At its core, "An Essay on the Beautiful" is about understanding the nature of beauty not as a superficial quality, but as a reflection of the divine. Plotinus argues that beauty isn’t found *in* objects themselves, but rather emanates *from* The One, a transcendent, perfect, and unknowable source. This emanation flows downwards through various levels of reality – Intellect, Soul, and Matter – becoming less pure and less visible as it descends. The book explores how we perceive beauty, why it evokes such powerful emotions within us, and how striving for beauty can lead us closer to spiritual enlightenment. Taylor organizes Plotinus' fragmented writings into a somewhat coherent argument, focusing on the ascent of the soul towards union with The One through contemplation of beauty.
