Steff: OK Sophi, I want to delve deeper into Neoplatonism. In our brief introduction to Plotinus, I gained the impression there’s much more to discover here. Start by giving me a more in depth look at Plotinus and his posits.

Sophi:

Introduction: A Mystic Mind in a Rational World

Imagine stepping into a world where philosophy intertwines with mysticism, where the pursuit of the divine is as rational as it is spiritual. This is the world of Plotinus, an ancient philosopher who might not be as household a name as Plato or Aristotle, but whose ideas have echoed through time, influencing thinkers, mystics, and even poets. Born in the 3rd century in Egypt and later flourishing in Rome, Plotinus was the father of Neoplatonism, a rich and complex philosophical system that sought to synthesize Plato’s teachings with a profound spiritual quest.

Summary: The Core of Plotinus’s Philosophy

Plotinus’s philosophy revolves around three primary concepts: The One, the Intellect, and the Soul. Each represents a distinct level of reality and consciousness.

1. The One: Beyond all categories of being and non-being, The One is the ultimate principle, an ineffable source of all existence.
2. The Intellect: It’s where The One becomes many, the realm of Forms or Ideas, akin to Plato’s ideals.
3. The Soul: This bridges the material world with higher realms, striving for a return to the divine.

Philosophies or Ideologies: Delving Deeper

The One: To understand The One, imagine a light so bright that it’s beyond visibility. The One is the source of all, but paradoxically, it’s beyond all attributes, even existence itself. It’s not a being but rather the very principle of being, akin to the sun which illuminates yet remains distinct from what it illuminates.

The Intellect: Here, Plotinus takes us into a realm resembling Plato’s world of Forms. But in Plotinus’s view, these Forms aren’t mere abstract patterns; they’re alive, dynamic, and interrelated, existing in a state of perfect knowledge. Picture a cosmic mind containing all ideas in a harmonious system.

The Soul: The Soul in Plotinus’s philosophy is both individual and universal. It’s our innermost essence, yet also a part of a larger, all-encompassing world soul. Envision a river branching from a great sea, each drop retaining its identity yet part of a greater whole, constantly drawn back to its source.

Legacies and Modern Context

Plotinus’s ideas didn’t just echo in antiquated halls. They laid foundational stones for Christian and Islamic mysticism, influenced Renaissance thinkers, and resonate in modern metaphysical and psychological theories. His conceptualization of ‘The One’ foreshadows modern notions of a unified reality in quantum physics, and his understanding of the soul has parallels in Jungian psychology.

Steff:

Explain The One in more detail please! What is the one?

Sophi:

“The One” in Plotinus’s philosophy is a complex and profound concept, central to his metaphysical system. To understand it, we need to approach it not just as a philosophical idea but almost as a mystical or spiritual principle. Here’s a more detailed look at “The One”:

1. Beyond Definition: The One is the ultimate principle in Plotinus’s philosophical system, but it defies all conventional definitions. It is not a physical entity, nor is it a being in the traditional sense. It’s beyond existence and non-existence, beyond thought and language. The One is so transcendent that even attributing existence to it is considered limiting.
2. Source of All: Despite being indefinable and transcendent, The One is the source of everything that exists. Plotinus uses the metaphor of light emanating from the sun to describe how everything emanates from The One. Just as the sun itself is not diminished by the light it emits, The One is not lessened or changed by emanating reality.
3. Unity and Multiplicity: In Plotinus’s view, the entire cosmos and all levels of reality emanate from The One. This emanation creates a hierarchy of being, from the most divine (The One) to the least (the physical world). However, despite the appearance of multiplicity and diversity in the world, all things ultimately are unified in The One. It’s the principle of unity that underlies all diversity.
4. A Goal of Spiritual Ascent: For Plotinus, the ultimate goal of the soul is to achieve union with The One. This is a mystical or spiritual ascent, where the soul transcends the material world and its own intellectual understanding to experience a direct, ineffable union with this ultimate principle. This ascent requires philosophical understanding but goes beyond it into the realms of mystical experience.
5. Influence on Later Thought: The concept of The One had a significant influence on Christian and Islamic mysticism and the development of medieval philosophy. The idea of a transcendent, ineffable ultimate reality or God, which is the source of all being and towards which the soul strives, has roots in Plotinus’s conception of The One.

Basically, The One in Plotinus’s philosophy is the transcendent source and goal of all existence, beyond all understanding and definition, and the ultimate object of the soul’s longing and spiritual ascent.

Steff:

OK, what about the intellect… how exactly does that relate to Plato’s “Forms”?

Sophi:

Plotinus’s concept of the Intellect (or Nous) is central to his philosophy, and it closely relates to Plato’s theory of Forms, but with some key distinctions. To grasp how the Intellect functions in Plotinus’s system and its connection to Plato’s ideas, let’s break it down:

1. The Intellect as the Realm of Forms: In Plotinus’s philosophy, the Intellect is the second principle after The One. It’s the realm where the Forms or Ideas reside. This is similar to Plato’s theory, where Forms are perfect, eternal, and unchangeable archetypes of the various phenomena we experience in the physical world. For Plato, these Forms exist in an abstract, transcendent realm of their own.
2. The Living Nature of Forms in Plotinus’s Intellect: While Plato described Forms as static and separate from the physical world, Plotinus envisioned the Forms in the Intellect as dynamic and interrelated. In his view, the Forms are not just patterns but are alive, encompassing both the ideas of things and their interrelations. The Intellect, therefore, is not just a repository of static templates but a living, thinking entity.
3. The Emanation from The One: Plotinus posits that the Intellect emanates from The One. This emanation is not a creation in the sense of making something from nothing, but more of an overflowing of the perfection of The One. The Intellect, being the first emanation, is the closest in perfection to The One and contains within it the totality of Forms.
4. The Process of Self-Reflection: In Plotinus’s view, the Intellect comes into being through a process of self-reflection. It’s as if The One, in contemplating itself, generates the Intellect. This self-contemplation produces the Forms, which are the thoughts of the Intellect. Thus, the Forms are both the thoughts of the Intellect and the substance of which it is made.
5. The Bridge Between The One and the Soul: The Intellect serves as a critical intermediary between the undifferentiated unity of The One and the multiplicity of the Soul and the material world. It’s through the Intellect that the unity of The One gives rise to the diversity of forms and beings in the world.

So, while Plotinus was heavily influenced by Plato, his concept of the Intellect and its Forms represents a significant development of Plato’s ideas. For Plotinus, the Forms are dynamic, interrelated, and constitute the very substance of the Intellect, which itself emanates from and reflects The One. This makes the Intellect a living, active principle, central to the structure and functioning of reality in Neoplatonism.

Steff:

Is Plotinus then suggesting the Soul is like the connection between these or to the physical world? Plato viewed the physical world as “flawed”. How does Plotinus approach this?

Sophi:

Yes, in Plotinus’s philosophy, the Soul plays a crucial role as the intermediary between the higher realms of The One and the Intellect, and the physical world. Plotinus’s view of the physical world and its relationship with the Soul is nuanced and reflects both continuity and divergence from Plato’s ideas.

The Soul as Mediator: In Plotinus’s system, the Soul emanates from the Intellect, inheriting the Forms or Ideas, and then descends into the material realm. The Soul’s role is to bridge the gap between the intelligible world (the realm of The One and the Intellect) and the sensible world (the physical universe). It’s the means through which the Forms manifest in the physical world.

The Descent of the Soul: Plotinus envisages the descent of the Soul into the material world not as a fall or punishment but as a natural extension of the emanative process that begins with The One. The Soul’s descent is necessary for the actualization of the potentialities contained in the Forms. However, in this process, the Soul can become entangled in the material world, forgetting its divine origin and purpose.

The Physical World in Plotinus’s View: While Plato often characterized the physical world as a flawed and imperfect copy of the world of Forms, Plotinus offers a more nuanced view. He sees the material world as a manifestation of the higher principles (The One and the Intellect) but acknowledges that it is the furthest removed from the purity and perfection of The One. The physical world, in Plotinus’s system, is not inherently flawed or evil; rather, it is a dimmer reflection of the divine.

The Return of the Soul: A central theme in Plotinus’s philosophy is the Soul’s journey back to its source. This involves a process of spiritual ascent, where the Soul seeks to return to the Intellect and ultimately to The One. This ascent requires the Soul to turn inward, away from the distractions and attachments of the physical world, and to remember and re-establish its connection with the higher realms.

The World as a Living Being: Unlike Plato, who saw the physical world as merely a shadowy representation of the Forms, Plotinus views the entire cosmos as a living, ensouled being. This holistic view places value on the material world as part of the divine emanative process.

Plotinus’s approach to the Soul and the physical world builds on Plato’s philosophy but introduces significant modifications. He sees the Soul as a vital link between the intelligible and the sensible, and while he acknowledges the limitations of the physical world, he views it as a necessary and meaningful part of the cosmic order, imbued with life and purpose as part of the divine emanation from The One.

Steff:

OK, did either Plato or Plotinus consider a higher being or God or was this “The One”?

Sophi:

Both Plato and Plotinus grappled with concepts that can be likened to a higher being or God, but their approaches and the context in which they did so were quite different. Understanding their respective views requires considering the philosophical and cultural contexts in which they worked.

• Plato and the Concept of a Higher Being: Plato’s dialogues occasionally reference gods and a higher form of good, most notably in his famous allegory of the sun and the idea of the Good in “The Republic.” However, it’s important to note that Plato’s concept of the Good is more an abstract principle than a personal deity. It represents the ultimate source of knowledge, truth, and reality. While Plato’s work influenced later religious and theological thought, his own views were primarily philosophical rather than theological in the modern sense.
• Plotinus and “The One”: Plotinus, on the other hand, developed a more explicitly metaphysical system in which “The One” is the foundational principle of all reality. The One in Plotinus’s thought can be seen as analogous to a concept of God, especially in its role as the ultimate source of all existence and the highest object of contemplation and unity. However, The One transcends the anthropomorphic characteristics often associated with the concept of a deity in Western religious traditions. It’s beyond all attributes and descriptions, including existence itself.
• The Influence of Hellenistic Thought: Both Plato and Plotinus were influenced by the religious and philosophical ideas of their times. In Plato’s case, this meant the polytheistic Greek religious tradition and the philosophical inquiries of his predecessors. For Plotinus, who lived in a later, more Hellenistic era, there was exposure to a broader range of influences, including possibly Eastern philosophies and the emerging monotheistic religions.
• Plotinus’s Influence on Later Theological Thought: Plotinus’s concept of The One significantly influenced later Christian and Islamic theological thinking. Christian theologians, especially those in the Neoplatonic tradition, often drew parallels between The One and the Christian concept of God. Similarly, Islamic philosophers found resonances with Plotinus’s ideas in their own theological explorations.

While Plato’s concept of the Good and Plotinus’s concept of The One bear some resemblance to notions of a higher being or God, they are primarily philosophical constructs rooted in their respective metaphysical systems. Plotinus’s The One comes closer to what might be considered a deity in later religious thought, particularly in its role as the absolute principle from which all reality emanates.

Steff:

Interesting – so, could it be said that the ancient Greek philosophers indirectly influenced many of today’s laws based on Christian and/or Islamic teachings on morality?

Sophi:

Yes, it can be argued that ancient Greek philosophers, including Plato and later thinkers like Plotinus, indirectly influenced many of today’s laws and moral principles, particularly those rooted in Christian and Islamic teachings. This influence is a result of the integration and adaptation of Greek philosophical ideas into the theological and moral frameworks of these religions, which in turn have played a significant role in shaping legal and moral systems in various cultures. Here’s how this influence unfolded:

1. Integration of Greek Philosophy into Christianity: Early Christian thinkers, such as Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas, were heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. Augustine integrated Neoplatonic ideas, which were directly influenced by Plotinus, into Christian theology. Aquinas later incorporated Aristotelian philosophy into Christian doctrine. These integrations helped shape Christian moral and theological principles, which have had a profound influence on Western legal systems and moral codes.
2. Influence on Islamic Thought: Greek philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle, also profoundly influenced Islamic philosophy and theology. Islamic scholars like Al-Farabi, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), and Averroes (Ibn Rushd) engaged deeply with Greek philosophical texts, integrating and reinterpreting them within an Islamic context. This engagement influenced Islamic jurisprudence and moral philosophy.
3. Development of Natural Law Theory: The concept of natural law, a significant element in Western legal thought, has its roots in Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of Aristotle and the Stoics. This concept was further developed by Christian philosophers, integrating theological perspectives with philosophical ones. Natural law theory posits that certain rights and moral values are inherent in human nature and universally recognizable through human reason, influencing the development of human rights concepts and constitutional laws.
4. Moral and Ethical Teachings: Many moral and ethical teachings in Christianity and Islam, such as the importance of virtues, the pursuit of the good life, and ethical conduct, bear the influence of Greek philosophical thought. While the religious doctrines added new dimensions and divine mandates, the underlying philosophical reasoning often reflects a Greek influence.
5. Cultural and Historical Transmission: The transmission of Greek philosophical ideas through the ages, particularly during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, further cemented their influence on modern legal and moral principles. The revival of classical learning during these periods re-introduced Greek philosophical ideals, which were then incorporated into the emerging modern legal and ethical systems.

While the direct influence of ancient Greek philosophy on modern laws and moral principles is mediated through various religious, cultural, and historical processes, its indirect impact is significant. The philosophical groundwork laid by figures like Plato and Plotinus provided a conceptual framework that was later adapted and integrated into Christian and Islamic moral and legal thought, thereby influencing the development of contemporary legal and ethical systems.

Steff:

What do modern theologists and philosophers think about idea of The One?

Sophi:

• Modern theologians and philosophers exhibit a wide range of views regarding the concept of “The One,” as introduced by Plotinus and developed in Neoplatonism. The reception and interpretation of this idea vary significantly, reflecting the diverse philosophical and theological landscapes of the modern world. Here’s an overview of some of these perspectives:
•  Theological Appropriation and Critique: Some Christian theologians have appreciated the concept of The One as a precursor to Christian understandings of God, especially in terms of its transcendence and foundational role in existence. However, others critique it for not aligning with the personal, relational nature of God as depicted in Christian theology. In Islamic thought, aspects of The One can be seen as resonating with the Islamic concept of Tawhid, the absolute oneness of God, though Islamic theology emphasizes a more personal and law-giving aspect of God.
• Philosophical Inquiry and Dialogue: In philosophical circles, The One is often discussed in the context of metaphysical debates about the nature of reality, the foundation of existence, and the ultimate causes. Philosophers interested in metaphysics, especially those exploring issues related to monism (the idea that all is one) and panentheism (the idea that God is in everything but also transcends it), find Plotinus’s concept of The One a compelling point of reference.
•  Comparative Religion and Spirituality: Scholars in comparative religion and spirituality study The One as part of a broader exploration of mystical and transcendent experiences across different religious traditions. The idea of an ineffable, ultimate reality that is the source of all being finds parallels in various spiritual and mystical traditions, leading to dialogues about the universality of such concepts.
•  Secular and Scientific Critiques: From a secular or scientific viewpoint, the concept of The One is often seen as a metaphysical construct without empirical basis. Critics in these fields may view it as a product of human imagination or an attempt to explain the mysteries of existence in a pre-scientific era. However, some scientists and philosophers who are open to metaphysical speculation might see value in considering such concepts as philosophical hypotheses about the nature of reality.
•  Contemporary Neoplatonism and New Age Thought: There’s a revival of interest in Neoplatonism within certain contemporary philosophical and spiritual circles, including New Age movements. Here, The One is often interpreted in ways that emphasize interconnectedness, spiritual transcendence, and the holistic nature of the cosmos.
•  Eclectic and Personal Interpretations: In the pluralistic context of modern thought, individual thinkers and spiritual seekers might draw on the concept of The One in eclectic ways, integrating it with other philosophical, spiritual, or psychological ideas according to their personal worldviews and experiences.

In short the modern reception of The One is as varied as the philosophical and theological landscape of our time. It continues to be a point of interest and debate, inspiring a range of interpretations and discussions that reflect the complexity and diversity of contemporary thought.

Steff:

And, no doubt, forever will be. There’s much to discuss later!

Sophi:

Absolutely

Steff:

And a call out to our readers… please feel free to join the conversation. Comment below or contact us.

Sophi:

Or ask me in my chatbot!