Book: The Philosophy of Plotinus

Overview
Dean Inge presents a clear, historically informed account of Plotinus and the central doctrines of Neoplatonism. The book traces Plotinus' thought from its roots in Plato through its articulation in the Enneads, the compilation preserved by Porphyry, and emphasizes both the metaphysical architecture and the practical, religious orientation of his philosophy. Inge treats Plotinus as a thinker engaged in spiritual transformation rather than mere speculative system-building.

Metaphysical System
Plotinus' ontology is organized around a hierarchical procession from the utterly simple principle called the One, through the divine Intellect (Nous), to the World Soul and finally the realm of individual souls and matter. The One transcends being and thought yet is the source from which everything emanates; emanation is not temporal production but an overflowing of plenitude that yields successive levels of reality. Inge explicates how the Nous contains the Forms or intelligible archetypes and how the Soul mediates between the invisible intelligible realm and the physical cosmos.

Knowledge and Mystical Ascent
Epistemology for Plotinus culminates in direct, non-discursive apprehension of higher realities. Rational dialectic and moral purification prepare the soul, but the highest attainment is an intellectual intuition and mystical union with the One, often described as "henosis." Inge explores Plotinus' account of contemplation, showing how cognition moves from sensory perception to reasoned understanding and thence to a supra-rational seeing that transcends subject–object division. This ascent is experiential, inward, and transformative rather than merely theoretical.

Ethics and Spiritual Practice
Ethical teaching follows metaphysical commitments: liberation from attachment to the material and cultivation of the inner life are paramount. Virtue for Plotinus is the soul's alignment with intelligible realities and the recovery of its true nature. Inge highlights practices of self-discipline, ascetic withdrawal, and love of beauty that facilitate ascent; moral effort is both teleological and therapeutic, aimed at restoring wholeness and reuniting the soul with its divine source. Aesthetic appreciation and the practice of piety become vehicles of spiritual elevation.

Relation to Christianity and Later Influence
Inge pays close attention to Plotinus' reception by Christian thinkers and the complex affinities and tensions this produced. Elements of Neoplatonism were grafted into Christian theology, most notably in Augustine and in Pseudo-Dionysius, shaping doctrines of God, creation, and mystical union. Yet Plotinus' impersonal emphasis on the transcendent One and the notion of emanation create points of divergence from doctrines like creatio ex nihilo and a personal, providential deity. Inge discusses both the fruitful borrowing and the theological frictions that mark Plotinus' influence.

Style and Evaluation
The prose combines scholarly exposition with pastoral sensitivity, reflecting Inge's own background in theology and the church. Explanations are concise and practical, aimed at readers who seek both intellectual clarity and spiritual insight. Inge is broadly sympathetic, acknowledging Plotinus' depth while noting philosophical and theological difficulties. The book serves as a measured introduction that situates Plotinus within a living tradition of metaphysical and religious thought and underscores the continuing relevance of his vision for questions about unity, knowledge, and the human good.