Peter Adamson on Plotinus on Evil - Philosophy Bites
Linked site’s description: “Plotinus, who lived in the 3rd Century A.D., was the founder of neo-platonism. In this episode of Philosophy Bites Peter Adamson explains what Plotinus had to say about evil.”
This episode of Philosophy Bites explores Plotinus' perspective on the problem of evil, which differs from contemporary theological views. Plotinus, a 3rd-century philosopher and founder of Neoplatonism, believed that evil is not a positive force but a lack or absence of good, akin to holes in Swiss cheese. He argued that imperfection exists because physical objects are made of matter, a pure potentiality that can never be fully realized. Plotinus suggested that the presence of evil in the world is a consequence of the physical realm, where potentiality is actualized, unlike the intelligible world where everything is purely actual.
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