Welcome to the community! This post addresses some concerns individuals may have. Feel free to join the community, and partake in philosophical discourse. This community is for the practice of philosophy. So get in here, and philosophize.

Concerns addressed:

1. For whom, and for what is the Plotinian Platonist Philosophy community?

2. What is philosophy, and how does one do philosophy?

3. What is the Plotinian Platonist Perspective?

4. What is Plotinian Platonist philosophy?

5. How may anyone become aware of what is referred to as “The One”, “The Intellect & Forms”, and “The Soul & Hyle”?

6. Is there a recommended perspective that is to guide one’s use of reason that one may use for the practice of philosophy?

1. For whom, and for what is the Plotinian Platonist Philosophy community?

The Community is for individuals of Plotinian Platonist Perspective to do philosophy, and also for individuals who are not of Plotinian Platonist Perspective to learn, to challenge, and to be critical of Plotinian Platonist philosophy.

2. What is philosophy, and how does one do philosophy?

If we accept that:

1. Philosophy literally means the “love of wisdom”.

2. Wisdom is insight.

3. Something is insightful relative to an end.

4. Philosophy is practiced by humans for what is of interest to humans.

5. If one loves something, then one seeks, and partakes in activity to “have it”.

Then it follows that philosophy is where an individual seeks, and partakes in activity to have insight relative to human interest.

And since one is able to become aware, verify, and to communicate & persuade the other of what one has become aware of via rational means; it follows that one does philosophy via the use of one’s rational faculty, and the consequent use of reason.

3. What is the Plotinian Platonist Perspective?

The Plotinian Platonist Perspective is that what is referred to by the concepts “The One”, “The Intellect & Forms”, and “The Soul & Hyle” are realities that are actual and “explanatory principles”.

What is meant by “explanatory principles” is that those things that are referred to are the reason why existence is the way it is.

These things that are referred to by the aforementioned concepts are understood to be able to be known via one’s being. This is because it is understood that if one is not able to become aware and verify the nature of existence via one’s being, then one would not be able to recognize and be aware of what the nature of existence is.

Finally, it is understood that one cannot find one’s enduring happiness in delusion; it is understood that the nature of existence is what should guide one and give one initiative to be.

Thus, it is understood that via the practice of philosophy and the intellectual virtue that is required to practice philosophy, one is able to become aware and verify the nature of existence for oneself; and thus via such awareness find initiative to be and thus via awareness will become.

4. What is Plotinian Platonist philosophy?

Plotinian Platonist philosophy is philosophy (as has already been defined) practiced from a Plotinian Platonist Perspective (as has already been outlined).

Humans have a number of interests. Interests that extend to the actualization of an enduring happiness, to matters of human existence; where one necessarily has to concern oneself with everything and anything that concerns what is, what can be, and what should be that is relevant to humanity’s existence.

And thus, depending on what the concern is, Plotinian Platonist philosophy may partake in discourse that falls under the categories of Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mind, Morality, Ethics, Beauty, Social & Political Philosophy, and Philosophy of Religion.

5. How may anyone become aware of what is referred to as “The One”, “The Intellect & Forms”, and “The Soul & Hyle”?

Via one’s being one is aware that one, and the universe one is in, is in a state of change. Our universe is a World of Becoming. But as much as it is in a World of Becoming, our universe has particular necessities and possibilities that make up our universe. The fact that our universe has particular necessities (and possibilities within those necessitates) allows us to have material science, make predictions via material science, and thus have technology. Thus, it is evident that our World of Becoming participates and communicates a particular World of Being.

Now, for our universe to exist, and to exist the particular way it does, there must necessarily exist that existence that is the substance (ground) of our universe’s existence, and also that which defines the particular World of Being that our World of Becoming is. That particular being that ideates our universe’s World of Being, and allows a World of Becoming to participate and communicate our universe’s World of Being is The Being.

Now, The Being itself needs a substance (ground) to exist. Just like The World of Becoming and The World of Being do; they find it in The Being. That existence that necessarily exists that allows all existence to exist is The Necessary Being. The Necessary Being is total and complete existence, and is totally independent. It exists because nothing cannot exist. All existence is dependent on it to exist.

Comprehending the aforementioned, one has understood some of the concepts that are of concern. “The One” is The Necessary Being. “The Intellect” is The Being. “The Forms” is The World of Being. The Hyle (materiality) is The World of Becoming.

Soul is what desire is. “The Soul” is the Principle of desire that finds enduring happiness by giving things their due; by finding its desire and satiation in the World of Being, and not in the World of Becoming.      

6. Is there a recommended perspective that is to guide one’s use of reason that one may use for the practice of philosophy?

The recommended perspective that is to guide one’s use of reason for the practice of philosophy finds precedence in Avicenna (Ibn Sina).

The perspective is that:

1. Awareness is either a concept, or a concept with a certitude about the veracity of the thing conceived.

2. Only what is necessary, and only what is possible within necessity can exist. If one conceives something. That thing that is conceived necessarily exists in actuality; does not exist in actuality, but may exist in actuality; or can never exist in actuality. And if a thing exists, it can only exist within the possibility of what it is.

3. What one conceives a particular thing is, and what the particular thing is: may be the same thing; because via a modal inference, one is able to have a sense of proportion, and get at what the thing is in itself that allows one to conceive what one does, and allows the thing in particular to be what it is. Basically, via modal inference about what is conceived, one is able to ensure that what is conceived is NOT NOT but what the thing conceived is. Basically, one is able to attain objectivity, and certitude about the veracity of what one conceives via a modal inference.

The aforementioned perspective that underlies one’s use of reason allows one to seek to become aware, to verify, and also the means to actualize a concept where one has certitude about the veracity of the matter conceived. And it will be the means that you may bring the other to the intellection of the matter like you find yourself having about the matter.