Plotinus
FameRank: 4

"Plotinus" was a major philosophy/philosopher of the ancient world. In his philosophy there are three principles: Henology/the One, Nous/the Intellect, and the wikt:psyche#English/Soul. His teacher was Ammonius Saccas and he is of the Platonic tradition. Historians of the 19th century invented the term Neoplatonism and applied it to him and his philosophy which was influential in Late Antiquity. Much of the biographical information about Plotinus comes from Porphyry (philosopher)/Porphyry's preface to his edition of Plotinus' Enneads. His metaphysics/metaphysical writings have inspired centuries of Paganism/Pagan, Christian philosophy/Christian, Jewish philosophy/Jewish, Early Islamic philosophy/Islamic and Gnosticism/Gnostic metaphysics/metaphysicians and mysticism/mystics.

If you enjoy these quotes, be sure to check out other famous philosophers! More Plotinus on Wikipedia.

Knowledge, if it does not determine action, is dead to us.

5,153

God is not external to anyone, but is present with all things, though they are ignorant that he is so.

1,138

Being is desirable because it is identical with Beauty, and Beauty is loved because it is Being. We ourselves possess Beauty when we are true to our own being; ugliness is in going over to another order; knowing ourselves, we are beautiful; in self-ignorance, we are ugly.

1,124