Neoplatonism is what? Philosophy of Neoplatonism

Neoplatonism as a philosophy originated in late antiquity, entered medieval philosophy, the philosophy of the Renaissance and influenced the philosophical minds of all subsequent centuries.

Ancient philosophy of Neoplatonism

If we characterize Neoplatonism briefly, then this is the revival of Plato's ideas during the period of Roman decadence (3rd-6th centuries). In Neoplatonism, Plato's ideas were transformed into the doctrine of the emanation (emission, expiration) of the material world from the Intelligent Spirit, which assumes the beginning of everything.

If we give a more complete interpretation, then the ancient Neoplatonism is one of the directions of Hellenic philosophy, which arose as the eclecticism of the teachings of Plotinus and Aristotle, as well as the teachings of the Stoics, Pythagoras, Eastern mysticism and early Christianity.

If we talk about the basic ideas of this doctrine, then Neoplatonism is a mystical cognition of the higher essence, this is a gradual transition from the higher essence to the lower matter. Finally, Neoplatonism is the liberation of man through ecstasy from the burdens of the material world for a truly spiritual life.

The most prominent adherents of Neoplatonism, the history of philosophy notes Plotinus, Porphyry, Proclus and Iamblichus.

Plotinus as the founder of Neoplatonism

Rodina Plotinus is a Roman province in Egypt. He was trained by several philosophers, an important role in his education was played by Ammonius Saccas, from whom he studied for eleven years.

In Rome, Plotinus himself became the founder of the school, which he directed for twenty-five years. Plotinus is the author of 54 works. A great influence on his worldview was made by Plato, but he was influenced by other philosophers, Greek and Roman, among whom were Seneca and Aristotle.

World System Dam

According to Plotinus, the world is built in a strict hierarchy:

• The One (Good).
• World Mind.
• The World Soul.
• Matter.

Assuming the world to be one, he did not believe that the universe in all its areas is the same in the same measure. The Beautiful World Soul surpasses gross matter, the World Intelligence surpasses the World Soul, and at the highest stage of superiority stands the One (Good), which is the root cause of the beautiful. Blago himself, as Plotinus believed, is above all that is beautiful, poured out above all heights, and includes the whole world belonging to the intelligent Spirit.

The One (Good) is the essence that is present everywhere, it is manifested in Reason, Soul and Matter. The One, being the unconditional Bless, ennobles these substances. The absence of the One implies the absence of good.

The person's adherence to evil is conditioned by how high he can climb the steps of the staircase, which leads to the One (Good). The path to this essence lies only through a mystical merger with it.

The One as the Absolute Good

In the views of Plotinus on the world order, the idea of unity dominates. The one is exalted above many, primarily in relation to much and unattainable for much. It is possible to draw a parallel between Plotinus' idea of the world order and the social structure of the Roman Empire.

The distant from many gets the status of One. This remoteness from the intelligent, spiritual and material world is the cause of unknowability. If Plato's "one-much-much" relates as it were horizontally, Plotin established a vertical in the relations of one and many (lower-level substances). The One is above all, and therefore inaccessible to the understanding of the lower Mind, Soul and Matter.

Absolute unity lies in the absence of contradictions in it, the opposites necessary for movement and development. Unity excludes subject-object relations, self-knowledge, aspirations, time. The one knows himself without knowledge, the One is in a state of absolute happiness and peace, and he does not need to strive for anything. The one is not related to the category of time, because it is eternal.

Plotinus treats the One as Good and Light. The very creation of the world by One Plotinus was designated by emanation (in translation from Latin - to flow, shower). In this process of creation-outpouring, it does not lose integrity, it does not grow smaller.

World mind

Reason is the first thing that was created by the One. Mind is characterized by a plurality, that is, the content of many ideas. Reason is dual: it simultaneously aspires to the One, and moves away from it. When striving for the One, he is in a state of oneness, while at a distance he is in a state of multiplicity. Knowledge is inherent in Mind, it can be either objective (directed at an object) or subjective (directed at itself). In this the Mind also differs from the One. However, he dwells in eternity and there he knows himself. In this is the similarity of Mind to the One.

The mind comprehends its ideas and synchronously creates them. From the most abstract ideas (being, peace, movement), he goes on to all other ideas. The paradoxicality of Reason in Plotinus lies in the fact that it accommodates ideas, both abstract and concrete. For example, the idea of man as a concept and idea of some individual.

The World Soul

The One pours out its Light on the Reason, while the Light is not completely absorbed by Reason. Passing through the Mind, he pours forth and creates the Soul. His immediate origin is the Soul due to the Mind. The One assumes mediated participation in its creation.

Being at a lower level, the Soul exists outside of eternity, it is the cause of the time. Like Mind, it is dual: it has a commitment to Reason and disgust from it. This essential contradiction in the Soul conditionally divides it into two Souls - high and low. The High Soul is close to Reason and does not touch the world of coarse matter, unlike the Low Soul. Being between two worlds (supersensible and material), the Soul thus connects them.

The properties of the Soul are incorporeality and indivisibility. The World Soul embraces in itself all individual souls, none of which can not exist separately from others. Plotinus argued that any soul exists before the connection with the body.

Matter

Closes the world hierarchy of Matter. The pouring Light of the One passes consistently from one substance to another.

According to the teachings of Plotinus, Matter remains forever, as always and the One. However, Matter is a substance of creation, devoid of an independent principle. The contradictory nature of Matter lies in the fact that it is created by the One and confronts him. Matter is the fading Light, the threshold of darkness. At the boundary of the fading Light and the advancing darkness, Matter always arises. If Plotinus spoke of the omnipresence of the One, then obviously it must be present in Matter. In the confrontation of Light, Matter manifests as Evil. It is Matter, according to Plotinus, that exudes Evil. But since it is only an dependent substance, then Evil is not equal to the Goodness (the Good of the One). The evil of Matter is only the consequence of the lack of Good, conditioned by the lack of Light of the One.

Matter is inherent in changing, but undergoing changes, it remains unchanged, nothing decreases or comes to it.

Striving for One

Plotinus believed that the descent of the One into many causes the reverse process, that is, many are striving to ascend to a perfect unity, trying to overcome their discord and come in contact with the One (Good), because the need for good is inherent in absolutely everything, including substandard matter.

The man is conscious of a craving for the One (Good). Even a low nature, not dreaming of any ascent, can one day awaken, for the human soul is inseparable from the World Soul, connected with the World Reason by its sublime part. Even if the state of the philistine's soul is such that the higher part of it is crushed by the base part, the mind can prevail over sensual and greedy desires, which will enable the fallen person to rise up.

However, a true ascent to the One Plotinus considered a state of ecstasy, in which the soul as it were leaves the body and merges with the One. This path is not mental, but mystical, based on experience. And only in this highest state, according to Plotinus, a man can rise to the One.

Devotees of the Doctrine of Plotinus

The pupil of the Dam Porfiry, according to his teacher's will, arranged and published his works. He became famous in philosophy as a commentator on the works of Plotinus.

Proclus in his works developed the ideas of Neoplatonism of the previous philosophers. He attached great importance to divine illumination, considering him the highest knowledge. He associated love, wisdom, and faith with the manifestation of a deity. A great contribution to the development of philosophy was made by his dialectic of the Cosmos.

The influence of Proclus is noted in medieval philosophy. The importance of the philosophy of Proclus was emphasized by A.F. Losev, paying tribute to the subtleties of his logical analysis.

The Syrian Iamblichus studied at Porphyry and founded the Syrian school of Neoplatonism. Like other Neoplatonists, he devoted his works to ancient mythology. His merit in the analysis and systematization of the dialectic of mythology, as well as in the systematization of the study of Plato. Along with this, his attention was focused on the practical side of philosophy associated with cult rites, the mystical practice of communicating with spirits.

The influence of Neoplatonism on the philosophical thought of subsequent eras

The era of antiquity has disappeared, the pagan antiquity philosophy has lost its relevance and location. Neoplatonism does not disappear, it evokes the interest of Christian writers (St. Augustine, Areopagite, Eriugen, etc.), it penetrates the Arabian philosophy of Avicenna, interacts with Hindu monotheism.

In the 4th century. The ideas of Neoplatonism are widely spread in Byzantine philosophy and are Christianized (Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa). In the late Middle Ages (14-15 centuries), Neoplatonism became the source of German mysticism (Meister Eckhart, G. Suzo, and others).

Neoplatonism of the Renaissance continues to serve the development of philosophy. It embodies the ideas of previous eras in the complex: attention to aesthetics, beauty of the body in ancient Neoplatonism and awareness of the spirituality of the human person in medieval Neo-Platonism. The doctrine of Neoplatonism affects such philosophers as N. Kuzansky, T. Campanella, J. Bruno, and others.

Prominent representatives of German idealism 18 - early 19 centuries. (FW Schelling, G. Hegel) did not escape the influence of the ideas of Neoplatonism. The same can be said about Russian philosophers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. V.S. Soloviev, S.L. Franke, SN. Bulgakov, etc. Traces of Neoplatonism can also be found in modern philosophy.

The Importance of Neoplatonism in the History of Philosophy

Neoplatonism is a way beyond philosophy, since philosophy presupposes a reasonable worldview. The object of the teaching of Neoplatonism is the otherworldly, the supramental perfection, which can only be approached in ecstasy.

Neoplatonism in philosophy is the pinnacle of the philosophy of antiquity and the threshold of theology. The One Dam predicts the religion of monotheism and the decline of paganism.

Neoplatonism in philosophy is the strongest influence on the development of philosophical and theological thought of the Middle Ages. Doctrine of Plotinus about the pursuit of the perfect, the system of concepts of his teaching after rethinking found their place in Western and Eastern Christian theology. Many provisions of the philosophy of Neoplatonism were necessary for Christian theologians to cope with the problem of systematization of the difficult doctrine of Christianity. Thus, a Christian philosophy was formed, called patristic.