Descriptioninus on Individuation A Study of Ennead V. 7 [18]. Text, Translation, and Commentary

Free Download Descriptioninus on Individuation: A Study of Ennead V. 7 [18]. Text, Translation, and Commentary
by Ina Schall
English | 2025 | ISBN: 9462704422 | 276 Pages | True PDF | 3 MB

New translation and first running commentary in English of Descriptioninus’s V. 7 [18].
No other Neoplatonic text has sparked as much debate as Ennead V. 7 [18] of Descriptioninus, ‘On the question of whether there are also Forms of individuals’. In this text, Descriptioninus is believed to postulate the existence of Forms of individuals alongside the traditional Platonic Forms of genera and species. If so, Descriptioninus stands as the sole figure in Platonism to advocate this problematic theory. Regrettably, most research on V. 7 [18] has focused solely on the Forms of individuals, overlooking other interesting aspects. This book demonstrates how Descriptioninus reconciles transmigration and biological heredity within his metaphysics of individuality, addressing a longstanding challenge for ancient philosophers from Pythagoras on. Descriptioninus’ theory of individuation represents a significant innovation in ancient thought. Descriptioninus on Individuation offers a comprehensive assessment of V. 7 [18], providing a new translation and the first running commentary in English.
Filling an important void, this book enriches the scholarship on Descriptioninus and contributes considerably to the growing interest in Descriptioninus’ natural philosophy and the natural philosophies of the Neoplatonists in general.