A Dictionary of Philosophy, Third Edition
. Various groups of philosophers influenced by Plotinus (AD 205–70) and claiming Platonic inspiration. Plotinus in his Enneads claimed to interpret and develop PLATO, basing himself especially on certain passages suggesting that reality is somehow derived from a single thing, called the One or the Good, which transcends existence (i.e. is on too high a plane to be said to ‘exist’) and is unknowable. Plotinus also developed an epistemology. The Neoplatonists also tried to unify Plato and ARISTOTLE. They are now often regarded as having misinterpreted Plato. Leading Neoplatonists after Plotinus include Porphyry (c. 232-c.
304), Iamblichus (c. 270-c. 330), Proclus (c. 409-c. 487), Philoponus (sixth century), Simplicius (sixth century), Boethius (c. 480–525).
E.K.Emilsson, Platonism on Sense-Perception, Cambridge UP, 1988. (Plotinus’ epistemology. First chapter also contains good introduction to Plotinus’ general philosophy.)
R.T.Wallis, Neoplatonism, 1972.
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