Virtues in Plotinus: The Theory of Purification and Assimilation (to God) in the Enneads (I,2,19)
Cahid ŞenelThis study aims to reveal Plotinus’ thoughts on morality, virtues and justice by focusing on the Enneads, the founding text of Neoplatonism. In order to achieve this, while chapters I, 2, 19 of the Enneads will be discussed in full detail, Üsûlûcyâ (Theology of Aristotle), the version of the work that was transferred to the Islamic world, will be referenced from time to time. Of course, the literature developing around this subject in the modern and contemporary period will not be ignored. It will be argued that Plotinus’ vision of virtue evolved to a different place than Plato and Aristotle, that the understanding of morality and the system of virtues before Plotinus were positioned in a more realistic place, and that his view turned into a semi-mystical philosophical moral vision shaped around the ideal of "assimilation to God". In addition, it will be concluded that although the virtues are used synonymously with wisdom, bravery, justice in the higher and lower worlds, the Spirit is identical with the virtues in the realm of divine Intelligence, and in the realm of sense, the soul, which is together with the body, should try to resemble God by acquiring the virtues through purification. Consequently, Plotinus’ being the owner of almost one of the two main metaphysical doctrines in the period from Plato to Descartes and his position in the view of Platonism, with its fundamental differences against Aristotelianism in terms of its power of influence, has created a transformation not only in metaphysical doctrine but also in the basis and understanding of moral philosophy. This individual-centered understanding, without denying the contribution of political virtues at the initial level of moral transformation, but aiming to attain the ideal of purification by turning to oneself and leaving behind the physical forms of perception of the soul and all boundaries, especially language, presented a human concept that differentiated itself from the previous perspectives and pioneered many of the subsequent philosophical, religious and mystical school. Considering the whole of Plotinus’ philosophy, it has been suggested that this turning inward does not mean ignoring the external world, that having virtue according to the determined standards in the external world is deemed insufficient, therefore, after this stage, it is argued that it is necessary to purify by turning inward.
Plotinus’ta Erdemler: Enneadlar’da (I,2,19) Arınma ve Benzeme Teorisi
Cahid ŞenelBu çalışma Yeni Platonculuğun kurucu metni olan Enneadlar’ı merkeze alarak Plotinus’un ahlâk, erdemler ve adalet konusundaki düşüncesini ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir. Bunu gerçekleştirmek için Enneadlar’ın I, 2, 19. bölümü tüm detaylarıyla ele alınacaktır. Elbette modern ve çağdaş dönemde bu konu etrafında gelişen literatür de göz ardı edilmeyecektir. Plotinus’un erdem tasavvurunun Platon ve Aristoteles’ten daha farklı bir yere evirildiği, Plotinus öncesindeki ahlâk anlayışının ve erdemler sistematiğinin daha realist bir yerde konumlandığı, onun görüşünün ise “Tanrı’yla benzeme” ideali etrafında şekillenen yarı mistik bir felsefî ahlâk tasavvuruna dönüştüğü öne sürülecektir. Ayrıca erdemlerin yüce ve bayağı âlemde hikmet, şeceaat, adalet gibi eş adlı isimlerle adlandırılmasına karşın yüce âlemde Ruhun erdemlerle özdeş olduğu, bayağı âlemde bedenle birlikte bulunan nefsin ise erdemleri arınma yoluyla edinerek tanrıya benzemeye çalışması gerektiği sonucuna ulaşılacaktır. Sonuç olarak Plotinus’un, Platon’dan Descartes’e kadarki süreçte neredeyse iki ana metafizik öğretiden birinin sahibi oluşu ve etki gücü bakımından Aristotelesçiliğin karşısına esaslı farklılıklarla birlikte Platonculuk görünümünde konumlanışı sadece metafizik öğretide değil ahlâk felsefenin temel kavramları ve kavrayışında da bir dönüşüm oluşturmuştur. Birey/fert merkezli bu kavrayış, ahlâki dönüşümü başlangıç düzeyinde siyasi erdemlerin de katkısını yadsımadan ama kişinin kendine yönelmesi ve nefsinin bedensel kavrayış biçimleri ve dil başta olmak üzere tüm sınırları geride bırakıp arınma idealine ulaşmayı hedefleyerek kendisinden önceki perspektiflerden farklılaşmış ve kendisinden sonraki pek çok felsefî, dîni ve mistik ekole öncülük etmiş bir insan tasavvuru sunmuştur. Plotinus’un felsefesinin bütünü dikkate alındığında bu içe dönüşün, dış dünyayı yok saymak anlamına gelmediği, dış dünyadaki belirlenmiş ölçülere göre erdem sahibi olmanın yetersiz görüldüğü bu nedenle bu aşamadan sonra içe dönerek arınmak gerektiği fikrinin savunulduğu öne sürülmüştür.
The Enneads, created under the supervision of Porphyry after the death of Plotinus (d. 270), the first and most important representative of Neoplatonism, are considered the founding text of this school. Plotinus’ theory of emanations in the Enneads basically includes a four-stage emanation structure in the form of One (Hen), intelligence (nous), spirit (psukhe) and universe. Hen, nous and psukhe represent the "higher world", and the material realm, consisting of four elements, represents the "lower world". There is an inherent diversity between these two worlds. This diversity will be assigned between necessary beings and possible beings in Avicenna. However, even though those existing in the lower world bear similarities to those in the higher world, it is not possible for them to be "exactly" like those in the higher world. In the system of the philosopher, the ’One’ in the relationship between God and the universe is a god who both maintains continuity in giving existence without interruption and maintains contact with the eternal being, even if hierarchically. Therefore, Plotinus appears before us as a system philosopher who develops an entirely original model of explanation that departs from both Aristotle and Plato’s god-universe explanations. Without knowing Plotinus’ scheme of being, it is not possible to understand his ideas about virtues, purification and the theory of assimilation. Because the virtues that we encounter in Plato and especially Aristotle are considered as an ethical and political merit, reflected in behavior, and measurable by detecting the "middle" of extremes. As for Plotinus, he changed the definitions of the virtues.
There are many clues in the Republic that Plato views the person as something that enables to transform himself into an ideal human being through abstraction. As Gerson clearly puts it, it is Plotinus who enabled this transformation to be addressed as a "subject" and made the superiority of the Universal Good the clear basis of ethics. The ideal human being exalted by Plotinus, on the one hand, turns towards the divine by aiming to be like himself, and on the other hand, turns towards the sensible world in order to realize and develop all his virtues. However, achieving justice in the body or the city is not the real goal. The visibility of political virtues in the city can only be a stepping stone. In this sense, the definition of the four virtues has also changed. For instance, Wisdom and Fatanah means "The soul does not share thoughts with body and does its own actions"; chastity means “the soul is not affected by what affects the body”; courage means “the soul is not afraid to leave the body”; justice means “the soul follows the reason and the Universal Spirit and does not resist them.” These definitions are remarkable in that they show that virtue theory has evolved in a completely different direction from the Aristotelian perspective. The difference between Plotinus and Aristotle lies in the metaphysical formation of morality rather than its practical positioning. In particular, unlike Aristotle’s concept of mesotes, that is about behavior and practice, Plotinus’ meson is about internal activity and action. Plotinus’ arete is found not in the mesotes of ethical practice and action, but in the meson of soul and reason. According to Aristotle, virtue is the perfection (akrotes) of the soul comprehended by observing the mesotes between two extremes/evils, while according to Plotinus, the perfection of the soul is the theoretical comprehension of the meson between the two worlds, higher and lower. As Stamatellos points out, while in Aristotle the perfection of the soul derives from ethical practice, according to Plotinus the perfection of the soul is established in the contemplation of the intelligible world, far beyond ethical practice. It seems to us that Plotinus’ being the owner of almost one of the two main metaphysical doctrines in the period from Plato to Descartes and his position in the view of Platonism, with its fundamental differences against Aristotelianism in terms of its power of influence, has created a transformation not only in metaphysical doctrine but also in the basis and understanding of moral philosophy. This individual-centered understanding, without denying the contribution of political virtues at the initial level of moral transformation, but aiming to attain the ideal of purification by turning to oneself and leaving behind the physical forms of perception of the soul and all boundaries, especially language, presented a human concept that differentiated itself from the previous perspectives and pioneered many of the subsequent philosophical, religious and mystical school.
