Aesthetic Themes in Pagan and Christian Neoplatonism: From Plotinus to Gregory of Nyssa by Daniele Iozzia

Author:Daniele Iozzia [Iozzia, Daniele]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: philosophy, Aesthetics, History & Surveys, Ancient & Classical
ISBN: 9781472572332
Google: tuxgBwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2015-03-12T23:53:50.628263+00:00

Figure 4.1 Lycurgus Cup, second half of the third century or first half of the fourth century AD. British Museum, London (© Trustees of the British Museum).

Plotinus gave a clear and consistent view of the reason why sensible beings are beautiful. This effort seems to come from the conceptual view of the inadequacy of classical theory, based on mathematical proportion, in explaining the beauty of the entities that are not composed. The Neoplatonists after Plotinus did not consider his criticism of the concept of beauty: Porphyry, in fact, defends the classical conception, as well as Iamblichus, Proclus and Damascius. This is an aspect of Plotinus’ peculiar fate in the Platonic tradition in late antiquity: apart from a central period of Porphyry’s production, Neoplatonism developed in a coherent system but the thought of Plotinus was neglected.32 The Christians who were closer to the refined pagan culture, instead, were drawn to the spiritual power and expression of Plotinus’ thought, even if they could not accept many of its fundamental elements.

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