Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 1: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four PeriodsPlotinus
Philosophy
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 1: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four Periods
Plotinus
Plotinus
The individual soul is therefore illuminated when she turns towards
what is above her; for then she meets the essence; on the contrary,
when she turns towards what is below her, she meets non-being. This
is what happens when she turns towards herself; on wishing to belong
to herself, she somehow falls into emptiness, becomes indeterminate,
and produces what is below her, namely, an image of herself which
is non-being (the body). Now the image of this image (matter), is
indeterminate, and quite obscure; for it is entirely unreasonable,
unintelligible, and as far as possible from essence itself. (Between
intelligence and the body) the soul occupies an intermediary region,
which is her own proper domain; when she looks at the inferior region,
throwing a second glance thither, she gives a form to her image (her
body); and, charmed by this image, she enters therein.
BY ITS POWER, THE ONE IS EVERYWHERE.
4. How does manifoldness issue from Unity? Unity is everywhere; for
there is no place where it is not; therefore it fills everything.
By Him exists manifoldness; or rather, it is by Him that all things
exist. If the One were only everywhere, He would simply be all things;
but, as, besides, He is nowhere, all things exist by Him, because He
is everywhere; but simultaneously all things are distinct from Him,
because He is nowhere. Why then is Unity not only everywhere, but also
nowhere? The reason is, that Unity must be above all things, He must
fill everything, and produce everything, without being all that He
produces.
THE SOUL RECEIVES HER FORM FROM INTELLIGENCE.
5. The soul's relation to intelligence is the same as that of sight to
the visible object; but it is the indeterminate sight which, before
seeing, is nevertheless disposed to see and think; that is why the soul
bears to intelligence the relation of matter to form.
WE THINK AN INTELLECTUAL NATURE BY THINKING OURSELVES.
6. When we think, and think ourselves, we see a thinking nature;
otherwise, we would be dupes of an illusion in believing we were
thinking. Consequently, if we think ourselves, we are, by thinking
ourselves, thinking an intellectual nature. This thought presupposes
an anterior thought which implies no movement. Now, as the objects
of thought are being and life, there must be, anterior to this
being, another being; and anterior to this life, another life.
This is well-known to all who are actualized intelligences. If the
intelligences be actualizations which consist in thinking themselves,
we ourselves are the intelligible by the real foundation of our
essence, and the thought that we have of ourselves gives us its image.
THE ONE IS SUPERIOR TO REST AND MOTION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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