History of Philosophy Works-in-Progress Luncheon: Wiebke-Marie Stock, "Physis. Plotinus on Nature and the Soul of the Earth"

Please join us for this week's History of Philosophy Works-in-Progress Luncheon! This week's presenter is Prof. Wiebke-Marie Stock (Medieval Institute, Notre Dame / University of Bonn), who will present on, "Physis. Plotinus on Nature and the Soul of the Earth."

Each meeting consists of a presentation by a graduate student or faculty member on a project that they are working on in the history of philosophy, followed by a period of comments/questions from other participants. The workshop is designed to give contributors the opportunity to develop ideas and receive helpful feedback on projects/papers in a friendly and low stakes environment.

Lunch is provided for registered attendees. Sign up here!

Abstract: Plotinus rethinks what physis, nature is. This rethinking attempts to understand just what it is that binds all living beings together. Like many other ancient philosophers Plotinus believes that everything that is alive is alive because of soul. Plato assumes that soul gives life, and Aristotle speaks about the vegetative form of the soul which human beings, animals and plants share. Plotinus transforms Platonic and Aristotelian ideas about soul and its functions. He assumes that human beings, animals and plants share this basic form of ensoulment, but he does not want to ascribe it to soul itself, but to an image of the soul (an eidôlon or indalma or a shadow or a trace). Plotinus makes this distinction to keep soul itself pure and ascribe the traditional functions of soul (as what gives life) to something connected to it, but not to soul itself. Plotinus often describes the image of soul which gives life as physis, nature. Furthermore, in some passages Plotinus even goes so far to speak about a soul of the earth. Plotinus thus presents human beings both as a special – rational – form of animal and as part of the whole universe of what is alive, including animals and plants. It is my goal to describe Plotinus’ thoughts as a contribution to ecological thinking and a reflection on the position of human beings in the world of living beings.

Originally published at historyofphilosophy.nd.edu. Please check their website for the most up-to-date information about this event.