the same Form.
Plotinus:
Plotinus takes Plato further by asking where the Forms themselves come from.
His answer is Nous (Intellect). In Nous, thinking and being are not separate. The Forms are both what Intellect thinks and what Intellect is. Thus, reality is intelligible because intelligibility belongs to being itself.
The hierarchy becomes:
The One → Nous → Forms → particular beings
The One is beyond even being and thought. It is not an object that the intellect can simply comprehend. Rather, it is the source of both being and intellect.
Perl’s overall argument:
Perl therefore reverses the modern philosophical starting point. Instead of asking:
“How does a subjective mind reach an external reality?”
he asks:
“What is reality such that thinking it is possible?”
His Platonic answer is that being is inherently intelligible. His Plotinian development is that Being and Thinking are united in Nous, while both ultimately originate from the transcendent One.
The book is fundamentally an attempt to overcome the modern separation of subject and object, thought and reality, by returning to the Platonic idea that thinking and being belong to the same intelligible order.
Perl’s Platonic answer is that this division between thought and being is ultimately mistaken.
Plato:
For Plato, reality is intelligible. The Forms explain why particular things can be understood at all.
We encounter many beautiful things, for example, but our ability to recognize them as beautiful points toward Beauty itself. The Form is therefore not merely a concept constructed by the mind; it is an intelligible reality that particular things participate in.
This allows Perl to solve the problem of the one and the many: many particular things can possess a common intelligible nature because they participate in the same Form.
Plotinus:
Plotinus takes Plato further by asking where the Forms themselves come from.
His answer is Nous (Intellect). In Nous, thinking and being are not separate. The Forms are both what Intellect thinks and what Intellect is. Thus, reality is intelligible because intelligibility belongs to being itself.
The hierarchy becomes:
The One → Nous → Forms → particular beings
The One is beyond even being and thought. It is not an object that the intellect can simply comprehend. Rather, it is the source of both being and intellect.
Perl’s overall argument:
Perl therefore reverses the modern philosophical starting point. Instead of asking:
“How does a subjective mind reach an external reality?”
he asks:
“What is reality such that thinking it is possible?”
His Platonic answer is that being is inherently intelligible. His Plotinian development is that Being and Thinking are united in Nous, while both ultimately originate from the transcendent One.
The book is fundamentally an attempt to overcome the modern separation of subject and object, thought and reality, by returning to the Platonic idea that thinking and being belong to the same intelligible order.
July 26, 2024
Perl provides a nice overview of several pivotal ancient Greek (and one 11th c Christian) philosophers, who are united in his analysis by their affirmation of Being as wholeness, as well as of the close, erotic, relationship between thinking and Being. He covers Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Aquinas, and charts their similar, yet not totally identical, treatment of the concept of Being, its relationship to divinity and transcendence (the One, God, etc.), and to individual beings. I did get the sense that, at least up until Aquinas (and in him only very partially), there is a devaluation of individual beings in favor of their unified, integrated existence as Being itself (or as God, etc.), which I think would contrast with several strains of Indian religious philosophy (particularly tantric schools which affirm the ultimate value of the individual), though perhaps be consistent with others (Shankara's Advaita Vedanta for instance, or certain schools of Buddhism). Aquinas seems to want to make God the source of all individualized particularity as well as integrated totality, but this idea isn't well developed in Perl's analysis. Perl has succeeded in making me reconsider the Axial Age breakthrough in Greece in terms of Being/Universality rather than (only) transcendence (Forms, One, etc.).
October 18, 2026
It's such a rare gift when an "Introduction" book not only does a great job at introducing a topic to relative beginners, but also makes a fairly interesting argument, one that is understandable to the novice but also, presumably (I'm not smart enough to say for sure), makes a certain scholarly contribution. If you ever want to learn about metaphysics in Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus, and Aquinas, this is the book!
September 25, 2022
Amazing introduction and "geneology" of the metaphysical tradition. Subject matter is difficult to grasp however it is very worth it. You see and think about the world in a new way.
July 12, 2025
Fantastic overview of classical metaphysics!
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February 26, 2026God bless you Eric Perl
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May 24, 2017شاهکار!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews