Plotinus Theory of Emanation, Essay Example

Plotinus is a philosopher of the ancient times and is considered by many to be the founder of Neo-Platonism in conjunction with his teacher Ammonius Saccas. Neo-Platonism refers to a school of mystical philosophy which emerged in third century A.D. The school was based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonist. In his writings Plotinus borrowed heavily from paganism, Christianity, Jewish, Islam and Gothic religion.  Plotinus is the philosopher responsible for the formulation and development of the theory of emanation.

The theory of emanation describes the origin of the material universe tracing it to a transcendent first principle. The theory holds that the universe is multiple and originates from one unitary medium of a hierarchy of immaterial substance. The ultimate source of the universe is permanent and remains undiminished while the subsequent beings emanated by the source progressively become imperfect as the move away from the first principle. This process is further conceived as being temporal. The Neo-platonic theory does not consider the material universe and the ultimate product as being evil the way the Gnostic systems of emanation does. The description of emanation can be done using various or different models. For instance, emanation is normally compared to water flowing from a spring or an efflux of light produced by aluminous body. The formulation of the theory by Plotinus was done in the Enneads where it typical fourfold scheme of the one, nature, intellect and soul are found (Uebersax, 2007).

The theory and practice tend to be combined with soteriology or eschatology which the return of the soul to the source via a process a known as epostophe or rather “revision” (Altmann, 1969) By coming up with the theory and developing its concepts, Plotinus had played his part as far as the theory is concerned.

His successors further developed and refined this theory to what it is presently. Among the successors Proclus played a critical role by systemizing the process of moneproodos-epistrophe (i.e. procession, immense and revisions) to provide an account for the process emanation.

The theory of emanation is one of the many theories that try to explain our origin. I am going to contrast between the emanation theories with another theory, the creation theory which holds that we were created.  The emanation theory holds that, one which is good or absolutely perfect and contains in itself the seed for everything that is possible. It has to distribute its perfection as far as possible; its goodness has to be everywhere. However, emanation is in opposition to the monotheistic religious believes of creation of the universe by God bases on his desires.

According the Emanationism creation happen through a process called emanation which can also be referred to as out-flowing. The theory holds that the entire cosmos including all Gods as well as the Godheads beyond our cosmos came into existence through the process of emanation. The absolute develops upon and as itself a series of manifestations giving rise to several new entities. The development of these manifestations is similar to the development and spread of wave on water from the initial wave.  These entities in turn create other entities and so on. All these entities combine all their interactions to bring forth a network existence. All the levels create what is known as a world in the emanationist cosmology. The word world is used to describe the cosmos in this case because it is a self sufficient realm or existing universe these levels of emanation exist (the relationship between these levels can be perceived as that of the spirit and matter, soul and body, or ,matter creator and creature- the spirit, soul, and creator are creators of what is immediately bellow them- matter, body and creature).

As such, the emanations position, is founded on hierarchy of realities of the Worlds are arranged in a vertically manner which is a contrast to the positions held by other religions such as Christianity’s creation theories which are based on single creator-created dichotomy. Each of the world generates that which is bellow it and thus positions itself as God or rather the creator to that which is bellow it. Therefore the purpose of creation is being of the higher hypothesis.

Each of the levels in this creation hierarchy plays its own specific function the chain of being which leads to notions such as the psychic world, archangelic world, angelic world, the divine world, etc. which looks down to matter and up to godhead. Concerning our existence in this in the world Plotinus in the enneads holds that our bodies are apportion of the body of all (Uebersax, 2007).

This kind of Cosmology has to be loved and cannot be theoretical but rather a true Vision of reality (vision of worlds beyond worlds), a vision of hierarchy or hierarchies of engages and Gods all in their order of what comes first.  The cosmology is certainly magnificent and awe-inspiring. It is also not abstract speculation but contemplative reality.

Christianity on the other hand is among those religions that are based on single creator-created dichotomy.  From the view point of Christianity, the emanation theory seems to leave an unbridgeable gap between its degree of determination and its totally no-differentiated and self-sufficient unity. If an entity contains seed of manifestation, it must contain within these seeds a state that allows them to actualize as individual entities. The seeds must be distinguishable in such a way that they can be traced to their source without any possibility of being differentiated from each other as well as from their source (World Wisdom, 2008).  The entities contain a kind of Godhead and no God and they thus lack an author or creator. An entity can only produced new entities if the new entities are different from the original. Therefore, manifestation does not provide us with a proper explanation or creation.

The Christian creation theory holds that everything was created by a single God who is almighty and created humans in his own image. In Christianity God is not regarded as a logical God-unit as it is in the case of the Platonic tradition. Certainly, Christianity is monotheistic. God is one with multiplicity containing divine abilities or rather powers. God’s essence, just as it is in the platonic theory, is totally non-differentiated, transcendent, undetermined and incommunicable (World Wisdom, 2008). God holds immense powers, which are very creative and communicable in nature. These powers are part of Gods essence and the Christian theory leaves no doubt on how distinction and differentiation arise from the unity of one. Unlike in the platonic theory where Gods purpose is abstract, Christianity bestows God a specific task-creating. In Christianity God is the sole architect, as many of the Christians believe, who crated the earth by separating land from water, day from night and proceeded to create all plants followed by all animal that live in water and land. Finally, he created man in his own image.

The Christian theory therefore maintains numerous presuppositions that are different to those of the Platonic theory. Such presuppositions include; the lack of necessity for pre-established analogy as well as correspondence in the logical order and metaphysics order and the doctrinal formulation do not have to observe strict logical laws on the assumptions on which these laws draw their metaphysics base. Therefore, from the Christian point of view, absurdity denotes metaphysical impossibility. The disbelief in the existence of God and that God can act the way he dose is absurd.

However, both Christian and platonic theories seem to concur that manifestation as a starting point is good.  The goodness is however relative and belongs with God alone although it tends to create a degree of imperfection in the existence of God. Clearly, both theories do not draw evil from manifestation a factor that also points to the imperfection. As long as an entity falls short of the Gods perfection, it is bound to be evil.

References

Altmann, A. (1969). Studies in religious philosophy and mysticism. London: Routledge.

Uebersax, J. (2007). The enneads of Plotinus, treaties and chapter online. Retrieved 9 October 2009 from http://www.john-uebersax.com/plato/enneads.htm#egf4

World Wisdom. (2008). Excerpt from Studies in comparative religion. Retrieved 9 October from 2009 http://www.worldwisdom.com/public/products/978-1-933316-55-0_Studies_in_Comparative_Religion_Annual_Edition_1968.aspx?ID=199&FilmID=