Description
The age of Late Antiquity (c.200-600 CE) was the time when the Roman Empire experienced radical changes in politics and religion. An increasing but divergent interest on magic and theurgy is observed in the leading philosophical schools of this period, particularly Neoplatonism. On the one hand, Plotinus supported the superiority of philosophical contemplation (theoria) over theurgy in soul’s purification and perfection. On the other hand, Plotinus’ pupil Porphyry followed a middle position: religious practices and not just philosophical contemplation is important for the salvation of the soul. Likewise, for some later Neoplatonists such as Iamblichus and Proclus, theurgy is regarded as superior to philosophical contemplation in the soul’s noetic ascent and salvation. This paper aims to offer a philosophical comparison between Plotinus and later Neoplatonists on the problem of theurgy and magic.| Period | 7 Apr 2011 |
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| Event title | Department of Media, Cognition and Communication |
| Event type | Conference |
| Organiser | Center for Neoplatonic Virtue Ethics |
| Location | Copenhagen, DenmarkShow on map |