Select Works of Plotinus · 527 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Select Works, Section 504

Section 12 12. It should however be added that if the Idea of man exists in the Supreme, there must exist the Idea of reasoning man and of man with his arts and crafts; such arts as are the offspring of intellect Must be There. It must be observed that the Ideas will be of universals; not of Socrates but of Man: though as to man we may enquire whether the individual may not also have place There. Under the heading of individuality there is to be considered the repetition of the same feature from man to man, the simian type, for example, and the aquiline: the aquiline and the simian must be taken to be differences in the Idea of Man as there are different types of the animal: but Matter also has its effect in bringing about the degree of aquilinity. Similarly with difference of complexion, determined partly by the Reason-Principle, partly by Matter and by diversity of place.

Themes

◇Apophatic Theologytheology

Describing the divine only by negation—God transcends all positive categories and concepts; the via negativa.

[auto] The text describes the higher principle by negating spatial attributes, stating it needs no space because it has no magnitude.

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◇Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

[auto] The body-kind is depicted as dependent on another kind for endurance and prone to falling, contrasting with the self-sustaining Intellect.

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◇Divine Simplicitytheology

The doctrine that God has no parts, divisions, or composite attributes; pure undivided being.

[auto] The Intellectual-Principle is characterized as self-situate and self-sufficing, indicating an undivided nature without composite parts.

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◇Emanation Hierarchycosmology

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

[auto] The passage centrally contrasts the variable universe of images with the unchanging authentic beings and Intellectual-Principle, establishing a clear hierarchy of reality.

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Related passages · 3 parallels

◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 7 (part 1)

“p. 140 CHAPTER VII. MAN. "God created man in His own image. Male and female ( in one ) created He them." Man in his cosmic aspect is a being very superior to that which is commonly looked upon as a "man," and which is described in books…”

Both passages discuss the nature of man in relation to divine principles and the existence of universal forms or ideas. Passage A from Plotinus explores the Idea of man and the role of Matter in individual differences, while Passage B discusses man as a cosmic being created in the image of God, containing divine elements within himself.

◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVI (part 1)

“p. 176 CHAPTER XVI The phenomenal and the noumenal side of man. "Man-in-himself." How do we know the inner side of man? Can we know of the existence of consciousness in conditions of space not analogous to ours? Brain and consciousness.…”

Both passages explore the nature of human existence and consciousness, with Passage A discussing the Idea of Man in the Supreme and Passage B examining the phenomenal and noumenal sides of man. They both delve into the complexities of human nature and the interplay between universal and individual aspects.

◆western_esoteric|Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky)|Chapter XVII (part 4)

“"It is not the Adam of dust (of Chapter II) who is thus made in the divine image, but the Divine Androgyne (of Chapter I), or Adam Kadmon." ADAM KADMON is HUMANITY, or humankind— Homo Sapiens —the SPHYNX, i.e., "the being with the body of a…”

Both passages explore the nature of humanity and the components that make up human existence. Passage A discusses the Idea of Man and the universals that define humanity, while Passage B delves into the complex composition of a human being, including body, soul, and spirit. Both texts seek to understand the essence of human nature from a mystical perspective.