Theophany: The Neoplatonic Philosophy of Dionysius the AreopagiteState University of New York Press, 2012 M02 1 - 175 pages The work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite stands at a cusp in the history of thought: it is at once Hellenic and Christian, classical and medieval, philosophical and theological. Unlike the predominantly theological or text-historical studies which constitute much of the scholarly literature on Dionysius, Theophany is completely philosophical in nature, placing Dionysius within the tradition of ancient Greek philosophy and emphasizing, in a positive light, his continuity with the non-Christian Neoplatonism of Plotinus and Proclus. Eric D. Perl offers clear expositions of the reasoning that underlies Neoplatonic philosophy and explains the argumentation that leads to and supports Neoplatonic doctrines. He includes extensive accounts of fundamental ideas in Plotinus and Proclus, as well as Dionysius himself, and provides an excellent philosophical defense of Neoplatonism in general. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 5 | |
2 BEING AS THEOPHANY | 17 |
3 GOODNESS BEAUTY AND LOVE | 35 |
4 THE PROBLEM OF EVIL | 53 |
5 THE HIERARCHY OF BEING | 65 |
6 THE CONTINUUM OF COGNITION | 83 |
7 SYMBOLISM | 101 |
CONCLUSION | 111 |
NOTES | 115 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 139 |
INDEX | 153 |
Other editions - View all
Theophany: The Neoplatonic Philosophy of Dionysius the Areopagite Eric D. Perl No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
according activity angels appearance apprehended Areopagite ascent beautiful becomes called causal cause chapter Christian cognition comes consciousness consists constitutive contained Denys depends desire determination differentiated Dionysius discursive distinct Divine Names doctrine effect evil existence explains expression extended fact finite follows given giving hence hierarchy higher human identity immediate indicates insofar instances Intellect intelligible knowledge known less light living lower manifestation matter means merely metaphysics mode moved multiplicity mystical nature necessary negative Neoplatonic object once participated perfect philosophical Plato Plotinus position possess possible precisely present principle proceeds procession Proclus production prop proper providence Pseudo-Dionysius pure reality reason receiving refers relation remains revealing reversion says seen sense sensible simply soul speak structure Studies symbols Theology things thought transcendent true turn understanding unified union unity University University Press unknowing whole York
Popular passages
Page 111 - I will only say that its fundamental weakness seems to me to lie in the assumption that the structure of the cosmos exactly reproduces the structure of Greek logic. All rationalist systems are to some extent exposed to criticism on these lines ; but in Proclus ontology becomes so manifestly the projected shadow of logic as to present what is almost a reductio ad absurdum of rationalism.
Page 88 - They all flow, in a way, from a single spring, not like one particular breath or one warmth, but as if there was one quality which held and kept intact all the qualities in itself, of sweetness along with fragrance, and was at once the quality of wine and the characters of all tastes, the sights of colours and all the awarenesses of touch, and all that hearings hear, all tunes and every rhythm.
Page 130 - Plotinian view of divine hierarchy opposes the austere monotheistic idea of no degrees of divinity: "it is not contracting the divine into one but showing it in that multiplicity in which God himself has shown it which is proper to those who know the power of God (theos), inasmuch as abiding who he is, he makes many gods, all depending upon himself and existing through him and from him.
Page 27 - It is because there is nothing in It that all things come from It: in order that being may exist, the One is not being but the Generator of being. This, we may say, is the first act of generation. The One, perfect because It seeks nothing, has nothing, and needs nothing overflows, as it were, and Its superabundance makes something other than Itself. This, when it has come into being, turns back upon the One and is filled, and so becomes Its contemplator, Nous.
Page 10 - It is by the One that all beings are beings, both those which are primarily beings and those which are in some way classed among beings. For what could exist if it was not one? If beings are deprived of what we call unity they do not exist. An army, a choir, or a flock do not exist if they are not one : and even a house or a ship does not exist if it has not unity, for a house is one and so is a ship...