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Plotinus and Neoplatonism

Plotinus and Neoplatonism. Historical Origin. Alexandria Egypt 3 rd century CE. Roman philosopher Plotinus 204 – 270 CE. Synthesis of the tradition of Greek philosophical inquiry, especially Plato’s metaphysics.

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Plotinus and Neoplatonism

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  1. Plotinus and Neoplatonism

  2. Historical Origin Alexandria Egypt 3rd century CE Roman philosopher Plotinus 204 – 270 CE Synthesis of the tradition of Greek philosophical inquiry, especially Plato’s metaphysics Iamblichus and Porphyry succeeded Plotinus and transmitted Plotinus’ neoplatonist system to subsequent generations. Porphyry edited Plotinus’ writings into six books called the Enneads.

  3. Two Main Theses of Neoplatonism Absolute Transcendence The One Emanationism The Many

  4. God is the One Beyond Being

  5. Finitely Bound Character of Being “Being” is derived from and applies to things of sense experience: the realm of finite, individual, changing things. God is necessarily above the finite things of sense experience and so must be above being. Unity of God Since multiplicity is a feature of finite things, God must be one. God is the One, since God is not a single or individual thing, nor can God be divided into parts. Via Negativa Nothing can be positively predicated of God since this would entail multiplicity (substance and properties). We can only deny of God things that are true of finite things. Immaterial = not material; one = not many; eternal = not temporal, etc.

  6. Emanationism God’s transcendence implies that God cannot be part of the universe. Pantheism is rejected. God cannot freely create the universe through an act of will. Theistic creationism is rejected. Why does Plotinus reject these options? If God is part of the universe or freely creates the universe, then God undergoes change. Plotinus’ Third Option The universe proceeds from God by necessity and by a chain of various intermediaries.

  7. The Metaphysical Principle It is necessary that the less perfect proceed from the more perfect.

  8. The One Nous (Mind) World Soul Individual Souls Physical Universe

  9. The One Nous has the One and itself as the object of immediate apprehension. Nous contains the Forms. The World Soul is the link between Nous and the sensible world. Individual Souls Physical Universe

  10. Sun Analogy . As the rays of the sun co-exist with the sun but emanate necessarily from it, so also the cosmos co-exists with the One but emanates necessarily from it.

  11. The cosmos must be eternal. Order never comes into existence. It has always existed. The cosmos is eternally dependent on the One via the ontological intermediaries.

  12. As the rays of the sun get further away from their source, the sun, they lose their brilliance. As intermediaries get further away from the One they become more imperfect. Evil is the absence of the good, an imperfection in things. Eventually, the rays fade into darkness.

  13. Purpose of Plotinus’ Emanationist Scheme To explain the existence of the cosmos, the physical universe characterized by plurality and change, without involving God – the One – in any kind of plurality and change That which ultimately explains something x must not itself raise the same causal questions. The explaining principle must be distinct from and beyond the features it tries to explain.

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