übersetzt den griechischen Text neu und erläutert die ihn wesentlich bestimmenden Begriffe und Denkformen. Es arbeitet den geschichtlichen Kontext des Begriffes "Selbsterkenntnis" im Blick auf die platonische Tradition heraus, trägt einiges bei zu einem verantwortbaren Begriff philosophischer Mystik und zeigt implizit auch wichtige Ansatzpunkte für die mittelalterliche und neuzeitliche Diskussion von "Selbstbewußtsein". The relation of self-knowledge and experience of the unity of the self's own and absolute ground is a central thought in the philosophy of Plotinus. In a movement of inner "ascent" thinking becomes aware of its own self - the thinking One in it. Plotin's imperative: "Let go of everything" points to the essentially processual character of philosophizing: at the end of the comprehending self-awareness developing in the course of the universal movement of abstraction stands the self-transgression of thinking as its utmost possibility, coming to it from its own ground of unity. This book analyzes this basic idea on the basis of an in-depth interpretation of Plotinus' Ennead V 3 ("On the Knowing Entities"), gives a new translation of the Greek text, and explains the concepts and forms of thought that essentially determine it. It elaborates the historical context of the concept of "self-knowledge" in view of the Platonic tradition, suggests a reasonable concept of philosophical mysticism and highlights important cues for the medieval and modern discussion of "self-consciousness".