Between Heaven and Earth: The Human Being in Porphyry’s Conception

• Authors: Neacşu Adriana
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

For Porphyry, the human being is a compound of soul, its divine and immortal part, which represents the essence of man, and body, its perishable part, that is only the im-age of the soul, its headquarters and sensitive instrument. Man can achieve happiness only by a spiritual life, according to its nature, a life free of physical needs as much as it is possible. The methods used in this sense imply the weakening of the link between mind and body. In this way the soul of man returns to the sky, meaning the sphere of God, which is its native country.

Keywords

EN

human being; superior beings; Absolute Being; soul; body; god; animal; spiritual life; irrational life; happiness; Porphyry; Plotinus

• Publisher: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk; Fundacja Filozofia Na Rzecz Dialogu
• Journal: Dialogue and Universalism
• Year: 2015
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 45-56

Contributors

author

Neacşu Adriana

• University of Craiova, Romania