The Perception of the Earth in Plotinus

Abstract

According to Plotinus’ philosophy of the soul, every soul cares for its respective body. While divine souls (the World Soul and the souls of celestial bodies) do this effortlessly and without interrupting contemplation, the less perfect bodies of human souls demand continuous perception and attention. Within this framework, the soul of the Earth presents a dilemma: Plotinus classifies it among divine souls, yet in his texts, he also attributes perception to it. Following a critical examination of previous interpretations, I argue that the Plotinian soul of the Earth does indeed perceive, but this differs from human perception in two key aspects: first, its care is bidirectional (extending to all living creatures on Earth as well); second, its perception is not “mixed” with the body, allowing it to perform its duty without emotional involvement. My main conclusion is that the soul of the Earth can be considered a kind of intermediate divine soul, positioned between higher-order divine souls and human souls.