Nicola Spanu | Independent Researcher (original) (raw)
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The Concept of Evil in the Chaldean Oracles, 2019
The Chaldean Oracles constitute a collection of 227 fragments in Greek hexameter verse written in... more The Chaldean Oracles constitute a collection of 227 fragments in Greek hexameter verse written in the late 2 nd century and which have reached us through quotations by mainly Neo-Platonic philosophers (in particular Proclus and Damascius); the more recent edition of the Oracles was published by Édouard des Places in 1971. The Chaldean Oracles were believed by Neo-Platonists to be revealed by the gods to their earthly representatives, Chaldean initiates called 'theurgists', or 'those who are capable of operating on the gods'. Although the complete text of the Oracles is lost as well as the treatises that Neo-Platonist philosophers like Porphyry, Iamblichus and Proclus wrote to elucidate their sometimes-obscure content, some fragments have been preserved which deal specifically with the problem of evil, both in general terms and with particular attention to the obstacles this poses to the theurgist's objective of becoming 'like God' (Thaetetus, 176 B). This paper will analyze existing Chaldean fragments, trying to reconstruct the way in which evil was conceived of by the Oracles and how they believed man could avoid its negative and destructive influence.
The paper will compare Pseudo-Kaisarios’ and Cosmas Indicopleustes’ exegesis of some passages fro... more The paper will compare Pseudo-Kaisarios’ and Cosmas Indicopleustes’ exegesis of some passages from the first three chapters of the book of Genesis as it was carried out in their extant works: Pseudo-Kaisarios’ Erotapokriseis or ‘Questions-and-Answers’, consisting of 218 questions-and-answers arranged in the form of a fictitious dialogue between a master of Christian doctrine (Kaisarios, Gregory of Nazianzus’ brother) and his own disciples; Cosmas’ Christian Topography, a description of the known world and of the creation of the world. In assessing the cosmological doctrines of the two authors, the paper will also identify similarities in the way in which they interpret their main Patristic sources, Severian of Gabala and Basil of Caesarea
The paper will reconstruct Evagrius’ and John Cassian’s doctrines concerning the practice of unce... more The paper will reconstruct Evagrius’ and John Cassian’s doctrines concerning the practice of unceasing prayer and it will describe how the two authors’ quest for the development of a praying method that allowed them to overcome the negative in-fluence of intrusive thoughts has led them to carry out a detailed investigation of how the human psyche operates. Possible similarities and differences between the two authors’ views on this topic will be assessed. By focusing on describing in detail the method of unceasing prayer, the paper will shed light on a branch of Patristic Studies that needs further investigation, that is, the specific techniques that the De-sert Fathers recommended to their followers in order to transcend the limitations of human nature and come closer to the ultimate goal of union with God.
Abstract: In Ennead II 9 [33] 17 9-10 [Henry-Schwyzer] Plotinus says that, ‘there (in the intelli... more Abstract: In Ennead II 9 [33] 17 9-10 [Henry-Schwyzer] Plotinus says that, ‘there (in the intelligible world) magnitude manifests itself as (pure) power, while it appears as mass in the sensible world’ (τὸ γὰρ ἐκεῖ μέγα ἐν δυνάμει ἐνταῦθα ἐν ὄγκῳ).
The paper will explain what this expression means and point out the importance it could have for a profounder understanding of the fundamental tenets of Plotinus’ metaphysics.
In particular, the paper will assess whether the relationship between the material and the spiritual/intelligible dimensions can be understood more precisely by making use of the concept of ‘power’ to explain the formation of the primordial matter by the ‘shaping power’ emanated from the ideas of the intelligible world. In order to reach this goal, all occurrences of the term ‘power’ (δύναμις) in the Enneads will be duly assessed and discussed; the same will be done with regard to the term ‘mass’ (ὄγκος) and ‘magnitude’ (τὸ μέγα).
On the basis of the results of the research carried out, the paper will be able to judge the thesis that the interaction of the concepts of ‘power’, ‘mass’ and ‘magnitude’ can shed a better light on Plotinus’ conception of the formation of the material dimension by the intelligible one.
This paper aims at providing valuable insight into a topic which has not yet been sufficiently st... more This paper aims at providing valuable insight into a topic which has not yet been sufficiently studied: the magical and exorcistic practices of those disciples of Plotinus whom in Ennead II 9 [33] he criticizes for interpreting Plato in a dualistic or 'Gnostic' fashion.
The object of this essay is to provide valuable insight into the discussion arisen inside Platoni... more The object of this essay is to provide valuable insight into the discussion arisen inside Platonic circles, in particular Numenius' and Plotinus' (with special attention to the position of Plotinus' 'Gnostic' 1 disciples) about the true nature of the Intellect (noÕv). The choice of Numenius' position as term of comparison with the doctrines of the Intellect developed by Plotinus and his 'Gnostic' pupils is grounded on the fact that both Numenius, Plotinus and the latter's 'Gnostic' disciples developed their understanding of the nature of the Intellect on the basis of their interpretation of Plato's Timaeus 39E 7-9.
Drafts by Nicola Spanu
![Research paper thumbnail of A Late Antique Debate on the material World: Plotinus' Discussion with the Gnostics in Ennead II 9 [33] (unpublished paper)](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/37873855/thumbnails/1.jpg)
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The Erotapokriseis, dated by its modern editor, Rudolf Riedinger, from the second half of the six... more The Erotapokriseis, dated by its modern editor, Rudolf Riedinger, from the second half of the sixth century, 1 is a Greek text which consists of 218 questions and answers on several topics, from theological and Biblical inquiries to cosmological, geographical, physical, anthropological, astrological and magical ones. The text has come to us under the name of Kaisarios, the brother of Gregory of Nazianzus. However, since the seventeenth century it has been perfectly clear to scholars who have had the opportunity to look at the text closely that this could not have been written by Gregory's brother, who lived in the fourth century, but must be dated back to a much later date. 2
Il lettore astuto noterà dal tono fortemente intemperante di questo articolo che esso è stato scr... more Il lettore astuto noterà dal tono fortemente intemperante di questo articolo che esso è stato scritto più sulla spinta di uno stato di rabbia che di dolore. Mi chiedo perché gli alfieri del libero scambio come l'Economist siano in grado di identificare correttamente ciò che sta alla base dell'odierno malessere economico e sociale, ovverosia la globalizzazione, mentre la sinistra non fa altro che razzolare all'interno dei confini della politica nazionale, alzando un polverone in merito a specifiche posizioni di politica interna, come per esempio: rallentare la velocità dei tagli; tasse più giuste di contro alle attuali politiche di delocalizzazione di banche e aziende; può Ed 2 parlare più "terra-terra", etc.? 3 Siamo in un periodo che richiede un ripensamento dei termini del dibattito, precedentemente definiti da personaggi del calibro di Keynes e Beveridge. Le "placche tettoniche" economiche e sociali si stanno spostando rapidamente ed ora abbiamo l'opportunità di pianificare un futuro molto diverso ma allo stesso tempo migliore. Tre cose sono, o lo diventeranno molto presto, decisamente evidenti: in primo luogo, il potere economico si sta spostando verso l'Asia; in secondo luogo, la vecchia idea che possiamo essere competitivi nelle esportazioni al fine di dare una spinta alla nostra economia appare sempre più come un volersi arrampicare sugli specchi; in terzo luogo, è ormai tempo di riconoscere che premere per un'apertura ancora maggiore dei mercati è un approccio fortemente démodé, che sta venendo sempre più messo in dubbio.
One of the fundamental elements of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is t... more One of the fundamental elements of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), which allows foreign companies to sue governments before an arbitration panel made up of corporate lawyers. The article presents two views which are highly critical of the ISDS though starting from different approaches.
Book Reviews by Nicola Spanu
The Classical Review, 2014
The Classical Review, 2014
Conferences by Nicola Spanu
Title Panel: "Neo-Platonic and Gnostic exegeses of late-antique divine revelations: Corpus Hermet... more Title Panel: "Neo-Platonic and Gnostic exegeses of late-antique divine revelations: Corpus Hermeticum, Chaldean Oracles, Gnostic revealed texts"
Deadline: February 24, 2020
All abstracts are due by February 24, 2019. Abstracts should be no more than one page, single spaced. Papers may be presented in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Greek. It is highly recommended that those delivering papers in languages other than English provide printed copies to their audience at the conference.
Abstracts to be sent to:
Nicola Spanu (nicspanu@gmail.com) & George-Florin Calian (calian_george-florin@alumni.ceu.edu)
The Concept of Evil in the Chaldean Oracles, 2019
The Chaldean Oracles constitute a collection of 227 fragments in Greek hexameter verse written in... more The Chaldean Oracles constitute a collection of 227 fragments in Greek hexameter verse written in the late 2 nd century and which have reached us through quotations by mainly Neo-Platonic philosophers (in particular Proclus and Damascius); the more recent edition of the Oracles was published by Édouard des Places in 1971. The Chaldean Oracles were believed by Neo-Platonists to be revealed by the gods to their earthly representatives, Chaldean initiates called 'theurgists', or 'those who are capable of operating on the gods'. Although the complete text of the Oracles is lost as well as the treatises that Neo-Platonist philosophers like Porphyry, Iamblichus and Proclus wrote to elucidate their sometimes-obscure content, some fragments have been preserved which deal specifically with the problem of evil, both in general terms and with particular attention to the obstacles this poses to the theurgist's objective of becoming 'like God' (Thaetetus, 176 B). This paper will analyze existing Chaldean fragments, trying to reconstruct the way in which evil was conceived of by the Oracles and how they believed man could avoid its negative and destructive influence.
The paper will compare Pseudo-Kaisarios’ and Cosmas Indicopleustes’ exegesis of some passages fro... more The paper will compare Pseudo-Kaisarios’ and Cosmas Indicopleustes’ exegesis of some passages from the first three chapters of the book of Genesis as it was carried out in their extant works: Pseudo-Kaisarios’ Erotapokriseis or ‘Questions-and-Answers’, consisting of 218 questions-and-answers arranged in the form of a fictitious dialogue between a master of Christian doctrine (Kaisarios, Gregory of Nazianzus’ brother) and his own disciples; Cosmas’ Christian Topography, a description of the known world and of the creation of the world. In assessing the cosmological doctrines of the two authors, the paper will also identify similarities in the way in which they interpret their main Patristic sources, Severian of Gabala and Basil of Caesarea
The paper will reconstruct Evagrius’ and John Cassian’s doctrines concerning the practice of unce... more The paper will reconstruct Evagrius’ and John Cassian’s doctrines concerning the practice of unceasing prayer and it will describe how the two authors’ quest for the development of a praying method that allowed them to overcome the negative in-fluence of intrusive thoughts has led them to carry out a detailed investigation of how the human psyche operates. Possible similarities and differences between the two authors’ views on this topic will be assessed. By focusing on describing in detail the method of unceasing prayer, the paper will shed light on a branch of Patristic Studies that needs further investigation, that is, the specific techniques that the De-sert Fathers recommended to their followers in order to transcend the limitations of human nature and come closer to the ultimate goal of union with God.
Abstract: In Ennead II 9 [33] 17 9-10 [Henry-Schwyzer] Plotinus says that, ‘there (in the intelli... more Abstract: In Ennead II 9 [33] 17 9-10 [Henry-Schwyzer] Plotinus says that, ‘there (in the intelligible world) magnitude manifests itself as (pure) power, while it appears as mass in the sensible world’ (τὸ γὰρ ἐκεῖ μέγα ἐν δυνάμει ἐνταῦθα ἐν ὄγκῳ).
The paper will explain what this expression means and point out the importance it could have for a profounder understanding of the fundamental tenets of Plotinus’ metaphysics.
In particular, the paper will assess whether the relationship between the material and the spiritual/intelligible dimensions can be understood more precisely by making use of the concept of ‘power’ to explain the formation of the primordial matter by the ‘shaping power’ emanated from the ideas of the intelligible world. In order to reach this goal, all occurrences of the term ‘power’ (δύναμις) in the Enneads will be duly assessed and discussed; the same will be done with regard to the term ‘mass’ (ὄγκος) and ‘magnitude’ (τὸ μέγα).
On the basis of the results of the research carried out, the paper will be able to judge the thesis that the interaction of the concepts of ‘power’, ‘mass’ and ‘magnitude’ can shed a better light on Plotinus’ conception of the formation of the material dimension by the intelligible one.
This paper aims at providing valuable insight into a topic which has not yet been sufficiently st... more This paper aims at providing valuable insight into a topic which has not yet been sufficiently studied: the magical and exorcistic practices of those disciples of Plotinus whom in Ennead II 9 [33] he criticizes for interpreting Plato in a dualistic or 'Gnostic' fashion.
The object of this essay is to provide valuable insight into the discussion arisen inside Platoni... more The object of this essay is to provide valuable insight into the discussion arisen inside Platonic circles, in particular Numenius' and Plotinus' (with special attention to the position of Plotinus' 'Gnostic' 1 disciples) about the true nature of the Intellect (noÕv). The choice of Numenius' position as term of comparison with the doctrines of the Intellect developed by Plotinus and his 'Gnostic' pupils is grounded on the fact that both Numenius, Plotinus and the latter's 'Gnostic' disciples developed their understanding of the nature of the Intellect on the basis of their interpretation of Plato's Timaeus 39E 7-9.
The Erotapokriseis, dated by its modern editor, Rudolf Riedinger, from the second half of the six... more The Erotapokriseis, dated by its modern editor, Rudolf Riedinger, from the second half of the sixth century, 1 is a Greek text which consists of 218 questions and answers on several topics, from theological and Biblical inquiries to cosmological, geographical, physical, anthropological, astrological and magical ones. The text has come to us under the name of Kaisarios, the brother of Gregory of Nazianzus. However, since the seventeenth century it has been perfectly clear to scholars who have had the opportunity to look at the text closely that this could not have been written by Gregory's brother, who lived in the fourth century, but must be dated back to a much later date. 2
Il lettore astuto noterà dal tono fortemente intemperante di questo articolo che esso è stato scr... more Il lettore astuto noterà dal tono fortemente intemperante di questo articolo che esso è stato scritto più sulla spinta di uno stato di rabbia che di dolore. Mi chiedo perché gli alfieri del libero scambio come l'Economist siano in grado di identificare correttamente ciò che sta alla base dell'odierno malessere economico e sociale, ovverosia la globalizzazione, mentre la sinistra non fa altro che razzolare all'interno dei confini della politica nazionale, alzando un polverone in merito a specifiche posizioni di politica interna, come per esempio: rallentare la velocità dei tagli; tasse più giuste di contro alle attuali politiche di delocalizzazione di banche e aziende; può Ed 2 parlare più "terra-terra", etc.? 3 Siamo in un periodo che richiede un ripensamento dei termini del dibattito, precedentemente definiti da personaggi del calibro di Keynes e Beveridge. Le "placche tettoniche" economiche e sociali si stanno spostando rapidamente ed ora abbiamo l'opportunità di pianificare un futuro molto diverso ma allo stesso tempo migliore. Tre cose sono, o lo diventeranno molto presto, decisamente evidenti: in primo luogo, il potere economico si sta spostando verso l'Asia; in secondo luogo, la vecchia idea che possiamo essere competitivi nelle esportazioni al fine di dare una spinta alla nostra economia appare sempre più come un volersi arrampicare sugli specchi; in terzo luogo, è ormai tempo di riconoscere che premere per un'apertura ancora maggiore dei mercati è un approccio fortemente démodé, che sta venendo sempre più messo in dubbio.
One of the fundamental elements of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is t... more One of the fundamental elements of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), which allows foreign companies to sue governments before an arbitration panel made up of corporate lawyers. The article presents two views which are highly critical of the ISDS though starting from different approaches.
The Classical Review, 2014
The Classical Review, 2014
Title Panel: "Neo-Platonic and Gnostic exegeses of late-antique divine revelations: Corpus Hermet... more Title Panel: "Neo-Platonic and Gnostic exegeses of late-antique divine revelations: Corpus Hermeticum, Chaldean Oracles, Gnostic revealed texts"
Deadline: February 24, 2020
All abstracts are due by February 24, 2019. Abstracts should be no more than one page, single spaced. Papers may be presented in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Greek. It is highly recommended that those delivering papers in languages other than English provide printed copies to their audience at the conference.
Abstracts to be sent to:
Nicola Spanu (nicspanu@gmail.com) & George-Florin Calian (calian_george-florin@alumni.ceu.edu)
Plotinus, Ennead II 9 33 'Against the Gnostics' - A Commentary, 2012
This book consists in a commentary and translation of Plotinus's Ennead II 9 [33], entitled by Po... more This book consists in a commentary and translation of Plotinus's Ennead II 9 [33], entitled by Porphyry Against the Gnostics. The commentary has tried to go beyond the traditional approach, based on the idea that Plotinus's Ennead II 9 is the theatre of the clash of two antithetical worldviews: the first, championed by Plotinus; the second, by his Gnostic disciples; on the contrary, the Ennead II 9 [33] represents a dialogue between a master of philosophy and his own disciples. Plotinus's disciples do not regard Gnosticism as distant from Plato. In contrast, Plotinus does not think that Plato is a precursor of Gnosticism, even if he is aware that his doctrines can be interpreted in a dualistic and Gnostic fashion. He agrees with his disciples that for Plato sensible and intelligible reality, as well as Soul and body, are different; however, Plotinus thinks that their different nature can be ultimately traced back to the same principle, namely being, which contains in itself all possibilities of existence. This is the true gnosis that Plotinus has tried to make his disciples obtain by writing the Ennead II 9 [33].
Proclus and the Chaldean Oracles, 2020