Porphyry Quotes
Porphyry of Tyre was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher and the most important pupil of Plotinus. He edited and arranged his teacher's writings into the Enneads, prefacing them with the Life of Plotinus, our principal source for the founder of Neoplatonism. The quotes below are attributed to Porphyry, organized by topic.
Porphyry on Knowledge
-
Attributed to Porphyry:
“Empty are the words of that philosopher which heal no human suffering.”
Porphyry on Mind
-
Attributed to Porphyry:
“The soul, when it has departed from the body, returns to its kindred essence.”
-
Attributed to Porphyry:
“The body is the cause of the most numerous and most pernicious distractions.”
Porphyry on Truth
-
Attributed to Porphyry:
“Let us look at things as they are, not as they appear.”
Porphyry on Virtue
-
Attributed to Porphyry:
“We must, therefore, separate ourselves from everything that we ourselves have added.”