The Neoplatonic Doctrine
As defined by Funk and Wagnals, Neoplatonism is a type of idealistic monism in which the ultimate reality of the universe is held to be an infinite, unknowable, perfect One. From this one emanates nous (pure intelligence), whence in turn is derived the world soul, the creative activity of which engenders the lesser souls of human beings. The world soul is conceived as an image of the nous, even as the nous is an image of the One; both the nous and the world soul, despite their differentiation, are thus consubstantial with the One.
The world soul, however, because it is intermediate between the nous and the material world, has the option either of preserving its integrity and imaged perfection or of becoming altogether sensual and corrupt. The same choice is open to each of the lesser souls. When, through ignorance of its true nature and identity, the human soul experiences a false sense of separateness and independence, it becomes arrogantly self-assertive and falls into sensual and depraved habits. Salvation for such a soul is still possible, the Neoplatonist maintains, by virtue of the very freedom of will that enabled it to choose its sinful course. The soul must reverse that course, tracing in the opposite direction the successive steps of its degeneration, until it is again united with the
fountainhead of its being. The actual reunion is accomplished through a mystical experience in which the soul knows an all-pervading ecstasy.
Doctrinally, Neoplatonism is characterized by a categorical opposition between the spiritual and the carnal, elaborated from Plato's dualism of Idea and Matter; by the metaphysical hypothesis of mediating agencies, the nous and the world soul, which transmit the divine power from the One to the many; by an aversion to the world of sense; and by the necessity of liberation from a life of sense through a rigorous ascetic discipline. (Funk and Wagnalls)
History of Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism began in Alexandra, Egypt, in the third century AD. Plotinus was the founder of Neoplatonsim and was born in Egypt. He studied at Alexandra with the philosopher Ammonium Saccus. Along with 224 others he helped carry the Neoplatonic doctrine to Rome, where he established a school. Other important Neoplatonic thinkers were the Syrian-Greek scholar's, Porphyry and Lablichus.
The Syrian, Athenian, and Alexandrian Schools
Neoplatonism was the last of the great schools of classical pagan philosophy. Platonism, as well as Aristotlism, Stoicism, and Pythagoreanism, all provided an awkward understanding of classical Greek paganism.
The Fountainhead is a novel of gigantic proportions. It deals with great talent and great mediocrity, with great love and great hatred, with great ambition and equally great complacence. It unpretentiously chooses to steer clear of the much hyped common man, with his commonplace dreams and aspirations.
He suggests that the physical substance (body) and mental substance (mind) are different in nature from each other. He believes that what we see could possibly be deceiving us and that this world might just be a dream.
The 'doctrine of recollection' states that all true knowledge exists implicitly within us, and can be brought to consciousness - made explicit - by recollection. Using the Platonic concepts of 'Forms', 'particulars', 'knowledge' and 'true opinion', this essay explains what can or cannot be recollected, why all knowledge is based on recollection, and why the doctrine does not prove the soul to be immortal.
Initially, many early doctors of the Church came in contact with Neoplatonism. From this exposure, elements of Christian philosophy became “inextricably mixed with Plato’s teachings.” Thus, the Greco Roman roots of Plato, which had been instigated by the movement countering the polytheistic religion of mythology, and the Greco Roman formation of Christianity both served as the main contributors to the Neoplationism of the Italian Renaissance. Furthermore, Neoplatonism itself contributed ideas that inspired many aspects of the Renaissance.
In order to answer these questions, this paper will include an analysis of Plato’s theories as well as their influences on early Christianity. It will demonstrate to the reader that Plato’s theories are, in fact, still in use in Christian Theology and conclude with an evaluation of this assessment.
While we possess thee, thy changes ever lovely, thy vernal airs or majestic storms, thy vast creation spread at our feet, above, around us, how can we call ourselves unhappy? There is a brotherhood in the growing, opening flowers, love in the soft winds, repose in the verdant expanse, and a quick spirit of happy life throughout, with which our souls hold glad communion; but the poor prisoner was barred from these: how cumbrous the body felt, how alien to the inner spirit of man, the fleshy bars that allowed it to become slave of his fellows
Otto describes non-rational experiences as mysteries, which are a fundamental aspect of all religions. To these mysteries he gives the name “numinous,” and explains that “the nature of the numinous can only be suggested by means of the special way in which it is reflected in the mind in terms of feeling,” (Otto 12). Otto argues that our feelings of the numin...
The symbolic world views of how the world was created can be described through the cosmogonies of Genesis and the Laws of Manu. It is through these theories that one can learn how the universe came into existence. Many individuals consider a certain religion to be their ultimate realm of reality, and it is within religion that these symbolic world views come into play. The cosmogony of Genesis began along a sacred history of time where god created merely by speaking. In contrast, the Laws of Manu involve creation through thought. In Genesis, there is only one god and in Laws of Manu there is more than one god. Both cosmogonies have many similarities as they have many differences, yet both of them are significant in understanding and interpreting the philosophy of religion and its traditions. Although god believes that everything he created is good, I believe that the existence of god is questionable when there is so much evil in the universe.
...of the body, and no problem arises of how soul and body can be united into a substantial whole: ‘there is no need to investigate whether the soul and the body are one, any more than the wax and the shape, or in general the matter of each thing and that of which it is the matter; for while “one” and “being” are said in many ways, the primary [sense] is actuality’ (De anima 2.1, 12B6–9).Many twentieth-century philosophers have been looking for just such a via media between materialism and dualism, at least for the case of the human mind; and much scholarly attention has gone into asking whether Aristotle’s view can be aligned with one of the modern alternatives, or whether it offers something preferable to any of the modern alternatives, or whether it is so bound up with a falsified Aristotelian science that it must regretfully be dismissed as no longer a live option.
These ideas can be found in Christianity as well. In the Christian faith, it is believed that there is a perfect being that is eternal, unchanging, has absolute truth, and creates all that is seen in the universe, this being is one they call God.
A common interpretation of Plato's theory of human reality is to identify it with "soul." It has been for some a problem as to whether or not Plotinus adhered to his master's position on this point. H. J. Blumenthal initiated much discussion when he asked: "Did Plotinus believe in Ideas of Individuals?" (1) Supported by apparently contradictory texts Blumenthal concluded that Plotinus did believe at times in such ideas, and at other times did not. One way that commentators take in s...
In The Great Mother, Erich Neumann attempts to provide a structural analysis of the archetype. He states in the preface that not only does it "provide the foundation for all psychotherapy," it also provides for each man a view of the world that "enriches his own personality" as well as his "new perspective on life and on mankind as a whole." When referring to an archetype, Neumann refers to "an inward image at work in the human psyche." By examining the separate aspects of the archetype, one can approach a more thorough understanding of the archetype and, finally, the implications of its structure and its appearances in the real world.
In a time where science and materialism reign, the topic of the soul is rarely mentioned, ostensibly left in the past with the philosophers of old. Nichols, however, candidly broaches this difficult topic and gives new life to the argument that humans do indeed have an immaterial, immortal soul. Nichols summarizes several popular arguments for the existence of the soul as he builds his own argument, which discusses a soul as limited in relation to its environment as well as a soul that is one with the mind and a controller of the body. He discusses both the strengths and challenges to his argument, offering rebuttals to the challenges. Because this soul is the organizing principle of the body it is involved in the Resurrection as well, bridging the gap between the material and spiritual worlds. However, I disagree with Nichols’ assessment, instead choosing the side of materialism where an immaterial soul does not exist.
For instance the avocado/essentialist is viewed as a fruit. Its contents are made up of a layer of skin surrounding the fruit within. Inside is a yellow eatable substance and at the center a seed. Planting the seed will ensure a new avocado to grow producing a new generation of avocados. The seed is considered the key essentials needed to produce more avocados. Similarly the avocado view is seen through religion (Mitchell, 2014, p.122). The core represents the essential essences of our belief in God our creator knowing him gives us the capability of knowing who we are, the ability to have self-conscious, and the ability to care separating us from other animals. This is what makes us unique and defines us as a person (Mitchell, 2014, p.123). The Greek view and Hebrew religion became intertwined as the theological development of Christendom grew. These two thoughts represent the avocado view of human nature, which continues to rule the West. On the other hand the protean self is viewed as an artichoke having many layers that can be peeled off one after another. When the last layer is peeled we find no core holing it together. Instead the base holds the artichoke together and is considered the heart. Since the artichoke is made up of layers containing no core it cannot reproduce. For instance, a shape shifter from Greek mythology had the ability to change into a tree, an old man etc. Another example a psychiatrist used is a person can be a hippie when they are younger and over the years grow into becoming a conservative businessperson with no loss of identity. This self is viewed as an artichoke with many layers being functional at that particular time. However as times change we evolve with it creating many layers. The world is unpredictable so we learn how to adapt with change (Mitchell, 2014,
The real world of our universe one can present as consisting of the totality of the interconnected (through the known fundamental interactions) units of the nature, for example, photons, atoms, molecules, cells, living organisms, men, stars, galaxies and ets. Their materiality is shown, for example, in the outwards activity (the power), in which the units of nature come forward as integrated formations in the relation of other units of nature; their spirituality, enlightened through the materiality, in the form (in order of the growth of the spirituality) of the inside activity (that is of the spontaneous transitions into their different states), in the form of the senseorganized unity ( regulated by any laws), of the soul, and of the spirit. Different units of nature have different degrees of the spirituality, which are shown in the spontaneity, statisticality, selforganization, freedom of the will and so on, therefore one can say about corresponding spiritual aspects of any units of nature.