Select Works of Plotinus · 660 of 752 · tr. Thomas Taylor

Select Works, Section 633 (part 2)

If Unity is necessary to the substantial existence of all that really is- and nothing exists which is not one- Unity must precede Reality and be its author.

It is therefore, an existent Unity, not an existent that develops Unity; considered as Being-with-Unity it would be a manifold, whereas in the pure Unity there is no Being save in so far as Unity attends to producing it.

As regards the word "This," it is nat a bare word; it affirms an indicated existence without using the name, it tells of a certain presence, whether a substance or some other existent; any This must be significant; it is no attitude of the mind applying itself to a non-existent; the This shows a thing present, as much as if we used the strict name of the object.

Themes

◆Anamnesissoteriology

Platonic recollection: knowledge as the soul's recovery of what it knew before birth, with learning as remembering rather than acquisition.

It describes the concept of Number as being reawakened in the mind by changes in sense things, aligning with Platonic recollection.

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◇Divine Simplicitytheology

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

[auto] The discussion contrasts the undivided Monad with multiplicity and successive numbers.

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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] It describes a generative sequence where Being produces motion, rest, and subsequent numerical forms.

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◇Monadcosmology

The absolutely simple, undivided first principle from which all multiplicity and existence flows.

[auto] The text explicitly debates the existence and nature of the Monad as a primary concept derived from Being.

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◇Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

[auto] The passage centrally investigates the ontological status and origin of Numbers within the Intellectual realm.

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◇Unity Of Beingtheology

The doctrine that all existence is ultimately one substance or one divine reality; non-duality as a theological claim.

[auto] The passage posits Being as the first principle from which other members of the realm derive.

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Related passages · 6 parallels

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 1, Section 1h

“that which makes an individual thing to be one thing); (2) Mental or Spiritual intercourse; (3) Physical intercourse; (4) Sense perception. Here it = either (1) or (2), probably (1). limit, infinity, everything that exists. And yet since…”

Both passages discuss the concept of unity and the ultimate essence or cause of all things. Passage A from Plotinus emphasizes the necessity of unity for existence and the role of unity as the author of reality. Passage B from the mystical tradition describes the ultimate essence as the cause of all things, the central force, and the final purpose, which all things desire and subsist in. Both passages explore the idea of a fundamental unity or essence that underlies and sustains all existence.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 4, Section 1a

“CHAPTER IV Concerning ” Good ,” ” Light ,” ” Beautiful ,” “ Desire ,” ” Ecstasy ,” “ Jealousy .” Also that Evil is neither existent nor Sprung from anything existent nor inherent in existent things . 1. Now let us consider the name of “Go…”

Both passages discuss the nature of a supreme, transcendent principle (Unity in Plotinus, Goodness in Dionysius) that precedes and sustains all existence. They emphasize the inherent, indivisible nature of this principle and its role in creation.

◆christian_mysticism|Pseudo-Dionysius: The Divine Names|Chapter 5, Section 1f

“And the highest measure of existence He bestows upon the more exalted Beings, which the Scripture calls eternal; 380 380 2 Cor. iv. 18 but also the mere existence of the world as a whole is perpetual; and its very existence comes from the…”

Both passages discuss the concept of a supreme, pre-existent unity that is the source of all existence and being. They explore the idea that this unity precedes and contains all forms of existence, using similar metaphysical reasoning.

◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 1: Poimandres|Section 1b

“But when He raised His head, I see in Mind the Light, [but] now in Powers no man could number, and Cosmos grown beyond all bounds, and that the Fire was compassed round about by a most mighty Power, and [now] subdued had come unto a stand.…”

Both passages explore the nature of the Intellectual or Divine Mind and its relationship to the creation of the cosmos and numbers. They discuss the concept of the Monad and the generation of other entities from it, reflecting a shared mystical insight into the structure of reality.

◆hermeticism|Corpus Hermeticum 10: The Sermon on the Mount|Section 1b

“For It doth will to be, and It is both Itself and most of all by reason of Itself. Indeed, all other things beside are just bacause of It; for the distinctive feature of the Good is "that it should be known". Such is the Good, O Tat. Tat…”

Both passages explore the nature of the divine and the intellectual realm. Passage A discusses the existence of Numbers in the Intellectual-Principle, while Passage B describes the vision of the Good and its transformative power. Both texts delve into metaphysical concepts and the nature of reality, showing a conceptual parallel in their mystical traditions.

◆platonism|Plato: Timaeus|Section 1h

“First then, in my judgment, we must make a distinction and ask, What is that which always is and has no becoming; and what is that which is always becoming and never is? That which is apprehended by intelligence and reason is always in the…”

Both passages discuss the nature of existence and creation, emphasizing the role of an eternal, unchangeable principle as the source of all reality. They both explore the relationship between the creator and the created, highlighting the necessity of a cause for creation.