Hylomorphism and causality of the intelligible. Plotinus and Alexander of Aphrodisias

In Enn., VI, 3 [44], 5 Plotinus outlines some doctrines regarding substance, inherence and predication. Such doctrines are similar to the anti-extensionalist reading of Aristotle's physical substance that was developed by Alexander of Aphrodisias against previous Aristotelian commentators (most notably Boethus of Sidon). The parallel between Plotinus and Alexander is striking: it can safely be inferred that Plotinus' discussion is based on that of the commentator. This, however, should not lead to assume that Plotinus simply follows Alexander, so that their theories of physical substance are identical. Instead, Plotinus aims to transpose the philosophical principles of Alexander's Peripatetic hylomorphism into a different doctrinal framework, where metaphysical premises involving the intelligible substances and their causality play a prominent role. As Plotinus shows in VI, 3 [44], the hylomorphic form is not a substance, but a bundle of accidental properties depending on an extra-physical substantial principle, i.e. the logos. The analysis of Alexander's and Plotinus' discussions of demiurgic causality lead to the same conclusions. Both philosophers criticize the demiurgic scheme of causality (something which is extremely surprising in the case of Plotinus the Platonist). It can reasonably be assumed that Alexander of Aphrodisias' treatment played a role in the genesis of Plotinus' view of causality. However, it is worth noting that the criticism of demiurgic causality has a quite different position within the systems of the two philosophers. Alexander rejects the presence of a demiurgic cause in favour of a cosmological conception of finalism, where natural recurrences (the regular character of the processes of coming to be and passing away, the perpetual existence of sublunary species) are regarded as depending on the cyclical motions of the stars. According to Plotinus, instead, the order of nature is completely caused by extra-physical principles; his criticism of demiurgic causality points to his doctrine of intelligible causes.