Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 4: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four PeriodsPlotinus
Philosophy
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 4: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four Periods
Plotinus
Plotinus
Of course, those who, here below, desire to procreate are satisfied in
attaining that which is beautiful here below: namely, the beauty which
shines in images and bodies; for they do not possess that intelligible
Beauty which, nevertheless, inspires them with that very love which
they bear to visible beauty. That is the reason why those who ascend
to the reminiscence of intelligible Beauty love that which they behold
here below only because it is an image of the other.[119] As to those
who fail to rise to the reminiscence of the intelligible Beauty,
because they do not know the cause of their passion, they mistake
visible beauty for that veritable Beauty, and they may even love it
chastely, if they be temperate: but to go as far as a carnal union is
an error, in any case. Hence, it happens that only he who is inspired
by a pure love for the beautiful really loves beauty, whether or not he
have aroused his reminiscence of intelligible Beauty.
BEAUTY IS IMMORTAL.
They who join to this passion as much of a desire for immortality
as our mortal nature admits, seek beauty in the perpetuity of the
procreation which renders man imperishable. They determine to
procreate and produce beauty according to nature; procreating because
their object is perpetuity; and procreating beautifully because they
possess affinity with it. In fact, perpetuity does bear affinity to
beauty; perpetual nature is beauty itself; and such also are all its
derivatives.
PASSIONAL LOVE MAY BE ELEVATING, THOUGH OPEN TO MISLEADING TEMPTATIONS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account