1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910827144103321

Autore

Mazur Zeke

Titolo

The Platonizing Sethian background of Plotinus's mysticism / / by Alexander J. Mazur ; revised edition by Dylan M. Burns, with Kevin Corrigan [and three others]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Leiden, The Netherlands ; ; Boston : , : Brill, , [2021]

©2021

ISBN

90-04-44171-9

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource

Collana

Nag Hammadi and Manichaean studies ; ; Volume 98

Disciplina

186.4

Soggetti

Platonists

Neoplatonism

Sethians

Mysticism

One (The One in philosophy)

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references.

Nota di contenuto

Introduction: The gnostic background of Plotinus's mysticism -- The structure of Plotinus' ascent to mystical union with the One -- The identity of prenoetic and hypernoetic subjects in Plotinus -- "The way of ascent is the way of descent" : the mechanism of transcendental apprehension in Platonizing Sethian Gnosticism -- Conclusion: Dissolving boundaries.

Sommario/riassunto

In The Platonizing Sethian Background of Plotinus's Mysticism , Zeke Mazur offers a radical reconceptualization of Plotinus with reference to Gnostic thought and praxis. A crucial element in the thought of the third-century CE philosopher Plotinus-his conception of mystical union with the One-cannot be understood solely within the conventional history of philosophy, or as the product of a unique, sui generis psychological propensity. This monograph demonstrates that Plotinus tacitly patterned his mystical ascent to the One on a type of visionary ascent ritual that is first attested in Gnostic sources. These sources include the Platonizing Sethian tractates Zostrianos (NHC VIII,1) and Allogenes (NHC XI,3) of which we have Coptic translations from Nag



Hammadi and whose Greek Vorlagen were known to have been read in Plotinus's school.