Type Four and The Enneads

Recently, for a grad seminar, I got to write a presentation incorporating Plotinus' Enneads. In the Enneads, Plotinus discusses virtue. Based on a small segment from Plato's Theaetetus, Plotinus expands upon an important distinction: civic virtue and divine virtue. In civic virtue, one does good deeds for the sake of reputation. In divine virtue, one must dispel the dark side within oneself in order for Godliness to emerge.

The path, Plotinus tells us, is through reason. By reason, one learns to restrain the passions. These include sensory passions, such as for fine foods or physical desires, but this also includes emotional passions, such as grief and anger.

This is a big challenge for Fours. Fours tend to feel the emotional passions quite intensely. Fours also can take refuge in the sensory passions. The grief of an ended relationship is both soothed and validated through a night drinking fine wine and imported chocolates. A passionate affair can serve to stimulate fantasy and intense emotions.

At the same time, feelings of grief, anger and shame can overwhelm objectivity. This can be anything from an inability to concentrate on work to an inability to put painful experiences into perspective on account of not stepping outside of the subjective standpoint.

Plotinus explains that when reason is employed, the involuntary passions become under reason's control. When this happens, wisdom is attained and godliness may emerge. Furthermore, his distinction between civic and divine virtue is useful for Fours to bear in mind. Fours when moving to One can become more productive, but the core image triad issues remain: to avoid feeling flawed and create a compensatory outer image that is better in some way. Plotinus is a reminder to Fours to reach for absolute virtue and not merely civic virtue.

Fours often will be drawn to philosophers such as Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, but this is probably not the best course for Fours: both can flatter the image as being deep, dark and complex. Rather, Fours would be better off pursuing serious contemplation of ancient Greek, as well as Medieval, philosophers. Here, the Four can benefit from the emphasis on rationality while being encouraged towards ethical actions.


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