Introduction

The extensive influence of Plotinus, the third-century founder of Neoplatonism, on intellectual thought from the Renaissance to the modern era has never been systematically explored. This collection of new essays fills the gap in the scholarship, thereby casting a spotlight on a current of intellectual history that is inherently significant.

Content and Scope

The essays take the form of a series of case-studies on major figures in the history of Neoplatonism, ranging from Marsilio Ficino to Henri-Louis Bergson and moving through Italian, French, English, and German philosophical traditions. They bring clarity to the terms Platonism and Neoplatonism, which are frequently invoked by historians but often only partially understood, and provide fresh perspectives on well-known issues including the rise of mechanical philosophy in the sixteenth century and the relation between philosophy and Romanticism in the nineteenth century.

Target Audience

The volume will be important for readers interested in the history of thought in the early-modern and modern ages.