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Select Works of Plotinus · 1 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Select Works, Section 5

Section 1 1. Pleasure and distress, fear and courage, desire and aversion, where have these affections and experiences their seat? Clearly, either in the Soul alone, or in the Soul as employing the body, or in some third entity deriving from both. And for this third entity, again, there are two possible modes: it might be either a blend or a distinct form due to the blending. And what applies to the affections applies also to whatsoever acts, physical or mental, spring from them. We have, therefore, to examine discursive-reason and the ordinary mental action upon objects of sense, and enquire whether these have the one seat with the affections and experiences, or perhaps sometimes the one seat, sometimes another. And we must consider also our acts of Intellection, their mode and their seat. And this very examining principle, which investigates and decides in these matters, must be brought to light. Firstly, what is the seat of Sense-Perception? This is the obvious beginning since the affections and experiences either are sensations of some kind or at least never occur apart from sensation.
Themes
◆Active Contemplationpraxis

A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.

The passage discusses 'discursive-reason' and 'acts of Intellection' upon objects of sense, indicating a form of contemplative thought involving mental activity.

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◆Meditationpraxis

Disciplined inward attention — sitting, focused, or open-awareness practice — as a stand-alone term that umbrellas active_contemplation, inner_silence, and dhyana-style sitting.

The text describes a disciplined intellectual inquiry ('examining principle', 'enquire') into the inner workings of the self and its faculties.

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◇Self Examinationpraxis

Daily review of thought and action as spiritual practice.

[auto] The passage explicitly calls for examining the seat of affections and bringing the examining principle itself to light.

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◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] The inquiry into the seat of affections and the nature of the examining principle constitutes an investigation into the true nature of the self.

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◇Tripartite Soulanthropology

Division of the human being into three principles: spirit (pneuma), soul (psyche), and body/matter (hyle or soma).

[auto] The text distinguishes between Sense-Perception, Discursive-reason, and Intellection as distinct faculties or seats within the human composite.

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Related passages · 5 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 6)
“2.) There existed in man also the third principle, wherein resides sensual desire. He was not endowed with this principle for the purpose of surrendering himself to it, but that he might introduce it into the light of God, and glorify Him…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the human soul, the body, and external influences. Passage A discusses the seat of affections and experiences in the soul and its interaction with the body, while Passage B examines the three principles in man (soul, sensual desire, and external world) and their harmonious or conflicting interactions.
◆platonism|Plato: Timaeus|Section 1
“And about all of them this has to be considered:-that the tendency of each towards its kindred element makes the body which is moved heavy, and the place towards which the motion tends below, but things which have an opposite tendency we ca…”
Both passages explore the nature of affections and experiences, particularly pleasure and pain, and their relationship to the soul and the body. They both delve into the mechanisms by which these affections are perceived and processed, though from different philosophical and mystical traditions.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter LXII — Of the Passions of the Mind, their Original Source, Differences, and Kinds|Chapter LXII, Section 1
“CHAPTER LXII. Of the Passions of the Mind, their Original Source, Differences, and Kinds . The passions of the human mind are nothing else but certain motions or inclinations proceeding from the apprehension of any thing, as of good or evil…”
Both passages explore the nature and classification of human passions and their origins, with Plotinus focusing on the seat of these affections and Spinoza categorizing them into different types based on their sources. They share a conceptual parallel in their examination of the mind's responses to sensory and intellectual apprehensions.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialoguef
“Here the eyes imprint upon the heart, that is upon the intelligence, and rouse in the will an infinite torment of love, where there is no pain because nothing is sought which is not obtained; but it is happiness, because that which is there…”
Both passages explore the relationship between the soul, the body, and higher intellectual or spiritual faculties. They discuss the seat of affections and experiences, and how the soul interacts with both the body and higher realms of existence, showing a conceptual parallel in their mystical traditions.
◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter VIII (part 1)
“p. 80 CHAPTER VIII Our receptive apparatus. Sensation. Perception. Conception. Intuition. Art as the language of the future. To what extent does the three-dimensionality of the world depend upon the properties of our receptive appara…”
Both passages explore the nature of perception and the seat of affections and experiences, examining how sensations and memories combine to form perceptions and concepts. They share a focus on the interplay between the psyche and the external world, though from different philosophical and mystical traditions.