Alfonso Herreros

PhD project

Title: Selbsterkenntnis und Erkenntnis der ersten Prinzipien im Neuplatonismus [Self-Knowledge and Knowledge of First Principles in Neoplatonism]

The project investigates the ascent through self-knowledge in the neoplatonist commentary tradition. A person who knows themselves understands their own rational soul. The soul connects the material world with the transcendental plane and reflects the first principles. Through self-knowledge, one understands both the nature of reason and its priority above reality as well as its dependence on higher causes. Furthermore, self-knowledge shows our immaterial nature, which must be guided ethically by first principles. Psychology is thus a gateway to metaphysics and ethics.

The basic philosophical training in Neoplatonism consisted of the commentaries on Aristotle and Plato and thus in teaching the doctrine of principles to the still ignorant pupils. These texts therefore constitute an intellectual ascent which is still largely unexplored.