Plotinus Flashcards
Q: How does Plotinus define beauty?
not just symmetry
proportion
but an intuitive recognition by the soul of something higher.
Q: What does Plotinus say about the Stoic idea that beauty is just proportion?
A: He rejects it, arguing that even simple things like colors and sounds are beautiful.
Q: Where does beauty originate according to Plotinus?
A: From the realm of Forms, specifically from the Good.
Q: Why are things beautiful in Plotinus’ view?
participate in divine Form, giving them
structure and
harmony.
Q: How does the soul recognize beauty?
A: Because it is akin to beauty, sharing in its divine nature.
Q: What are the three levels of beauty in Plotinus’ hierarchy?
Physical Beauty – Found in bodies and objects.
Intellectual Beauty – Found in virtues, knowledge, and thoughts.
Supreme Beauty (The Good) – The ultimate source of all beauty.
Q: How does beauty help the soul ascend?
A: Beauty draws the soul away from material things and toward spiritual purification.
Q: What is the highest kind of beauty in Plotinus’ philosophy?
A: The Good, which transcends all physical and intellectual beauty.
Q: Should we be captivated by physical beauty?
A: No, physical beauty should remind us of higher, spiritual beauty.
Q: Why does Plotinus say moral beauty is greater than physical beauty?
A: Because virtue reflects the order of the cosmos, just as a beautiful body reflects harmony.
Q: What does Plotinus say about those who don’t understand ethical beauty?
A: They cannot understand true beauty at all.
Q: What is the ultimate realization in the soul’s journey to beauty?
A: That beauty is unity with the divine.
