Neoplatonism (Noun)
Meaning
A system of philosophical and theological doctrines composed of elements of Platonism and Aristotelianism and oriental mysticism; its most distinctive doctrine holds that the first principle and source of reality transcends being and thought and is naturally unknowable; "Neoplatonism was predominant in pagan Europe until the 6th century"; "Neoplatonism was a major influence on early Christian writers and on later medieval and Renaissance thought and on Islamic philosophy".
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- Neoplatonism dominated the intellectual and spiritual landscape of the ancient Mediterranean world for several centuries.
- The writings of Plotinus, a Greek philosopher, represent the apogee of Neoplatonism, a complex system that blended elements of Platonism and Aristotelianism.
- Prior to the Christianization of Europe, Neoplatonism was the primary philosophical system in Western Europe.
- In the realm of Islamic philosophy, the teachings of Neoplatonism strongly influenced the concepts of God, the universe, and the nature of reality.
- The influence of Neoplatonism on early Christian writers can be seen in the use of philosophical language and imagery to describe the nature of God.