Original scientific paper

Plotinus’ Concept of Noetic Matter on the Background of Aristotle’s usiology

Marko Tokić

Abstract

Based on the Z. book of Metaphysics, this paper presents Aristotle’s concept of noetic matter and uses its theoretical background to interpret Plotinus’ concept of noetic matter, contained primarily in his tractate Matter in its Two Kinds. The paper aims to present and adequately argument the way in which Plotinus, in his interpretation of noetic matter, understands Nous in relation to Aristotle’s usiological doctrine and in contrast to that of Plato’s. This is particularly evident in the fact that Plotinus’ Nous, as a genus which comprises all ideas, is understood in the sense of Aristotle’s logical doctrine of genus and species. Thus this paper argues for the need to re-examine conventional understanding of Plotinus’ philosophy as mere extension of Plato’s philosophy.

Keywords

Sensible matter; noetic matter; logos; eidos; genus; substance

Hrčak ID:

19714

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/19714

Publication date:

28.1.2008.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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