Plotinus' Philosophy And Ancient Advanced Christian Theory

Western Ancient Philosophy after Aristotle is usually divided into two periods: Hellenistic Period and Late Antiquity. Hellenistic period is from Alexander's conquest in 334 B.C. to Octavian consolidating the whole Mediterranean area in 30 B.C., while late antiquity is from the beginning of Roman imperative to 6 century, just before the Middle Age. During the first two centuries, there were no strong thinkers in western world. Till the third century, Plotinus established Neo-Platonism, and he became the greatest Greek philosopher in Late Antiquity. After Plotinus died, his disciples founded Antioch and Athens Schools. Plotinus' affects even overstepped the pure philosophical field. In 4 & 5 century, the great Christian philosophers took up Plotinus' philosophy and shaped Christian Neo-Platonism. Cappadocian and Augustine's systems of thought represent the two paradigms of Greek and Latin Christian theology.Cappadocian Fathers, the three great thinkers of Greek Christian World in 4 C.E., are Basil(329/330-379), Gregory of Nazianzus(329/330-391) and Gregory of Nyssa(335-395). Basil and Gregory of Nyssa are brothers; Basil and Gregory of Nazianzus are close friends. They all are Cappadocians. Cappadocian Fathers review the theological debates between Nicene Fathers and Arianism since 325, and established Greek Christian theological paradigm in Late Antiquity. Augustine(354-430), on the other hand, is a post-Nicene and Post-Cappadocian Latin Christian thinker, and also a thinker of comprehensive expression who had most important influence in Latin Christian tradition. Augustine knew Cappadocian Fathers well, and he regarded them as his theological source. But because of Latin special Christian consciousness of theological problem, he established Latin Christian theological paradigm, which is different from Cappadocian paradigm.Both Greek Christian and Latin Christian theological paradigms in Late Antiquity are related closely with Plotinus' Neo-Platonism, their theologies are based on Plotinus' philosophy. The first part of Chapter One of this dissertation describes the transmission of Plotinus' philosophy and the situation of Neoplatonistic schools, reviewing the historical and textual relationships between these two Christian theological paradigms and Neoplatonism. In order to make further argumentation the Cappadocian Fathers and Augustine's theologies on the base of Plotinus' philosophy, we expound the originality of Plotinus' philosophy in the second part of Chapter One. Like Plotinus, Cappadocian Fathers regard theology as spiritual education from the ontological (Trinitarian) perspective. We also analyze Plotinus' great influence on Augustine's theology. During a long time, except Tertullian, there are almost no speculative theologies in Latin Christian tradition. From Plotinus' philosophy, Augustine created special theological way to express Latin faith norm. By the analysis of Plotinus' philosophical originality, we can hold the special skeleton of Christian paradigms in Late Antiquity and its relationship with Neo-Platonism. Further analysis made in Chapter two is about the relationship between Cappadocian Fathers and Greek Theological tradition, and the relationship between Augustine and Latin Christian tradition, elucidating their significance as theological paradigms of Greek and Latin Christian traditions.This dissertation discusses the theories of human being of Plotinus, Cappadocian Fathers and Augustine from the theory of Soul(chapter three), Free will(chapter four) and relationship between body and mind(chapter five). All three chapters focus on the theory of soul. In Chapter three we discuss their each expressions of intellective quality of Soul. Cappadocian fathers interpret the theory of intellect of soul from perspective of "Human being is made in the image of God",...