Part of the Royal Institute of Philosophy's London Lecture series: The History of Philosophy.
Plotinus, the last Greek philosopher of genius, grappled with the equivocal existence of matter (hyle). Focusing on his treatise Ennead 2,4, I will explore the following six claims that he makes concerning matter, raising questions about their consistency and their possible anticipation of Berkeleyan idealism.
1. Matter is purely potential being.
2. Matter is a necessary constituent of all substances, including Intelligible Forms.
3. Matter is the foundation for body and perceptible things.
4. Matter is actual non-being.
5. Matter is absolute negativity, privation, and indefiniteness.
6. Matter is absolute badness.
Filmed on 31st October, 2014