Original essays by leading scholars on Plotinus' philosophy of nature.This book advances an understanding of Plotinus' views on the natural cosmos and their relevance to natural philosophy and the development of science. The contributors confront issues concerning the presence of scientific principles and conceptions in Plotinus' writing, and discuss the degree to which Plotinus' views and methodologies incorporate aspects of how modern thinkers interpret science as well as areas currently thought of as physics and biology. The essays recognize and embrace the richness, subtlety, and complexity of Plotinus' Neoplatonism as expressed in his Enneads, even while illustrating its pertinence to natural philosophy and the historical development of scientific thinking.
