Was he the smartest man that ever lived during late antiquity ?

>>589832
>not chinese
Yeah so no

Probably

More like smartest man ever

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I think yes for two reason
first of all, he was the first man in the 3rd century who tought rationally, remember this era is an era of spiritual crysis with gnostics and shit
then he managed to unite the three principle philosophies of his time, which were platonism, stoicism and aristotelicianism in one big logical system

>>589832
A shame that given the trendy rise of Gnosticism in popular culture and conspiracy theories, the critiques of Plotinus are overlooked or ignored, especially on the points of the material world not being inherently evil, but an imperfect manifestation of the eternal which souls willingly choose to incarnate.

Certain Gnostic sects also cannot logically argue for an evil Architect while trying to promote the Monad as a kind of benevolent alternative, without it turning into a rehashing of the biblical narrative of God vs Satan or, simply put; an infinite regress.

>>590103
I thought the One's emanation of reality was non-intentional?

>>590133
You mean in reference to the 'moral intentions' of the Architect or Monad? Your post comes a bit out of nowhere, I can't see the continuity... but I shall try to answer as best I can.

The One encompasses both thought and object, existence and non-existence, and its first emanation was Nous, which is knowing or intellect.

Whether or not the material world was intended or not, given this definition, depends on your interpretation. I would simply chalk it up to being impossible to know.

Who is he? I can't do a reverse search.

>>590194
Plotinus.

>>590173
Doesn't Plotinus describe the One's emanation as something as natural and unwilled as the sun giving off light? I understand fron the Nous on there is definitely intentionality, but the initial emanation is just a by-product of the One's perfection

I'm getting the Enneads in the mail today so I could be wrong

>>590257
>Doesn't Plotinus describe the One's emanation as something as natural and unwilled as the sun giving off light?
Yes, though the comparison falls short somewhat, primarily because its using one larger finite force influencing our world.

Reality, AKA the material world, was intended via Nous.

Going back to my initial post on this, I interpret the intention as ultimately neutral.

>>589837
>China
>relevant