Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four PeriodsPlotinus
Philosophy
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3: In Chronological Order, Grouped in Four Periods
Plotinus
Plotinus
Now, we have above posited certain premises. Intelligence, and even
every intelligence, includes within itself all (essences). We ranked
(Essence or Being) above all species that are parts thereof. Essence
is not yet Intelligence. From these it results that already developed
Intelligence is already something posterior. We shall therefore make
use of this study to achieve the goal we had set ourselves (namely,
to determine the relation of the genus to its contained species). We
shall therefore make use of Intelligence as an example to extend our
knowledge of this subject.
KNOWLEDGE IS THE ACTUALIZATION OF THE NOTIONS WHICH ARE POTENTIAL
SCIENCE.
20. Let us, therefore, suppose that Intelligence was in a state in
which it did not yet attach itself to anything in particular, so that
it had not yet become an individual intelligence. Let us conceive it
similar to knowledge considered by itself before the notions of the
particular species, or to the knowledge of a species taken before
the notions of the contained parts. Universal Knowledge, without (in
actualization) being any particular notion, potentially lies within
all notions, and reciprocally, each particular notion is one single
thing in actualization, but all things in potentiality; likewise
with universal Knowledge. The notions which thus refer to a species
exist potentially in universal Knowledge, because, while applying
itself to a species, they potentially are also universal Knowledge.
Universal Knowledge is predicated of each particular notion, without
the particular notion being predicated of universal Knowledge; but
universal Knowledge must none the less subsist in itself without
blending (with anything else[325]).
INTELLIGENCE IS THE POTENTIALITY OF THE INTELLIGENCES WHICH ARE ITS
ACTUALIZATIONS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account