Plotinus: Myth, Metaphor, and Philosophical Practice

by Stephen R.L. Clark

Plotinus, the Roman philosopher (c. 204-270 CE) who is widely regarded as the founder of Neoplatonism, was also the creator of numerous myths, images, and metaphors. They have influenced both secular philosophers and Christian and Muslim theologians, but have frequently been dismissed by modern scholars as merely ornamental. In this book, distinguished philosopher Stephen R. L. Clark shows that they form a vital set of spiritual exercises by which individuals can achieve one of Plotinus’s most important self-transformation through contemplation.
           
Clark examines a variety of Plotinus’s myths and metaphors within the cultural and philosophical context of his time, asking probing questions about their contemplative effects. What is it, for example, to “think away the spatiality” of material things? What state of mind is Plotinus recommending when he speaks of love, or drunkenness, or nakedness? What star-like consciousness is intended when he declares that we were once stars or are stars eternally? What does it mean to say that the soul goes around God? And how are we supposed to “bring the god in us back to the god in all”? Through these rich images and structures, Clark casts Plotinus as a philosopher deeply concerned with philosophy as a way of life. 

Genres: Philosophy

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2016

Reviews

[Rex]

I have read quite a few books that explore the Platonic tradition, but none that breathe into it the breath of life as Stephen R. L. Clark has here. The metaphysical arguments of Platonism have been revitalized by David Bentley Hart, Eric Perl, and others, but Clark goes further, reconstructing Plotinus's imaginal world in a way faithful to his immediate context but also informed by other figures in the tradition and kindred souls outside. With fresh energy and without sacrificing academic scrupulosity, Clark presents a way of thought and life directed toward Beauty and the Good, conveyed through a series of images and symbols that have not lost all their potency with the centuries.

Clark operates on the conviction that Plotinus's project remains both philosophically meaningful and spiritually useful. If you are inclined to the perennial pursuit of wisdom, take Clark as your guide over the landscape of Plotininian myth and metaphor, and you will find numerous gems of insight along the way.

[Brian]

A long and somewhat rambling book. The main things I took away were that Plotinus could conceivably be read as a non-gnostic and possibly as non-ascetic. He basically is more about removing intellectual prejudice and emotionally held opinions, and ultimately about sanctification. Clark had his best stuff about matter, mind, and the one at the end of the book, but I think those themes are probably better found elsewhere. Some good stuff on not being boutique in one's intellectual life were compelling and resonated with Escalante's essay at the end of the Davenant volume on Christian Philosophy. Anyway, this was more an okay book than a great one, but yes sometime I need to read Enneads.

[kobushi]

There’s three schools of philosophy for us moderns (please, please bear with me you back there furiously raising their hand!): the type that first reads source texts and somehow ‘gets it’ on the first try (extremely rare beyond even a rounding error), the type that first reads the source texts but everything simply goes in one ear and out the other (relatively common though we can also group in many who don’t get past chapter one and think a YouTube explainer will cover any missed ground), and lastly where someone like me finds himself: not afraid to admit they don’t have the mental capacity to take on source texts from the get-go and thus don’t mind spending time spread over multiple books over months and maybe even years slowly—but surely—circling closer and closer to the source text before finally taking it on in a position where a first read would actually give us not only satisfaction of completing it, but a sliver of understanding along the way. Thus, a book like “Plotinus: Myth, Metaphor, and Philosophical Practice”, in spite of its somewhat accessible cover, works as something of an intellectual biography of both Plotinus and “Neoplatonic” thought. (quoted in emulation of author Stephen R.L. Clark who does it throughout his book for reasons we may get to soon)

Cutting to the chase: this is not an easy book, but it is a rewarding one. For those like me who may have a light background in philosophical readings where names like Seneca, Philo, Dionysus, Plato (of course), and Aristotle not only sound familiar, but you know at least a smidgen of their beliefs, this book may not be a walk in the park, but more of a walk over hot coals: at times physically unpleasant like unmixed wine (yes, this and it’s relation to mixed wine is brought up in the chapter called “Reason Drunk and Sober”), but somehow defying all odds, mesmerizing. Plotinus in a way reminds me of a more modern figure whom to the best of my knowledge was not influenced by “Neoplatonic” thought: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Reading their writings directly is like trying to understand weather patterns by looking at clouds with both eyes closed; some can do it, most of us can’t and thus we need psychopomps such as Clark who can hold up a dimly lit light allowing us to see the reflection of Plotinus staring back at us across obsidian walls (yes, this actually is covered in the chapter entitled “Shadow Plays and Mirrors” and is not a silly metaphor).

At its core though, how can one even explain what this book is about? I noted above it’s an intellectual biography, but is that it? Does it throughout the monograph provide an ample balance between Plotinus’s life story and his thought? To some (limited, mind you) extent, it does. If anything though, this heavily focuses on his work but not necessarily in a traditional ‘commentary’ way. Throughout a good number of chapters, Clark separates the many themes one can find in Plotinus’s work and analyzes what they *meant* in his era (and this can’t be stressed enough) while not only using the works themselves, but *many* other texts by *many* other writers both before his time, during his time, and even outputs from our own with the goal of showing what we moderns can learn by looking back many, many centuries into the past. And relax, if you’re like me—someone who has little to no experience (emphasis on the latter, HARD emphasis!) with the works in question, the author very much had you in mind when writing this: “My hope is that anyone sufficiently exasperated or intrigued by the following monograph will at least be inspired to read some few of the Enneads: they will then discover that for all his subtlety and high ideals Plotinus was also calmly commonsensical—and often very funny.” (eBook, page 12-13)

For my—and any curious reader like me—first experience with Neoplatonism, I remain on the fence. In terms of ancient philosophical deep dives, the only other material I can compare this to is Seneca (https://kobushi.substack.com/p/letter...) and unlike Seneca, the ample citations from Plotinus (which this book has many of) leave me more with overheated brain cells than understanding. Seneca, conversely, in spite of being even older than Plotinus is significantly easier to understand. But perhaps that’s the reason why Neoplatonism has gained so much of a following in Christianity (not to mention Islam and Judaism too)? It’s a “mystical” philosophy and due to its apparent obtuseness, it may be perfect bedfellows with a religion that shares many similarities with Greek mystery cults. I stand with a white flag half raised; “Plotinus: Myth, Metaphor, and Philosophical Practice” did not defeat me, but it was not easy. I am not turned off from reading more books from and about the Neoplatonic school. In fact, now more than ever I see it as a challenge and for that, I remain thankful to Stephen R.L. Clark for opening the door—a minute crack, mind you—to a new field of investigation.

[Cw]

Made me think about psychology, the use of myths and metaphors, and explains how Plotinus, in many parts of the Enneads, was writing a meditation guide. Also, the section at the end going over the hypostases is always helpful. They can be a little hard to wrap your mind around.

[Ooniemme]

Probably the best secondary book on Plotinus I've read

[C. Clarke]

too superficial an account for my purposes