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From Iamblichus to Eriugena was completed almost fifty years ago and, having been in considerable demand but out of print for many years, is here made available once more without substantial alteration. The original book described the metaphysical and theological system of later (post-Plotinian) Neoplatonism in one of its most important pagan forms and in one of its most significant Christian forms, striving thereby to depict the conceptual analogies and doctrinal intersections between these two often competing sets of ideas.
The reprint of this book includes a new introduction which is intended to be a substantial document in its own right. This provides a meta-critical analysis of the historical and conceptual method pursued in the original work, especially by drawing the reader’s attention to ideas, topics, and themes given less emphasis in the earlier text. The new introduction also inserts, at critical points in the discussion, bibliographical notices of the present author’s numerous more recent publications dealing with the same or similar issues.
The reprint of this book includes a new introduction which is intended to be a substantial document in its own right. This provides a meta-critical analysis of the historical and conceptual method pursued in the original work, especially by drawing the reader’s attention to ideas, topics, and themes given less emphasis in the earlier text. The new introduction also inserts, at critical points in the discussion, bibliographical notices of the present author’s numerous more recent publications dealing with the same or similar issues.
Price: $141.00
Pages: 22
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Series: History of Metaphysics: Ancient, Medieval, Modern
Publication Date:
08 April 2026
ISBN: 9789004755574
Format: Hardcover
"Stephen Gersh’s goal is to show that Marsilio Ficino’s commentary on Plotinus’s Enneads is not only a pivotal text in the early modern reception of Plotinus but also a cornerstone of Ficino’s philosophical thought. The absence of a detailed treatment of this text before now renders Gersh’s contribution all the more significant, as a comprehensive study of this lengthy commentary has long been overdue. [...] Gersh’s careful analysis reveals how, for Ficino, engaging with Platonic philosophy meant interpreting Plato’s writings mainly through Plotinus. The author demonstrates Ficino’s clear preference for Plotinus over other pagan authorities, such as Proclus or Iamblichus, largely due to the former’s metaphysical framework being more amenable to integration with Christian theology. [...] This book will appeal both to experts on Ficino and to those seeking a detailed introduction to his philosophy. Gersh’s work maintains the structure of Ficino’s original commentary while organizing it into a lengthy series of themes. [...] Beyond its historical and philosophical significance as the first extensive study on this commentary, Gersh’s publication also presents the reader with a rare combination of virtues. This makes it an indispensable resource not only for scholars in Renaissance philosophy but also for those interested in the history of metaphysics, psychology, epistemology, aesthetics, and theology, as well as those engaged with the history of ideas and the Renaissance developments of scholastic philosophy." - Álvaro José Campillo Bo, Accademia Vivarium novum, in: Speculum 101/2 (April 2026)
Stephen Gersh, Litt. D (2019), Cambridge University, is former Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge and Emeritus Professor of Medieval Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, Indiana. He has published many books on ancient, medieval, and modern philosophy.