Denis Walter

Michael Psellos ist ein Philosoph, der wie kein anderer für die byzantinische Epoche steht. Das Denken dieses Großintellektuellen – der in subtilen Auseinandersetzungen mit antiken und spätantiken Positionen in Theologie, Ontologie und Ethik eine selbständige christliche Philosophie formuliert – findet in diesem Band erstmalig eine monographische Gesamtdarstellung. Die Arbeit liefert durch ihren systematischen Charakter, durch die Einbeziehung bisher nicht interpretierter Texte, durch die Darlegung der bisherigen Forschungsergebnisse und durch die Aufdeckung von Traditioinslinien eine wichtige Grundlage für die weitere Erforschung der byzantinischen Philosophie.

The Byzantine philosopher Michael Psellos describes in his ethics two kinds of virtue: practical and intellectual virtues. Practical virtues are defined as a middle term between two extremes as is known from the Aristotelian tradition. His innovation is to define also a middle regarding the intellectual virtues. He says that the highest object of knowledge is not graspable for the human intellect because it exceeds his powers. Whoever strives to understand the highest object of knowledge, the essence of god, is determined to fail. Thus, the best objects that the human intellect can contemplate are situated below god, in the “middle”. The concept of the middle is thus present twice in Psellos’ ethics: once in the practical virtues and once in the intellectual virtues.

Among the Neoplatonists read by Byzantine thinkers, Plotinus does not rank first. He is surpassed by Proclus, who enjoys a livelier reception. Nevertheless, many Byzantines refer to Plotinus’ Enneads. In this chapter we present the impact he had on the Byzantines from the 5th to the 15th century, namely on John of Scythopolis, John of Damascus, Michael Psellus, Symeon Seth, John Italus, Michael VII. Doukas, Michael of Ephesus, Nicolas of Methone, Nicephorus Blemmydes, Theodorus II. Doukas Laskaris, Georgius, Pachymeres, Maximus Planoudes, Nicephorus Chumnus, Constantinus Akropolites, Theodorus Metochites, Nicephorus Gregoras, Palamas, Georgius Gemistus Plethon, Bessarion, Georgius Gennadius Scholarius, Michael Apostoles. What unites these very different thinkers is that they measure Plotinus, and ancient philosophy in general, by the standard of Christian teaching.