In our search for Beauty, Plotinus starts at the lowest level of life: in this material world perceived by our material senses. Then we begin to explore the mechanism or processes by which we judge things to be beautiful, whether heard, spoken or perceived by sight.
When we have amassed enough criteria to ascertain beauty in the physical world, we turn to see if this process will also serve us when we seek to perceive beauty in our internal world. The idea of beauty in our inner world may seem novel and full of unknowns as we face a wilderness largely unexplored. Perhaps the reader did not realize there was beauty worth pursuing in the mental or spiritual world – until they return to the mundanity of this material world.
For there is a soul residing in each of us and in its infancy it resembles the ugly-duckling. It will not grow into a beautiful swan on its own – we must purify our inner world by leading a life of virtue. For virtues “are certain purgatives of the soul; and hence the sacred mysteries prophecy obscurely, yet with truth, that the soul not purified lies in Tartarus, immersed in filth.”
In pursuing this refinement of the soul we may see ourselves and others in a new way. If we are fortunate to know a great soul we may admire their manner, temperance and fortitude. “For what else is true temperance than not to indulge in corporeal delights, but to fly from their connection, as things which are neither pure, nor the offspring of purity? And true fortitude is not to fear death; for death is nothing more than a certain separation of soul from body, and this he will not fear, who desires to be alone.”
So we are shown a method or philosophy to purify our inner world in order to a realize the beauty that lies latent within. Like a sculptor, we chisel away at the useless until we are left with a beautiful swan, the ancient symbol of the soul.
“Magnanimity is the contempt of every mortal concern; it is the wing by which we fly into the regions of intellect? Thus we are lead to the last, • that” prudence is no other than intelligence, declining
subordinate objects-, and directing the eye of the soul To that which is immortal and divine.” And so the reader is led to realms of bear.” er e fo fore un imagined. But isn’t this an excellent outcome of reading, to discover something new about-ourselves and our latent potential. Became Be sure to read the excellent interdiction by Thomas Taylor, who goes to great lengths To prepare the modern reader for an ancient text, written for a different audience, addressing a philosophy more peculiar to their times than ours.