Later, the disciples of Plato, building upon their master’s teachings, established a new school of thought known as Neoplatonism (Ecole néo Platonienne). The followers of this new school, particularly Plotinus, further elaborated and clarified the theory of reincarnation. Plotinus compiled 64 treatises, each consisting of nine books, called the Enneads. In these writings, he repeatedly emphasized the concept of reincarnation. He considered it a belief acknowledged since ancient times and spread throughout the world. Souls that commit sins are punished in the underworld and, upon completing their sentence, are reborn into new bodies to undergo further trials.
In the ninth book of the second Ennead, he states: “The divine decree assigns to each of us a destiny corresponding to our actions in previous lives.”
Porphyry, a disciple of Plotinus, also rejected the notion of “degenerative reincarnation.” According to Porphyry, human souls, regardless of their sins, are always reborn as humans.
In summary, according to the beliefs of the followers of Pythagoras and Plato, there is no eternal punishment. All souls progress and evolve, and through their own efforts, they gradually advance towards final redemption.
Leave a Reply