Elements of Theology, Proposition 4

[readoldthings]

Every thing which is united is different from The One itself.
 

For if it is united it will participate in a certain re­spect of The One, so far as it is rightly said to be united. That, however, which is a participant of The One is both one and not one. But The One itself is not both one and not one: for if this was so, again the one which is in it would have both of these, and this would take place ad infinitum, if there was no One itself at which it is possible to stop; but every thing being one and not one, there will be something united, which is different from The One. For if The One is the same as the united, it will be infinite multitude. And in a similar manner each of the things of which the united consists will be infinite multitude. Every thing, there­fore, which is united is different from The One itself.

COMMENTARY

To "be united" is to be a unity, or a one, which consists of parts joined together in a whole. Anything which has parts-- no matter how totally united those parts might be-- is not the same as the One. 

This proposition continues to deal with a topic with which we're already familiar. Everything which is not The One itself is different from the One. This has important implications, though, both for Proclus's theology and for any sort of tradition which wishes to make use of Proclus.

In the Platonic Theology, Proclus tells us that the First God-- which is to say, the One-- is not the leader of a Triad. This is important, because every other God who puts in an appearance is triadic. The first God is the One, and is entirely one, alone, and simplex; but immediately after the One we have the appearance of the Intelligible Triad:

Being-Life-Intellect.

This is also the first God with whom we can have any kind of relationship as we understand it. Every deity subsequent to the first can be approached by the rites of theurgy; the First God is worshiped "by silence alone." 

If one is willing to take seriously both the claims of pagan Platonists like Proclus and those of Christian theologians, it becomes apparant that the Holy Trinity as it is normally understood either is not God Himself, or else needs to be seen as the outward face of a God who is inwardly totally simple and undivided. 

Comments

[timhackman1]

I'm loving this series. Great work.

[readoldthings]

Thank you!