Enneads V 3: The Knowing Hypostases and the Transcendent

...and we're back! I apologize—mostly to myself, though you have my apologies as well—for the long hiatus; in my defense, I've had quite a few major crises (and a baby) in the four months since I last posted on Plotinus. Still, "the Road goes ever on and on," and things are settling enough that I have managed—slowly and with difficulty, but successfully!—to get over the hump of the next tractate. If you were waiting for me, thank you for your patience.

This essay, discussing the nature of the Intellect and it's connection to the One, isn't new material—rather, it's the primary discussion and proofs of principles already discussed elsewhere. Let's hop in!

V 3: The Knowing Hypostases and the Transcendent

We have already established that there is a Soul, so let us begin there. The Soul, as we have stated elsewhere, deals with externals. But the Soul isn't external to itself, so it can't know itself, except as reflected through externals. But since self-sufficiency is Greater than other-dependency, there must be a Higher Principle that can Know itself.

But this Higher Principle is greater than the greatest God, and so must be perfect—knowing everything knowable about Itself. The only way this is possible is if the Knower and the Known are one and the same; thus the Knowing, which it must Know about, is also the same as it. Another way to put this is that It is that which Thinks Itself into Existence, hence we call it the Intellect, Being, and Truth; for, being self-sufficient, it is the original of which all else must be a copy.

But as we have established, while the Intellect is unitary, it also possesses distinctions—of Knower and Known, for example—so, because the one must precede the many, it is not absolutely primary. Thus there must be an even HIGHER PRINCIPLE that is an ABSOLUTE SIMPLEX in every way. But it is difficult to speak about such a thing: being above Existence, it cannot be said to Exist (or not-Exist); being above Knowledge, It cannot be said to Know (or not-Know); indeed, it is impossible to assert anything about It whatsoever, since for an assertion to having any meaning, it must contain distinctions, which is not possible in the case of the Absolute.

How, then, can we come to know It? If we are part of Soul, and Soul is part of Intellect, and Intellect is part of the Absolute, then we must participate in the Absolute in some small way: if you cut away the part of yourself that is body, that is Soul, that is Intellect, what remains must be the Absolute.

Sightseeing time!

§5 gives Plotinus' proof that the Intellect must be unitary. I've seen another proof of this, relying on Information Theory, given (with very lengthy and gratuitous polemics against creationism, sorry) by Robert G. Brown.

§13 begins with a remarkable parallel to Laozi: "The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao."

§§14–17 give a whirlwind tour of Plotinus' mysticism: tracing oneself back to their very core of Being, and then Beyond. I find the last three paragraphs to be haunting.

Thomas Taylor Trivia

Fun fact: not only was Thomas Taylor born under Halley's Comet, but he died under it as well.