RADEK CHLUP PROCLUS AN INTRODUCTIONPROCLUS An Introduction RADEK CHLUP CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESSCAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, ingapore, Sao Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City Cambridge University Press ‘The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cs2 8xu, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9 780521761482 © Radek Chlup 2012 ‘This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the writen permission of Cambridge Universicy Press. First published 2012 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Chlup, Radek, 1972— Proclus : an introduction / Radek Chlup. Pp. cm, Includes bibliographical references (p. _) and indexes. ISBN 9'78-0-521-76148-2. (hardback) 1. Proclus, ca. 410-485. 1. Title. B7OLZ7C43 2012 186'.4 — de23 2012002651 ISBN 978 0 521 76148 2 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or chird-party internet websices referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents List of figures Acknowledgements Editions and abbreviations of ancient works Note on translations used Introduction 1 Historical background 1.1 Neoplatonism and the Platonic tradition 1.2 Plotinus versus late Neoplatonism 1.2.41 Penchant for subtle classifications 1.2.2 Impenetrable boundaries between levels of reality 1.2.3 Turn towards religion 1.3 Proclus and Athenian Neoplatonism 1.3.1. From Iamblichus to Proclus 1.3.2 Proclus’ writings 1.3.3 The final days of Neoplatonism 2 Proclus’ metaphysics 241 The One and the Good as the beginning and end of all things 2.1.1 Positive presence of the One and the Good in all things 2.1.2 Negative theology 2.2 The cycle of procession and reversion 2.2.1 Why does the One create lower levels? 2.2.2 Procession and reversion 2.2.3 Self-constituted levels 2.2.4 Limit and the Unlimited 2.3 Grades of causality 2.3.1 All things are in all things 2.3.2 Being — Life — Intellect 2.4 Levels of participation 2.4.1 Participating — participated — unparticipated 2.4.2. Participation and the relation between levels of reality 2.4.3 Degrees of participation page vii viii x xvi 8 21 30 32 37 47 48 50 54 62 62 64 76 8% & 92 9 99 1Or 10s