The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 2 of 2) : $b translated from the Greek, to which a seventh book is added, in order to supply the deficiency of another book on this subject, which was written by Proclus, but since lost, also, a translation from the Greek of Proclus' Elements of theology, to which are added a translation of the treatise of Proclus, On providence and fate, a translation of extracts from his treatise, entitled, Ten doubts concerning p — Plato — John Shaqi
The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 2 of 2) : $b translated from the Greek, to which a seventh book is added, in order to supply the deficiency of another book on this subject, which was written by Proclus, but since lost, also, a translation from the Greek of Proclus' Elements of theology, to which are added a translation of the treatise of Proclus, On providence and fate, a translation of extracts from his treatise, entitled, Ten doubts concerning p
Plato · en
For if progression is according to diminution, through things
appropriate to producing causes, perfect natures will proceed from the
all-perfect, and through these as media, imperfect natures will proceed
in a well-ordered progression, so that some indeed will be self-perfect
hypostases, but others will be imperfect. And these latter will become
the forms of participants. For being imperfect, they will be indigent
of subjects in their very nature. But the self-perfect hypostases will
produce things which participate of themselves. For being perfect,
they will indeed fill these from themselves, and establish them in
themselves. But they will require nothing of inferior natures to their
own subsistence. Self-perfect hypostases, therefore, through their
separation into multitude, are indeed diminished with respect to their
principal monad; but through their self-perfect hyparxis, they are
in a certain respect assimilated to it. But imperfect hypostases, in
consequence of subsisting in other things, are remote from that which
subsists from itself, and through their imperfection are separated from
that which perfects all things. Progressions, however, are through
similars, as far as to natures which are entirely dissimilar. Every
monad, therefore, which ranks as a principle, gives subsistence to a
two-fold number.
COROLLARY.
From these things it is evident, that of the unities, some are
self-perfect proceeding from _the one_, but others are illuminations
of unions. And with respect to intellects, that some of them are
self-perfect essences, but others belong to animated natures, being
only the images of souls. And thus, neither is every union a God, but
this is true of a self-perfect unity alone, nor is every intellectual
peculiarity an intellect, but an essential peculiarity alone [is
entitled to this appellation], nor is every illumination of soul a
soul, but there are also images of souls.
PROPOSITION LXV.
Every thing which has any subsistence whatever, either subsists
according to cause, so as to have the form of a principle, or according
to hyparxis, or according to participation, after the manner of an
image.
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