"Plotinus on the Conception of Time (ennoia chronou). A Re-examination of Enn. 3.7(45).12." - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Article Dans Une Revue Methexis Année : 2021

"Plotinus on the Conception of Time (ennoia chronou). A Re-examination of Enn. 3.7(45).12."

Résumé

This paper aims to revisit a debated issue concerning the formation of the “conception of time” in Plotinus’ treatise On Eternity and Time. Over the last several years, studies have drawn attention to the fact that ennoia (“conception”) in Plotinus does not always refer to the existence of an innate notion in the soul, but that it can also refer to a conception that is formed empirically. However, it is unclear whether this holds true also for the conception of time. My claim is that, far from attributing an empirical origin to the formation of the ennoia of time, Plotinus is committed to distinguishing the ennoia of number, which measures times, from the ennoia of time in the proper sense. However, just as it is necessary to distinguish essential time from its manifestation, measured by the movements of the heavenly bodies, we must also distinguish the innate notion of essential number, which the soul naturally possesses in itself, from the notion of arithmetical number, obtained through the observation of discrete quantities. This paper thus proposes to read Enn. 3.7(45).12 in connection with the analyses developed in Enn. 6.6(34).4, which concern the ennoia of number.

Domaines

Philosophie
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Dates et versions

hal-03083988 , version 1 (20-12-2020)

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Alexandra Michalewski. "Plotinus on the Conception of Time (ennoia chronou). A Re-examination of Enn. 3.7(45).12.". Methexis, 2021, 33, pp.151 - 169. ⟨10.1163/24680974-03301008⟩. ⟨hal-03083988⟩
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