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This treatise sets out the case for the internality of Forms and argues for the necessary existence of an absolutely simple and transcendent first principle of all, the One or the Good. Not only Intellect and the Forms, but everything else depends on this principle for their being.

Ennead IV.4.30-45 and IV.5 retrieves the unity in this last section of Plotinus' treatise on "Problems concerning the Soul". Combining translation with commentary, Gurtler enhances both the accuracy of the translation and the recovery of Plotinus' often unsuspected originality. This is especially true for IV.5, where previous translations fail to convey the concise nature of his argument.

Ennead VI.8 gives us access to the living mind of a long dead sage as he tries to answer some of the most fundamental questions we in the modern world continue to ask: are we really free when most of the time we are overwhelmed by compulsions, addictions, and necessities, and how can we know that we are free? Can we trace this freedom through our own agency to the gods, to the Soul, Intellect, and the Good? How do we know that the world is meaningful and not simply the result of chance or randomness? Plotinus' On the Voluntary and on the Free Will of the One is a groundbreaking work that provides a new understanding of the importance and nature of free human agency. It articulates a creative idea of agency and radical freedom by showing how such terms as desire, will, self-dependence, and freedom in the human ethical sphere can be genuinely applied to Intellect and the One while preserving the radical inability of all metaphysical language to express anything about God or gods.

"A model of clarity and scholarly judiciousness. Although this treatise marks the culmination of Plotinus' remonstrations with the literature of his Gnostic friends, the introduction makes it clear that it is in fact directed, not to the Gnostics themselves, but to those of his students sympathetic with their views, and is part and parcel of a career-long dialogue with Gnostic thinkers and practitioners. Gertz's translation is lucid, and the commentary not only clearly explains difficulties in the Greek text for the non-Greek reader, but also clarifies the course of Plotinus' argument."--John Turner, Professor of Religious Studies, Classics, and History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln"Gertz captures with precision and eloquence the Neoplatonist's meticulous attempt to defend Platonism from Gnostic interpretation and appropriation. As the locus classicus for Plotinus' refusal to concede to the onto-cosmological pessimism of the Gnostics, this text highlights the Neoplatonist's argumentative skills as he relentlessly undermines their fundamental disdain for the cosmos, and the body in general. A must for scholars in the field of Gnosticism and later Greek philosophy."--Danielle A. Layne, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Gonzaga University"This treatise is about much more than Plotinus' refutation of the Gnostics--it is his case that a proper understanding of emanation and of the highest principles forces us to respect the sensible world as the best possible imitation of the intelligible world. Gertz's judicious analysis makes the full depth of Plotinus' thought accessible to a wider audience without getting bogged down in historical and philological minutiae."--Prof. Dr. James Wilberding, Ruhr-Universität Bochum Institut für Philosophie"Plotinus' Treatise33 offers the most detailed evidence of the philosophical debate between Pagans and Christians within the framework of a Platonic school at the beginning of the Christian era. I rejoice at Gertz's new translation and commentary which make connections both with the gnostic thought present in the indirect heresiological sources and in the direct sources, particularly in the new treatises discovered in 1945. The study of this debate in light of these new sources will bring a new appreciation of the importance of exchanges between philosophical schools and religious currents for the formation of philosophical thought in late antiquity."--Dr. Luciana Gabriela Soares Santoprete, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Institut für Philosophie, Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung

Originally written as a single treatise, this contains Plotinus' most general and sustained exposition of the relationship between the intelligible and sensible realms, addressing and coalescing two central issues in Platonism: the nature of the soul-body relationship and the nature of participation. Its main question is: How can soul animate bodies without sharing in their extension?

"Treatise V.1 is especially noteworthy because it provides an early (#10) well-organized overview of Plotinus' system as a whole. Perl's introduction is astute and helpful; the translation is judicious in formulation and responsive to a number of critical concerns; and the commentary is packed full of historical references and analytical details helpful to any serious reader. As a scholarly production, the work never loses sight of the central philosophical and spiritual aspirations of Plotinus. Perl meets the high standards of scholarship set by others in this series on the Enneads." --Donald Blakeley, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Fresno, and adjunct lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Hawaii, Manoa "Perl's translation and commentary on Ennead V.1 is written with both clarity and insight. This early treatise . . . serves as a solid introduction to Plotinus, but Perl's discerning commentary also gives the specialist much to think about." --Kieran McGroarty, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Ancient Classics, Maynooth University "Perl masterfully takes us through one of the most significant Plotinian treatises, wherein Plotinus relates the three chief existences in his philosophy (the Soul, Intellect, and the One), and gives us advice on the way in which our soul should make the ascent to the One. The introduction and synopsis are incredibly helpful for both the expert and neophyte; the translation is lucid and readable; and his commentary adeptly references Platonic dialogues for those who wish to compare these philosophers' views, while also covering essential details of the Greek for non-Greek readers. Perl's excellent work will only add to this series' already venerable reputation." --David J. Yount, Professor of Philosophy at Mesa Community College, and author of Plotinus the Platonist "An elegant and precise translation of what is perhaps the best of all introductions to the Plotinian corpus, accompanied by a commentary arguing persuasively that, for Plotinus, 'metaphysics is spirituality, and spirituality metaphysics.'" --Jean-Marc Narbonne, Professor and Canada Research Chair on the Critical Heritage of Antiquity and its Modern Reception, Université Laval

Originally part of a single work (with III.8, V.5, and II.9), it provides the foundation for a positive view of the universe as an image of divine beauty against the Gnostic rejection of the world.