Research Catalog

Title

Plotinus on body and beauty : society, philosophy, and religion in third-century Rome / Margaret R. Miles.

Author

Miles, Margaret R. (Margaret Ruth), 1937-

Publication

Oxford, UK ; Malden, Mass. : Blackwell, 1999.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

xii, 214 p. : ill.; 24 cm.

Summary

"Plotinus, the most profound philosopher of the third century C.E., has been influential on Byzantine and Western Christianity, and Islam. In the West, Augustine brought Plotinian philosophy into Christianity, ensuring the interest of a long line of Christian thinkers. As Margaret Miles shows, Plotinus's philosophy holds both perennial attraction and offers specific contributions to particular issues at the beginning of the twenty-first century."--BOOK JACKET. "Miles offers a fresh interpretation which situates Plotinus's philosophical ideas in the context of the society and culture in which those ideas developed."--Jacket.

Subject

• Aesthetics, Ancient
• Beauty
• Esthetics > history
• Mind and body > Rome > History
• Philosophy > history
• Plotinus
• Religion
• Roman World > history

Genre/Form

• History
• History.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. [204]-207) and indexes.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Introduction: Seeing Double -- Porphyry's Life -- The Enneads -- Plotinus for the Present -- Approaching Plotinus Historically -- Plotinus's Opponents -- Plotinus as Religious Teacher -- Plotinus in Third-century Roman Culture and Society -- Bodies in Plotinus's Society -- Plotinus on the Care of the Self -- Plotinus as Writer -- Notes on Style -- Beauty: the Stepping Stone -- Plotinus's World -- Plotinus's Universe -- Seeing Beauty -- Beauty as Discipline -- Beauty and Art -- Beauty as Moral Responsibility -- The Loving Eye -- "Choice and Chance": Soul as Pivot of the Universe -- Soul's Nature -- Soul's Powers -- Soul's Ascent -- Soul's Descent -- Soul's Unity -- Soul's Life -- Body in Third-century Rome -- The Colosseum -- The Baths -- Plotinus on Body -- Matter -- Plotinus on Gnostics -- PracticalEffects -- The World We See -- Providence: Does the One Care for Us? -- How Providence Works -- Why Me, Lord? -- Should We Care for Each Other? -- The Good Life -- Evil -- Good -- "Go On Up": the One and Contemplation -- Life and the Good Life -- The One: Via Positiva -- The One: Via Negativa -- Contemplation -- Intellect -- More Life -- Beauty -- Plotinus for the Present -- Plotinus and Dualism -- Plotinus on Moral Engagement -- Feminism and Plotinus -- Plotinus's Worldview as Religion -- Beauty and Responsibility -- Index of Passages, Plotinus.

ISBN

• 0631212744 (alk. paper)
• 0631212752 (alk. paper)

LCCN

^^^99032105^

OCLC

41452646

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library