The Pattern and the Image in Plotinus: Rethinking Plato’s Conflict with the Poets
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11210%2F25%3A10498722" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11210/25:10498722 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111562636-004" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111562636-004</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783111562636-004" target="_blank" >10.1515/9783111562636-004</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
The Pattern and the Image in Plotinus: Rethinking Plato’s Conflict with the Poets
Original language description
This paper presents parallels between Plato's and Plotinus' understanding of the notion of an image within the context of the arts and cosmology. It argues for the rejection of the widespread cliché according to which Plotinus was an advocate of the arts transgressing against Plato's banishment of the poets from the polis and his condemnation of the arts as μίμησις μιμήσεως. This simplification distorts the doctrines of both philosophers which are in fact very close to each other. Plato as well as Plotinus distinguished two types of images depending on their paradigm. On the one hand, both philosophers recognise images which imitate the sensibles and have a detrimental impact on soul. On the other hand, they are also aware of potentially beneficial images which have the intelligible as their paradigm. In this sense, the mere fact that something imitates something else cannot justify any critique of the arts or of anything else. In fact, the whole cosmos is an image, imitating the Intellect as much as it can making it thus the most beautiful living being. Understanding this was for Plotinus a crucial aspect of being faithful to the heritage of Plato. This can be shown in his debate with the Gnostics whose despising of the sensible cosmos Plotinus considered dull and arrogant.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
C - Chapter in a specialist book
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
60301 - Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/EH22_008%2F0004595" target="_blank" >EH22_008/0004595: Beyond Security: Role of Conflict in Resilience-Building</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Book/collection name
The Pattern and the Image: Insights from the Alexandrian Exegetical Tradition
ISBN
978-3-11-156212-4
Number of pages of the result
16
Pages from-to
39-54
Number of pages of the book
289
Publisher name
De Gruyter
Place of publication
Berlin
UT code for WoS chapter
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