b. neo-platonic legacy

8/16/2019 b. Neo-platonic Legacy

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NEO-PLATONIC LEGACY

PLOTINUS


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BACKGROUND

1. Source

Our chief authority on the life ofPlotinus is the short biography

written by his disciple, Porphyrywho intimately knew thephilosopher during the last 6

years of his life.


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BACKGROUND

2. Biograpica! "a#a

$ %ir#- date: 20 !.". or 20# !.".

- place: possibly $unapius,

%ycopolis in $gypt

- parents: unknown

$"ea#: 2&0 !.".


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BACKGROUND

&. 'or() Te E**ea"+

- this work consists of a totalnumber of # treatises written indifferent years

- Porphyry di'ided the # treatisesinto 6 sets of ( which is the basis ofthe title gi'en to this work.

- )e**ea"+*: set of nine treatises.


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BACKGROUND

&. T,o Re!a#e" Ke Pro%!e+

$ /ir+#: re!igiou+ problem - concerns the destiny of the soul and

the means of restoring it to its original

state. $ +eco*": pi!o+opica! problem

- on the structure and rational

e+planation of reality


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BACKGROUND

$ I*#egra! re!a#io* %e#,ee* #e 2

pro%!e+ - to disco'er the principle of things, whichis the goal of philosophical inuiry, is atthe same time )the end of the ourney ofthe soul* to od.

$ T,o/o!" 0our*e o/ #e +ou!

- ac# o/ "e+ce*#: fall into the body, a lifeof forgetfulness of its real nature

- ac# o/ a+ce*#: ourney to od


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B. AIN TEACINGS

1. Tree Pri*cip!e+ o/ A!! Rea!i#ie+

$ /he Onethe ood, the 1ous, andthe oul

- the ood and the One areidentical

- the 1ous is Primary 3ntelligence

- the 4ni'ersal oul: the Principleof all life in 1ature.


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B. AIN TEACINGS

* Or"er o/ #e & Pri*cip!e+

/he One or the ood isprimary, followed by the 1ous or

5irst 3ntelligence, which isfollowed by the 4ni'ersal oul.

- this is the hierarchical order inthe intelligible sphere.


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B. AIN TEACINGS

2. La, o/ Ra"ia#io* o/ Per/ec#io*

)all things when they come to perfectionproduce.* 78, 9, 6

)$'erything that e+ists, as long as it

remains in being, necessarily producesfrom its own substance* 73bid

)!s long as they e+ist they diffuse

something from themsel'es around themwhich e'erything near them enoys*73bid


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B. AIN TEACINGS

2. La, o/ Nece++ar Ea*a#io*

)Each must give of its own being tosomething else. The Good will not be theGood, or Nous, Nous; Soul will not be

itself, unless after the primal life somesecondary life lives as long as the primalexists. ll things must exist for ever in

ordered dependence upon each other!those other than the "irst have come intobeing only in the sense of being derivedand dependent.# $%%, &, '(


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B. AIN TEACINGS

$ Ea*a#io* o/ Per/ec#io*

)3f the 5irst is perfect, the most perfectof all, and the primal Power, 3t must bethe most powerful of beings and the

other powers must imitate 3t as far asthey are able. 1ow when anything elsecomes to perfection we see that it

produces, and does not endure to remainby itself, but makes something else.*78,, ;end


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B. AIN TEACINGS

= Ea*a#io* o/ Per/ec#io* i+ a u*i3er+a!

pri*cip!e ) This is true not only of things which have choice

but of things which grow and produce withoutchoosing to do so, and even lifeless things,

which impart themselves to others as far as theycan. So )re warms, snow cools, drugs act onother things; everything seems to imitate the*rinciple as far as it is able by tending to

everlastingness and generosity. +ow then couldthe ost *erfect, the "irst Good, the *ower of allthings, remain in %tself as if %t grudged %tself orwas unable to produce +ow would it then stillbe the *rinciple


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B. AIN TEACINGS

&. Ea*a#io* /ro #e O*e

)>ow then do all things come from theOne, which is simple and has in 3t nodi'erse 'ariety, or any sort of

doubleness? 3t is because there isnothing in 3t that all things comefrom 3t: in order that being may

e+ist, the One is not being but theenerator of being. /his, we may say,is the first act of generation.* 78, 2,

9


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B. AIN TEACINGS

$ Te O*e i+ #e pri*cip!e o/ a!! %ei*g+

)3t is by the One that all beingsare beings, both those which areprimarily beings and those whichare in some way classed amongbeings. 5or what could e+ist if it

was not one? 3f beings aredepri'ed of what we call unitythey do not e+ist.* 783, (, 9


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B.AIN TEACINGS

Proce++ o/ Ea*a#io*

14 #e 5+upera%u*"a*#6 O*eo3er/!o,+ a*" pro"uce+ #e Nou+

) The ne, perfect because %t see/s nothing,

has nothing, and needs nothing,over0ows, as it were, and %tssuperabundance ma/es something other

than %tself. This, when it has come intobeing, turns bac/ upon the ne and is)lled and so becomes %ts contemplator,Nous

. %ts halt and turning towards the


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B.AIN TEACINGS

24 Te Nou+ pro"uce+ i#+ !i(e*e++7 #e

Sou! )2esembling the ne thus, 3ous

produces in the same way, pouring

forth a multiple power. 4ust as That5hich was before it, poured forth itsli/eness, so what 3ous produces is a

li/eness of itself. This activity springingfrom being is Soul, which comes intobeing while 3ous abides unchanged!

forNous

too comes into being while-


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B. AIN TEACINGS

&4 Te Sou! pro"uce+ i#+ o,* iage)

Se*+e a*" #e Pri*cip!e o/ Gro,# )@ut oul does not abide unchanged

when it produces: it is mo'ed and so

brings forth an image. 3t looks to itssource and is filled and going forth toanother opposed mo'ement generates itsown image, which is ensation and thePrinciple of growth in plants.* 78, 2, 9


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B. TE ONE or TE GOOD

8. 'a# i+ #e 9O*e:;

)Ahat then do we mean by BOne,Band how do we fit this 4nity into ourthought?... 3t is the greatest of all

things, not in siCe but in power3tmust be considered as infinite, notby unlimited e+tension of siCe or

number but by the unboundednessof 3ts power.* 783, (, 6


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a4 Te U*i# o/ #e O*e

)One might concei'e of >is unity interms of >is +e!/-+u//icie*c. 5or >emust be the most sufficient of all things,

the most independent, and the mostwithout wants. $'erything which ismultiple and not one is defecti'e, since itis composed of many parts. ubstanceneeds >im in order to be one: but >edoes not need >imselfD for >e is >imself.*783, (,6


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$ #e U*i# o/ #e O*e

3f then, as is in fact true, there must besomething +upree! +e!/-+u//ici*g, itmust be the One, which is the only /hing

of such a kind as not to be defecti'eeither in relation to 3tself or to anythingelse.

3t seeks nothing towards 3ts being or3ts well-being or 3ts establishment in 3tsplace. 3t does not deri'e 3ts being fromothers, for 3t is the Eause of the others*

783, (, 6


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B. TE ONE OR TE GOOD

%. Te O*e i+ *o# a #i*(i*g %ei*g

)3t is not thought, for there is nootherness in 3t3t would be ignorantbefore 3ts thought, and would need

thought to know 3tself, 3t which is self-sufficientF /here is no ignorance in 3tbecause 3t does not know or think 3tself,because ignorance is always of somethingelse, when one of two things does notknow the other.* 783, (, 6


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$ Te O*e a+ *o +e!/-(*o,!e"ge

)/he One will not need to be inuisiti'eabout 3tselfD for what will 3t learn bythinking? 3ts being belongs to 3t before

there is any thought. Gnowledge is a kindof wanting, and a finding by one who hasbeen seeking. /hat which is absolutelysimple remains turned towards 3tself and

does not seek to know anything about3tself* 78, H,90-99


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c4 Te Tra*+ce*"e*ce o/ #e ONE

)/he One is all things and not asingle one of them: for the ource of

all is not all thingsD yet 3t is allthings, for they all, so to speak, runback to 3t* 7$nneads, 8, 2, 9

- the One transcends yetencompasses all beings.


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$ Te O*e i+ a%+o!u#e! #ra*+ce*"e*#

)Ae must think of >im only as e+isting;the necessity of discussion compels usto attribute e+istence to >imim

at all, or uality eitherD for >e has no

form, not e'en intelligible form: nor is>e related to anything else, for >e e+istsin and by >imself before any other

thing.* 73bid


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$ a%+o!u#e #ra*+ce*"e*ce o/ #e O*e

)$'en when we call the One the Eausewe are not predicating any attribute of3t but of oursel'es, because we recei'e

something from 3t while 3t e+ists in3tself. trictly speaking, we ought notto apply any terms at all to it* 783, (,

H -the One transcends all thinking and

language.


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"4 #e O*e i+ *o# a* e++e*ce7 i+

i*"e/i*a%!e )/he One therefore must be without

form, and if 3t is without form is not an

essence: for an essence must be someone particular thing, something, thatis, defined and limited. @ut it is

impossible to apprehend the One as aparticular thingD for then 3t would notbe the Principle * 78, #, 6


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$ Te O*e a+ 9%eo*" %ei*g; )which of the things in it are you goingto say that the One is? ince 3t is none ofthem, it can only be said to be beyondthem. 1ow these things are beings, andbeing: so 3t is Bbeyond being.B /hisphrase Bbeyond beingB does not mean

that 3t is a particular thing--for it makesno positi'e statement about 3t. B@eyondbeingB is not 3ts nameD all it implies is

that 3t is Bnot this.* $6, 7, 8(

B TE ONE TE GOOD


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e4 Te O*e a+ #e Goo"

$ 9Goo"; i+ *o# a* a##ri%u#e )!nd we say B/he oodB about>im not as applying a predicateto >im, saying that the ood isan attribute of >is, but as saying

that the ood is >e >imself.* 783,&, H&-HI

B TE ONE OR TE GOOD


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$ Tra*+ce*"e*# goo"*e++ o/

#e O*e )Ae should not e'en speak of 3t

as ood, in the sense of the goodwhich 3t gi'es to others. 3t is theood in a different sense,

transcending all other goods.*783, (, 6

B TE ONE OR TE GOOD


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B. TE ONE OR TE GOOD $ Tra*+ce*"e*# goo"*e++ o/ #e O*e

)@ut e'erything which is said to bein need is in need of well-being andsomething to preser'e it: so there is

nothing which is good for the One,nor does 3t wish for anything. 3ttranscends good, and is ood not for

3tself, but for the others, if any ofthem can participate in 3t.* 783, (, 6

B TE ONE or TE GOOD


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= A%+o!u#e u*i# o/ #e Goo"

)3f the thought of the ood is otherthan the ood, then the ood e+istsalready before the thought of 3t. @ut if

the ood e+ists before the thought of3t, then 3t will suffice to 3tself for beingthe ood and will ha'e no need of the

thought about 3tselfD so that 3t doesnot think 3tself as ood3t will ha'eonly a kind of simple intuition

directed to 3tself .* 783, &, HI-H(

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

1. Ea*a#io* o/ #e Nou+ /ro #e O*e

)/he One is always perfect and thereforeproduces e'erlastinglyD and 3ts product isless than 3tself


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C. TE NOUS

$o"e o/ ea*a#io*

)Ae must admit then that whatcomes into being from the One doesso without the One being mo'ed…So

if there is a second after the One itmust ha'e come to be without theOne mo'ing at all, without any

inclination or act of will or any sort ofacti'ity on 3ts part.* 78, 9, 6

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

$ Re!a#io* o/ #e Nou+ #o #e Goo"

)5or the ood is the principle of thebeings in 1ous, and their e+istence in1ous deri'es from >im, and 1ous drawspower to make them from >im. 5or it wasnot in the nature of things for 1ous tolook upon the ood and think nothing,nor yet for it to think the oodJs own

contentD for then it would ha'e producednothing itself.* 783, &, 9#

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

$ Re!a#io* o/ #e Nou+ #o #e Goo"

)o it recei'ed from the oodpower to produce and to fill itselfwith its own products. /he ood

gi'es what >e does not >imselfpossess. 5rom >im, Aho is One,

comes a multiplicity to 1ous.*73bid

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

2. Te o"e o/ %ei*g o/ Nou+

$ #e Nou+ i+ #e %egi**i*g o/u!#ip!ici#

)1ous is multiple, when it wants to

think /hat which transcends it* 78,H, 90-99

)/his life then, the manifold, the all-

including, the first and one, who isthere who when he sees it does notlong to be in it and scorn all other

life?* 783, &, 9#

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

2. Te o"e o/ %ei*g o/ #e Nou+

$ #e Nou+ i+ #e rea! o/ #rue %ei*g )3n the intelligible world is truebeing: 1ous is the best of it.* 738,

9 )Nou+ a+ a ,o!e i+ a!! #e =or+

a*" eac i*"i3i"ua! =or i+ a*i*"i3i"ua! Nou+* 78, (, 6

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


$ #e Nou+ i+ #e +pere o/ %ei*g

)Let Nous then be the

real beings, and let all ofthem be in it, not as if it heldthem in place, but as holding

itself and being one withthem.* 78, (, 6

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


$ #e Nou+ i+ a!! #i*g+ )1ous as a whole includes allthings as a genus does the

species or a whole the parts.*73bid

)/his 1ous is, in itself andpossessing itself, an e'erlastingfullness.* 73bid

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


$ u*i# i* u!#ip!ici# )1ous is all things together, and yet not

all together, in the sense that each is a

particular power.* 78, (, 6 )/hey are all together /here, and none

the less are distinct.* 73bid

)1ous itself is good, composed of thingswhich ha'e the form of the ood, a'ariegated good.* 783, &, 9#

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


$ i!!u+#ra#io* o/ #e Nou+ a+ u*i#-i*-u!#ip!ici#

)Ae can understand this by considering

that the soul too contains in itself manydifferent items of knowledge, but they arenot at all confused and each whenreuired performs its own function, anddoes not bring the others along with itDeach thought acts clear of all the otherswhich remain latent in the mind.* 78, (, 6

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

&. ea3e*! !i/e o/ #e Nou+

$ ea3e*! !i/e i+ !i/e o/ co*#ep!a#io* )/he gods who are in hea'en, since they

are free for contemplation, continually

contemplate, as if at a distance, thethings in that higher hea'en of 1ous intowhich they raise their heads: but the godsin that higher hea'en, all those who dwell

upon it and in it, contemplate throughtheir abiding in the whole of that hea'en.*78, I, H-

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

&. ea3e*! Li/e o/ #e Nou+

)For all things There are heavenDearth and sea and animals andplants and men are hea'enD

everything which belongs to thathigher heaven is heavenly . /hegods in it do not reect as unworthy

of contemplation men or anythingelse that is /hereD it is worthybecause it is /here* 78, I, H-

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


$ ea3e*! !i/e) !i/e o/ ,i+"o )/here is no weariness in life/here, since it is pureD for howshould that which li'es the bestlife grow weary? /his life is

wisdom* 78, I, H-

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


$ Nou+ i+ 'i+"o )the very being of Nous iswisdomD it does not e+ist firstand then become wise. 5or thisreason there is no greater

wisdom* 78, I, H-

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS

8. Rea! o/ Nou+) o"e! o/ a#eria!

U*i3er+e $pre-e>i+#e*ce o/ #e ,or!" i* #eNou+

)ince we say that this uni'erse hereis modelled on the world of 1ous,e'ery li'ing thing must be /here

firstD if the being of 1ous is completeit must be e'erything.*783, &, 92

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


U*i3er+e $a!! ear#! rea!i#ie+ a3e #eir per/ec#cou*#erpar# i* #e Nou+

)/here too, clearly, is earth, not barrenbut far fuller of life, and in it are allli'ing beings which are called land

animals here, and all plants clearly too,rooted in life. ea too is /here, and allwater* 783, &, 92

C TE NOUS


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C. TE NOUS


U*i3er+e $ i*"i3i"ua! I"ea or =or i* #e Nou+

)3s there an 3dea of each indi'idual? Kes,

if 3 and each One of us ha'e a way ofascent and return to the intelligible, theprinciple of each of us is /here. 3focrates and the soul of ocrates alwayse+ists, there will be an absolute ocrates,as we say, /here, according to which hissoul will ha'e indi'iduality /here as well

as here.* 78, &, 9

D TE SOUL


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D. TE SOUL

1. Sou!+ i* #e 'or!" o/ Nou+

$#e +ou!+ e>i+# i* #e ,or!" o/ Nou+ )3n the intelligible world is true

being: 1ous is the best of it. Bu#

#ere are +ou!+ Tere #ooD for it isfrom /here that they come here./hat world contains souls without

bodiesD this one, the souls whichha'e come to be in bodies and aredi'ided by their bodies.* 738, 9

D TE SOUL


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D. TE SOUL

1. Sou!+ i* #e 'or!" o/ Nou+

$ #e +ou!+ are a!! u*i#e" ,i# #eNou+

)/here all and e'ery Nous is together,

not separated or di'ided, and allsouls are together in the one world,without spatial di'ision. 1ous then is

always without separation andundi'ided. oul /here is notseparated or di'ided* 738, 9

D TE SOUL


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D. TE SOUL

2. Te Re!a#io* o/ #e Nou+ a*" #e Sou!+

$ #e Nou+ i+ +uperior #o #e Sou! )1ous is other and better than soul,

and the better comes first by nature

!nd if soul is in the uni'erse, theremust be something outside theuni'erse, and in this way too there

must be something prior to soul1ousmust e+ist before soul.* 78, (,

D TE SOUL


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D. TE SOUL

2. Re!a#io* o/ #e Sou!+ #o #e Nou+

$ #e Nou+ i!!ui*e+ #e Sou!+ )/his light 7of Nous shines in thesoul and illumines it: that is, it

makes it intelligent: that is, itmakes it like itself5or it is this

illumination which gi'es the soula clearer life* 78, H, I

D TE SOUL


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D. TE SOUL

2. Re!a#io* o/ #e Sou! #o #e Nou+

$ #e Sou! i+ a* iage o/ #e Nou+ )our soul is led back to it, byconsidering itself to be an image

of Nous and its life a traceand likeness of Nous, and that

whene'er it thinks it becomesgodlike and Nous-like.*78, H, I

D. TE UNI?ERSAL SOUL


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&. Te U-Sou! i* #e Se*+e-'or!"

$c!ari/ica#io* o* i#+ 9e*+ou!e*#; )Ae shouldbegin with the Soulof the All "or there ne'er was a

time when this uni'erse did notha'e a soul, or when body

e+isted in the absence of soul*738, H, (

D TE UNI?ERSAL SOUL


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8. Te U-Sou! i* #e Se*+e-'or!"

$ #e U-Sou! E*3e!op+ #e 'or!" )3t is in this sort of way that it is

ensouledD it has a soul which does not

belong to it but is present to itD it ismastered not the master, possessed notpossessor. The universe lies in soulwhich bears it up, and nothing is

without a share of soul.* 738, H, (

- this means that the uni'erse is in theoul, and not 'ice-'ersa.



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@. Re!a#io* #o I*"i3i"ua! Sou!+

$ Te U*i3er+a! Sou! i+ O*e i* a* )@ut if the same soul is e'erywhere, how

can there be a particular soul of each

indi'idual? !nd how is one good andanother bad? /he one soul is sufficient topro'ide for indi'iduals as well 7as thewhole, and contains all souls and all

intellects.* 783, , 9

D. TE U-SOUL


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D. TE U SOUL

@. Re!a#io* #o I*"i3i"ua! Sou!+

$ #e U-Sou! i+ O*e i* a* )Ae speak of it as unbounded ust because itcontains all things together, e'ery life ande'ery soul and e'ery intellect. $ach one of

them is not marked off from the others byboundariesD so in this way it is also one. 3twas not to ha'e a single, but an unbounded

life, and yet a single one too, single in thisway, that a!! +ou!+ are #oge#er7 *o#co!!ec#e" i*#o a u*i# %u# +pri*gi*g /roa u*i# a*" reai*i*g i* #a# /ro

,ic #e +pra*g* 73bid

E. SOUL-BODY UNION


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E. SOUL BODY UNION

$ I# i+ *a#ura! /or #e +ou! #o %e u*i#e"

#o #e %o". )3f body did not e+ist, soul wouldnot go forth, since there is no

place other than body where it isnatural for it to be.* 73bid

E. SOUL-BODY UNION


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E. SOUL BODY UNION

$pre-e>i+#e*ce i* #e ,or!" o/ Nou+

)@efore this birth came to be we e+isted/here as men different from those we arenow, some of us e'en as gods, pure

souls, intellect united with the whole ofreality, parts of the world of Nous, notseparated or cut off, belonging to thewhole and indeed we are not cut off e'en

now.* 783, , 9-9#

E. SOUL-BODY UNION


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E. SOUL BODY UNION

2.De+ce*# o/ #e +ou!

$5ru!e o/ rig# ,ic go3er*+ "e+ce*#6 - Lthere is a natural impulse which

compels e'ery indi'idual to tend to

another beingM - Lthe soul has an internal disposition to beunited to an appropriate bodyM

)Each has its own time, and when itcomes…the soul comes down and goesinto the appropriate body * 738, H, 92-9H

E. DESCENT O= TE SOUL


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$ #e "e+ce*# i+ *ei#er /ree *or"u#i/u!

)/he souls go neither of their ownfree will nor because they are sentD

or at least their free will is not likedeliberate choice but the leap ofnatural impulse, passionate natural

desire of se+ual union or anunreasoned stirring to noble deeds.*738, H, 92-9H



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$ "e+ce*# i+ ipo+e" % !a,

)the indi'idual, which issubordinated to the uni'ersal, is sentaccording to law. 5or the uni'ersal

bears hea'ily upon the particular,and the law does not deri'e fromoutside the strength for its

accomplishment, but is gi'en inthose who are to be subect to it*738, H, 92-9H



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&. o#er rea+o*+ /or +ou!6+ "e+ce*#

$ +ou! a+ Go"-+e*# )if anyone said that a god sent it down, he

would not be out of accord with the truth orwith himself* 738, I, #

$ "ue #o 5+i*6

)the Lsin of the soulM can refer to two things,either to the cause of the descent or to doing

e'il when the soul has arri'ed here below, 7thepunishment of the first is the 'ery e+perienceof descent, and of the lesser degree of thesecond the swift entrance into other bodies*

7ibid



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SC O SOU

8. o#er c!ari/ica#io*+ o* "e+ce*#

$"e+ce*# "oe+ *o# ea* #a# #e +ou!e*#er+ #e %o" %u# #a# #e %o"+are+ i* #e !i/e o/ #e +ou!

)the participation of body in thenature of soul does not mean thatsoul departs from itself and comes to

this world, but that bodily naturecomes to be in soul and participatesin it * 783, , 96



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$ "e+ce*# "oe+ *o# ea* #a# #e +ou!%e!o*g+ #o #e %o" %u# #a# #e +ou!+are+ +oe#i*g o/ i#+e!/

)So ‘descent’ means coming to be

in body, in the sense in which wespeak of soul's being in body,that is, by giving body something

of itself, not by coming to belongto it * 783, , 96



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$ #e u*io* o/ #e +ou! ,i# #e %o"a+ 5e3i!6

)@ut this communion with body is ane'il, and its deli'erance from body a

good. Ahy? @ecause, e'en if it doesnot belong to a particular body,when it is described as the soul of a

particular body it has in some waybecome partial instead ofuniversal * 783, , 96


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=. ASCENT O= TE SOUL


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1.Tree Tpe+ o/ e* =i##e" /or #eA+ce*#

$ #e u+icia* N concerned with beautifulthings but not with @eauty itself

)...we will begin by describing the natureof the musician !e must consider him aseasily moved and e"cited by beauty, butnot #uite capable of being moved by

absolute beauty * 73, H, 9-H - philosophy should guide him to engage

in the abstraction of @eauty from mere

images in the world.



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$ Te Lo3er

)$he lover has a kind of memory ofbeauty %ut he cannot grasp it in itsseparateness, but he is overwhelminglyama&ed and e"cited by visible beauties.*

73, H, 9-H

- like the musician, he also fails to grasp@eauty as it is in itself.

- again, through philosophical reasoninghe should be enlightened on thedifference between beauty and beautiful

things.


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$ Te Pi!o+oper

- )he is by nature 'irtuous, and must bebrought to perfect his 'irtue, and afterhis mathematical studies instructed indialectic, and made a completedialectician.* 73, H, 9-H

- dialectic )is the most 'aluable of ourmental abilities, it must be concerned

with real being and what is most'aluable* 73, H, -#



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2. Li/e o/ 3ir#ue

a4 %ac(grou*" $ ascent as a ourney to od

)(lato…speaks of )likeness) as a )flight to

*od) from e"istence here below 73, 2, 2-H

- life of 'irtue is likeness to od

)!hat then do we mean when we callthese other virtues ‘purifications’, andhow are we made really like by being purified+ 73bid



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%4puri/i*g 3ir#ue+

)ince the soul is e'il when it is thoroughlymi+ed with the body and shares its e+periencesand has all the same opinions, it will be goodand possess 'irtue when it no longer has the

same opinions but acts alone--this isintelligence and ,i+"o--and does not sharethe bodyJs e+periences--this is #epera*ce--and is not afraid of departing from the body--

this is courage--and is ruled by reason andNous, without opposition--and this is 0u+#ice.One would not be wrong in calling this state ofthe soul likeness to od* 73bid

=. ASCENT TO GOD


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c4 goo" !i/e i+ o/ #e +ou!

$ man is not composed of body and soul )-an, and especially the goodman, is not the composite of soul

and body. separation from thebody and despising of its so/calledgoods make this plain.* 73, , 9



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$a*6+ #rue goo" i+ ore #a* #e goo"o/ #e %o"

- )0t is absurd to maintain that well/beinge"tends only as far as the living body, sincewell/being is the good life, which is concerned

with soul and is an activity of soul *73, , 9 - )$his state of well/being is certainly not the

body's si&e or health, nor again does it

consist in the e"cellence of the senses, fortoo much of these advantages is liable toweigh man down and bring him to theirlevel .* 73bid



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$ e* o/ ,ea!# a*" p+ica!

a++e#+ +ou!" *o# %e e*3ie" )$he man who belongs to thisworld may be handsome and tall

and rich and the ruler of all…

andwe ought not to envy him since

he is cheated by things likethese 73, , 9



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$ #e ,i+e a* "oe+ *o# cop!e#e!a3oi" i!!*e++ a*" +u//eri*g

- )$he wise man will perhaps not havethem at all, and if he has them willhimself reduce them, if he cares for his

true self e will reduce and graduallye"tinguish his bodily advantages byneglect * 73, , 9

-)e will take care of his bodily health,but will not wish to be altogether withoute"perience of illness, and still less of

pain* 73bid



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&. O*! goa! o/ #e ,i+e a*) #epur+ui# o/ #e Goo" i* #e +pere o/#e Nou+

)(lato was right in maintaining that theman who intends to be wise and happy

must take his good from $here, fromabove, and look to that Good and bemade like it and live by it e must hold

on to this only as his goal * 73, , 96

G. RETURN TO TE NOUS


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$ A+ce*# #o #e U*#rou%!e" S#a#e i* #eNou+

) 1s we draw near to the completelyuntroubled state we can imitate the

Soul of the universe and the souls ofthe stars and, coming to a closelikeness to them, hasten on to the

same goal and have the sameob2ects of contemplation* 733, (, 9I



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$#o re#ur* #o #e Nou+ i+ #o +ee(*o#i*g ore

- ) but if you… are in the 1ll,you will seek nothing more 783,

#, 92 - )3ou will increase yourself thenby re2ecting the rest, and by thatre2ection the 1ll is with you*73bid



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$ #o %e i* #e Nou+ i+ #o re#ur* #oo*e6+ #rue +e!/

)we understand ourselves best when wehave made our self/knowledge one withourselves $here, then…our knowledge is

most perfectly conformed to Nous* 78,I, 99

- this means that perfect knowledge of

oneself could only take place in thesphere of the 1ous



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$#e Nou+ i+ *e3er a%+e*#7 ,e 0u+##ur* a,a /ro i#

)%ut you do not really go awayfrom it 4for it is there5. you do

not go anywhere, but remain present to it and turn your backon it 783, #, 92

- the 1ous ne'er deserts us though wetry to alienate oursel'es from 3t.


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. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$ Te O*e i+ +uperior #o #e Nou+

)0f 0t makes each individual thinge"ist, and it is by the presence of the6ne that the multitude of individual

things in Nous, and Nous itself, isself/sufficient it is clear that 0t, since !t is the "ause of being and self-

sufficiency , is not being but beyondit and beyond self/sufficiency .* 78, H,9&

. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$grea#e+# goo") u*io* ,i# #e O*e

)$he greatest thing is knowledge of orcontact with the *ood…but weadvance towards 0t by purifications

and virtues and adornings of the souland by gaining a foothold in theworld of Nous and settling ourselves

firmly $here and feasting on itscontents* 783, &, H-H6

. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$+e!/-ep#i*g o/ #e +ou! #o %e rea"

/or #e O*e )$he soul …turns away from the things present to it and prepares itself, makingitself as beautiful as possible…and comesto likeness with im* 783, &, H

. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$#e +ou! i+ i!!ui*a#e" % #e O*e

)So the soul which does not see imis without light7 but when it isenlightened it has what it sought,

and this is the soul's true end, totouch that 8ight and see 0t by 0tself,not by another light, by 0tself, !hich

gives it sight as well 0t must see$hat 8ight by which it isenlightened * 78, H, 9&

. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$+ou!6+ 3i+io* o/ #e O*e:

)!hen the soul has good fortunewith im and e comes to it, orrather when is presence

becomes manifest…then it seesim suddenly appearing in

itself *783, &, H

.UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$ G!oriou+ E*" o/ A+ce*# o/ #e Sou!

)!hen we ascend to this and become thisalone and put away everything else, whatcan we say about it e"cept that we aremore than free, more than independent+!ho then could bind us to chance orha&ard or accident, when we have cometo be the true Life# or to be in !t# the

Life which has nothing else but is !tself alone+ 783, I, 9#

. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$+#ica! U*io* ,i# #e O*e:

)So if one sees that one's self has become this,one has it as a likeness of the 9ivine. and if onegoes on from it, as image to original, onereaches the end of one's 2ourney 1nd when a

man falls from the vision, he wakes again thevirtue in himself and considers himself in all hisorder and beauty, and is lightened and risesthrough virtue to Nous and through wisdom to

the 9ivine $his is the life of gods and divine andblessed men, deliverance from the things of thisworld, a life which takes no delight in the thingsof this world, escape in solitude to the Solitary .*

783, (, 99

. UNION 'IT TE ONE


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$P!o#i*u+6+ E>perie*ce o/ A+ce*# a*" De+ce*#

)6ften 0 have woken up out of the body to myself

and have entered into myself, going out from allother things 0 have seen a beauty wonderfullygreat and felt assurance that then most of all 0belonged to the better part 0 have lived to the full

the best life and come to identity with the 9ivineSet firm in 0t 0 have come to $hat Supreme 1ctuality, setting myself above all else in the realmof Nous $hen after that rest in the 9ivine, when 0

have come down from Nous to discursivereasoning, 0 am pu&&led how 0 ever came down,and how my soul has come to be in the body whenit i h t it h h it lf t b b it lf

b. neo-platonic legacy

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