History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 090 - A Decorated Corpse – Plotinus on Matter and Evil
26 snips
Jul 22, 2012 AI Snips
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Metaphysical Problem of Evil
- Plotinus's metaphysical problem of evil asks how evil can arise from a perfectly good first principle.
- This differs from the logical and evidential problems of evil focused on by contemporary philosophers.
Plotinus's Concept of Badness
- Plotinus is concerned with "badness" in a general sense, encompassing any defective state, not just moral evil.
- Ugliness is his most frequent example of badness.
Evil as Deficiency
- Plotinus argues that evil is not a thing in itself, but a lack or deficiency within something good.
- A sick giraffe is deficient, but its life and capacities remain good.