Platonism

Commentary on the Republic: Achilles' TheurgyYitzchok Lowy and I discuss Proclus' explanation of why Achilles drags Hector's body and kills Trojan captives as part of Patroclus' funeral rites,…

Commentary on the Republic: On the apparent avarice and impiety of the heroesYitzchok Lowy and I discuss Proclus' explanations of why, despite Socrates' objections Homer does not portray…

Commentary on the Republic: the Intellectual Sources of Life and the Creation of the CosmosI correct some inaccuracies in my account of Rhea and Hera from last class…

Commentary on the Republic: Seduction on Mt. IdaYitzchok Lowy and I complete the discussion of the seduction of Zeus on Mt. Ida, including the meaning of sexual difference…

Commentary on the Republic: Laughter, Moderation and SexYitzchok Lowy and I finish the discussion of divine laughter, move on to passages where Homeric heros seem to lose their…

Commentary on the Republic: The Tears of the Godsin this class, we wrap up the discussion of the.myths of the Afterlife and read through Proclus' account of the…

Commentary on the Republic: Terrors of the Afterlifewe wrap up the conversation on the sending of false dreams by the gods and start Proclus' Commentary on both Platonic…

Commentary on the Republic: the Good is more powerful than the Truthin this class we begin to discuss Proclus' defense of Homer in the case of Zeus's sending…

Commentary on the Republic: The Shape of the Godswe discuss Proclus' account of what it means when the gods appear in specific shapes and change shape in the…

Commentary on the Republic: Divine Provocation to Punishmentwe finish the discussion of the temptation of Pandarus and return to the issue of Zeus calling the gods to war.

Commentary on the Republic: Evil in Mythin this class we discuss two problematic passages in Homer, from Socrates' point of view: the description of Zeus as having an…

Commentary on the Republic: Daimones at warwe look into how Proclus applies his way of explaining conflicts of the gods to Homer, saying that the gods are portrayed…

Commentary on the Republic: Wars amongst the Godsin this class we go over Prolcus' allegorical interpretation of war/dissension amongst the goss in myths. He gives 2 (maybe 3)…

Commentary on the Republic: Allegorical Interpretation of Mythscontinuing the discussion

Commentary on the Republic: Every Myth has a Daimonic Surfacewe continue the discussion of the principles of mythical obscenity and the Platonic prooftext for justifying allegorical interpretation of…

Commentary on the Republic: Harmonizing Plato with Platowe start the sixth essay, on harmonizing the Plato that criticizes poets with the Plato that quotes them as authorities, esp.…

Commentary on the Republic: the purpose of poetry and the cosmic poetwe finish essay 5, discussing Proclus' account of what the telos of poetry is and who the…

Commentary on the Republic: Philosophy and the Museswe discuss question 5 of the the fifth essay, on the different kinds of Mousike and the relationship between philosophy and…

Commentary on The Republic: Questions 3 and 4

Commentary on the Republic: Expiation of Passions and Descent of the Soulwe continue reading the fifth essay, this time dealing with Proclus' views ok tragedy and his criticism…

Commentary on the Republic: Mimesis and Varietywe start our new reading course on Proclus' Commentary on Plato's Republic, specifically on the 5th and 6th essays. We start today…

Elements of Theology: the final descent of the soul and end of the coursewe discuss: - why do Platonist physics? - ET 209-211: Proclus on the descent of…

Elements of Theology: IntroductionThis is the first in a series of classes I am teaching on Proclus' Elements of Theology to @YitzchokLowy , who asks the best questions.…

Elements of Theology: Multiplicity and UnityIn this second class, we mostly talk about the argument for proposition 1 "Every multitude in some way participates unity", and also about…

Elements of Theology: Unity Itself and the HenadsIn this class, I explain propositions 2-6 of the Elements of Theology, on Unity, how Unity is participated in, why it…

Elements of Theology: Every Cause is Superior to its EffectIn this class, I explain Proposition 7 of Proclus' Elements of Theology "Every productive cause of something else is…

Elements of Theology: On the Good and the Hierarchy of GoodsIn this class, I explain Propositions 8-10 of Proclus' Elements of Theology. We discuss what does it mean…

Elements of Theology : The Identity of Unity, Goodness and CauseIn this class, I explain Propositions 11-13 of Proclus' Elements of Theology. We discuss Proclus' argument for the…

Elements of Theology The Good, Change, and AnalogyIn this class, we start the section 14-20, the third ascent to the first principle after 1-6 (first principle as Unity)…

Elements of Theology: Intentionality, Reflexivity and ChangeIn this class, we discuss prop. 15-17 and the beginning of 20, focusing on Proclus`argument for why mind/soul (psyche) must be separate…

Elements of Theology: The Structure of OrdersIn this class, we discuss the end of prop. 20, on how Unity transcends Nous, and then go into props. 21-22 on…

Elements of Theology: On Forms, Gods and ParticipationIn this class, we discuss propositions 23 and 24 of the Elements of Theology and Proclus' theory of participation more generally.…

Elements of Theology: Perfection, Causes and PermanenceWe discuss propositions 25, 26, and 27 on the consequences for Proclus' theory of causality that the primary Cause is the Good…

Elements of Theology: How are Values Causes? (Part 1 of 2)In this video, I pause the proposition-by-proposition commentary of the Elements to deal with a problem that was…

Elements of Theology: How are Values Causes? (Part 2 of 2)In this video, I complete the explanation of how Values/Goods/Standards can be causes in Proclus, pointing to the…

The Elements of Theology: Like Causes LikeWe discuss propositons 28-30. 28 on how causes produce like effects and not unlike ones, 29 on how the productive power in…

Elements of Theology: Epicycles of ProcessionWe discuss propositions 31-34 of Proclus' Elements of Theology, discussing how: *Every effect symbolizes its cause *Every natural symbol is produced by its…

Elements of Theology: Remaining, Procession and ReversionWe discuss prop. 35 that ends the main discussion of causality in Proclus and we go into many related questions - to…

Elements of Theology: Steps of Reversion and Self-ConstitutionWe finish the section on procession and reversion in Proclus' Elements of Theology, discussing props. 36-39, which are especially about how…

Elements of Theology: Self-constitution, Self-Reversion and PerpetuityIn today's video we discuss Elements of Theology, prop. 43-49, finishing up Proclus' section on the self-constituted. We discuss in particular on…

Elements of Theology: on Time and EternityWe discuss prop. 50-52 of Proclus'Elements of Theology. *Proclus' notion of measure (metron) *His form of Heraclitus' dictum "everything flows" *The relationship…

Elements of Theology: On Time, Eternity and AstrologyWe discuss the remaining propositions on Time and Eternity, props. 53-55, and enter a long digression on Proclus' account of the…

Elements of Theology: Primary CausalityHere we return to the consequences of prop. 7 with prop. 56-59 on the nature of primary causality. we discuss also the nature of…

Elements of Theology: Increasing Multiplicity, Agents and NaturesWe discuss propositions 60-64 of Proclus' Elements of Theology. 61-62 introduce two distinct ways in which things are less akin to…

Elements of Theology: Natures and Agents, Parts and WholesWe recap on prop. 64 and discuss prop. 65-68 on parts and wholes. I am available for close readings of…

Elements of Theology: Wholes, Forms and the Cooperation of CausesWe discuss prop. 68-72 of the Elements of Theology, wrapping up the discussion of Wholes and the principles employed…

Elements of Theology: Being as the Ground of Causal CooperationIn this video we discuss prop. 73 and 74 of Proclus'Elements of Theology, wrapping up the ascent to Being…

Elements of Theology: Causes and Auxiliary CausesWe have a long free ranging discussion of prop. 75 of the Elements, touching on the different kinds of causes, different conceptions…

Elements of Theology: Actuality and PotentialityWe enter into the question of actuality and potentiality in the Elements, discussing propositions 76 and 77. We talk about the role of…

Elements of Theology: Potentiality and Actuality III am available for close readings of any work of Proclus'. For an overview of his works see: https://antoniofilosofo.com/close-reading-and-commentary-of-proclus-works/

Elements of Theology: Separate ParticipationI am available for close readings of any work of Proclus'. For an overview of his works see: https://antoniofilosofo.com/close-reading-and-commentary-of-proclus-works/

Elements of Theology: Being, Becoming and Infinite PowerI am available for close readings of any work of Proclus'. For an overview of his works see: https://antoniofilosofo.com/close-reading-and-commentary-of-proclus-works/

Elements of Theology: Limit and InfinityI am available for close readings of any work of Proclus'. For an overview of his works see: https://antoniofilosofo.com/close-reading-and-commentary-of-proclus-works/

Elements of Theology: Infinity and CausesWe take a look at propositions 95-99, wrapping up the subject of infinity and entering into the final propositions on Unity as the…

Elements of Theology: Unity, Cause of Causes and Being-Life-NousWe discuss propositions 100 to 102 of the Elements of Theology and go into: - How does Unity ground Self-constitution?…

Elements of Theology: All in All and AppendixWe discuss prop. 103, on how all things are contained in the metacausal principles Being, Life and Nous and go over…

Elements of Theology: Overview of the System of OrdersWe kick off the discussion of Part 2 of the Elements by discussing prop. 108-112, which give the reader an…

Elements of Theology: The Gods as UnitiesWe start discussing the nature of the gods considering prop. 113-118 of the Elements.

The Elements of Theology: The Gods as ValuesWe discuss prop. 119-122 of the Elements of Theology touching upon the way that each God is a goodness or a…

Elements of Theology: Divine Knowledge and ProvidenceWe discuss propositions 122-124, and before our discussion I present Proclus' full view of divine knowledge as akin to the self-knowledge of…

Elements of Theology: Procession of the GodsWe discuss propositions 125-126, including: - the three different modes of divine presence - the notion of idiotes, individuality, and it's relation…

Elements of Theology: the Bodies of the GodsWe discuss prop. 127-129, on the simplicity, self-sufficiency and participants of the gods. We touch on: - Where does the divine…

Elements of Theology: Order of Divine Processionswe discuss propositions 130-133, which are theorems on the relationships between prior and posterior members of Divine orders and between the divine…

Elements of Theology: Gods and their Primary Participantswe discuss ET 134-136, on the relationship between providence and nous, henads and beings and the order of henads and the…

Elements of Theology: Being as the Unity of the Godswe go over prop. 138-140, focusing on how being can be understood as the Unity of the many henads,…

Elements of Theology: The Presence of the GodsWe discuss prop. 141-145, concentrating on 142, which discusses how the gods are present to all things. 143 uses this to…

Elements of Theology: The Structure of Divine OrdersIn this video we discuss prop. 146-150 of the Elements of Theology, which present the structure of Divine orders, that is,…

Elements of Theology: Functions of the GodsWe start ET 151-158 on the different functions of the gods. In this class we cover 151, father gods; 152, generative/fertile gods…

Elements of Theology: Protective and Other Godswe discuss ET 154-158, wrapping up 151-154 on the functional roles of the gods, and going over 155-158, on roles that are…

Elements of Theology: Limit, Infinity, Divine Nous and True BeingWe discuss ET 159-161 on how the orders of the gods are constituted by Limit and Infinity and on…

Elements of Theology: The Orders of the GodsWe finish the propositions on the gods, looking at ET 162-165 on the different groups of henads responsible for different orders…

Elements of Theology: on NousWe start the section on Nous with an overview of its meanings and translation difficulties and already go over propositions 166 and the beginning…

Elements of Theology: The Nature of NousWe go over ET 167-170 (beginning) 167: the nature of nous as what makes itself known 168: insight shows itself to be…

Elements of Theology: Unity and Multiplicity in NousWe look at Prop. 170 + 171 on the how each Nous is distinguished by being the knowledge of all things…

Elements of Theology: Causality of Nouswe discuss prop. 172-175, with a special focus on 174, which shows that Nous is just as much a cause of being as…

Elements of Theology: The Forms in Nouswe discuss prop. 176-178 of the ET, on how the Forms are in nous. We focus ok two arguments for why the…

Elements of Theology: The Hierarchy of Noeswe discuss prop 179-183, the last propositions on Nous, with a focus on prop. 180, where I differ from Dodds in seeing…

Elements of Theology: The Kinds of Soul and the Separation of the Soul from the BodyWe discuss prop. 184-187 on the different kinds of soul and it's separation…

Elements of Theology: Soul as Source of Lifewe discuss the last two propositions on the nature of the soul, prop. 188-189, where soul is described positively as a…

Elements of Theology: the middle position of the soulWe discuss prop. 190-194 which present many ways in which the soul is between intelligible things and perceptible things and…

Elements of Theology: Knowledge and Body of the Soulwe discuss ET 195 and 196. 195 leads us to the question of the specific representational quality of the souls…

Elements of Theology: The Cycles of The Soulwe discuss prop. 197, on the intermediate character of the soul and 198-200, on how souls always follow cycles and each…

Elements of Theology: The Hierarchy of SoulsWe discuss prop. 201-204 on the activities of divine souls, and the hierarchy of gods, daimones and transmigrating souls. We see how…

Elements of Theology: the descent of the soulwe discuss prop. 205-209, going into the relation between the soul's vehicle and the soul and how the soul descends. 205…