Proclus' Theology of Plato (Six Books) — trans. Thomas Taylor (1816)

and the causes which are posterior to it. But at one time indeed, he introduces the names from all beings, and at another from the first beings. For it neither was nor is lawful to refer names to him who is exempt from all beings, from subordinate natures, and which are placed in an order very remote from him. If therefore, all beings participate of the paternal peculiarity, wc must say that Plato gives this name to the one from all beings ; for there is not among all beings such a cause as this. Hence it is evident that Plato introduces to the one an appellation of this kind, from that which is the first and highest in the Gods. The intelligible Gods, liowever, are more ancient than all the divine orders, and subsist immediately aller the one. The paternal cause therefore of beings is in the intelligible Gods, and the intelligible Gods are the fathers of all the divine genera, being established in the highest essences, and occultly pro- ducing wholes. And the first God indeed, is beyond the appellation of father, as he is likewise beyond all other names ; and he is neither properly called the good, or the one, through his ineffable and unknown transcen- dency. But the intelligible Gods are primarily superessential unities and goodnesses, and are the exempt fathers of beings.

The paternal peculiarity, therefore, originates supernally from the first intelligible triad ; but the fabricative first presents itself to the view in the third triad. For that which generates all forms, and adorns all things with forms is the third triad of intelligibles. For there, as we have said, all-perfect animal subsists, which is comprehensive of the first and intel- ligible paradigms. Here therefore, the effective also or fabricative at the same time subsists. For animal itself constitutes the Gods, and produces the forms of all beings. Hence it is allotted the paternal peculiarity, according to the divine cause, but according to the formal cause, it un- folds into light the effective principle of wholes. But again, on the con- trary, the effective and at the same time paternal peculiarity, is allotted its hypostasis in the demiurgic monad. Hence also the demiurgus of wholes is the hypostatic cause of Gods. In a particular manner however, he fabricates the world, energizing with forms and demiurgic reasons. For he constitutes intellect, aouls and bodies, adorning all things with forms, some indeed with first, others with middle, aud others with last forms.

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Do you not see, therefore, how the end of intelligibles indeed, was paternal and at the same time effective ; but the end of intellectuals is effective and at the same time paternal. There however, the paternal peculiarity is more predominant ; but here the effective. For in both indeed, both causes preexist; nevertheless in the paradigm [i. e. in ani- mal itself] the paternal is more prevalent, but in the demiurgus the effective. For the former produces by his very being ; but the latter by energizing. And in the former indeed, fabrication [or effective energy] is essential ; but in the latter essence is effective. Forms also are with both; but in the former intelligibly, and in the latter intellectually. From these things therefore, it is evident, that the demiurgic cause subsists analogous to the paradigmatic cause; and that it has the same order with respect to intellectuals, as that has with respect to intelligibles. And on this account Timeeus also says that the demiurgus of wholes was extended to that paradigm. For lie says, " Whatever ideas intellect perceived by the dianoetic energy in animal itself, such and so many he conceived it necessary for the universe to contain." And together with this analogy, there is a diminution of the intellectual with reference to the intelligible. For the latter is more united ; but the former is more separated. And the one indeed is preestablished in the order of the desirable ; but the other is moved about the desirable. And the one fills with paternal power ; but the other absorbs as it were and embosoms the whole prolific abundance of the desirable. And after this manner, the demiurgus of the universe is all-perfect, receiving whole intelligible powers, from all-perfect • animal. For the universe is threefold ; one indeed beiug intelligibly [all] ; another intellectually ;- and another sensibly. For the world is perfect, from perfect natures, as Timreus says. And animal itself is perfect ac- cording to all things, as the same Timaeus asserts. The demiurgus like- wise, being the best of causes, is all-perfect.

Again therefore, resuming what we have said, we repeat, that the paternal cause commences from the supreme union of intelligibles; but the paternal and at the same time effective cause is consubsistent in the intelligible paradigm ; and the effective and at the same time paternal cause is defined according to the whole demiurgus. But the cause whicu

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is alone effective and fabricative, pertains to the junior Gods who give subsistence to partial and mortal things. The peculiarity therefore of the demiurgic cause is effective and paternal. And this Timseus asserts, not only in the beginning of the discourse about it. in which he says, " [To discover] therefore, the artificer and father of this universe, &c.;" but also in the speech to the junior Gods, he does the same thing ; for the demiurgus in a simitar manner says to them : " Gods of Gods of whom I am the demiurgus and father, [Whatever is generated by me is indissolu- ble, I being willing that it should be so.]" For he does not call himself father and demiurgus, but demiurgus and father, just as there fTimaeus calls him] fabricator and father. And not in the Timaeus only is this mode of the arrangement of the names defined, but in the Politicus also, the FJean guest speaking about the world says that it imitates the instruc- tion of its demiurgus and father ; and in the beginning indeed, he uses these names more accurately, but in the end more negligently. Since Plato therefore, every wliere preserves this order of names unchanged, it is evident to those who are not entirely unskilled in things of this kind, that he defines the demiurgic monad according to this peculiarity, and that he considers it to be effective and at the same time paternal. For because indeed, it is the end of the intellectual triad, it is allotted a pa- ternal transcendency with respect to all the second genera of Gods ; but because it produces from itself all the partial genera and species of beings, it possesses an effective cause of the natures to which it gives subsistence. And because indeed, it is father, power is in it, and at the same time in- tellect. For the demiurgus himself says, " Imitating the power which I employed iu your generation." And again, Timaeus says concerning the demiurgus ; " Whatever ideas intellect perceived in animal itself, such and so many he conceived by the dianoetic energy it necessary for this universe to contain." Hence he is father, and the power of the father is in him, aod intellect. All these however, are in him intellectually, and not intelligibly. Hence, I think he is called father indeed, not simply, but together with effector and demiurgus; and power, not by itself, but the power of the demiurgus and father. For he who calls himself demi- urgus and father, says that it is the power of himself. But he is immedi-

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Chap. Xvi. of Plato. 553

ately called intellect, without the addition of power, and the other appellations. *' Whatever ideas therefore intellect perceived," &c. For all things are in him intellectually, and both power and father, by which he imitates the intelligible paradigm. Tor in him all things were intelli- gibly, ' viz. bound, infinity, and that which is mixed from both these. These, however, arc father, power, and intellect. But the intellectual of the paradigm indeed was intelligible in the intelligible Gods, sub- sisting prior to an intellectual cause. The intellectual however of the demiurgus, is of itself intellectual, being intellectual in intellectuals, as was before observed. Because indeed, as we have said, he is father, power is in him, and also intellect. But because these are defined ac- cording to the effective and demiurgic, he is coarranged with the vivific order, and together with it constitutes the genera of life, and vivifies the whole world. What this order is however, and where it is arranged, we shall shortly survey. But thus much is evident from what has been said, that so far as he is the demiurgus, he requires contact with the vivific order, together with it generates total lives, and conjoins it to himself. Disseminating, however, all the measures of life in it, and together with it adorning and producing them, he again converts them to himself. For it belongs to him to generate all things, and to recall all things to him- self, no less than to generate them, because he is established at the end of the intellectual order, and is the demiurgic intellect. As he is there- fore demiurgic, he gives subsistence to all thirigs; but as intellect, he convolves multitude to union, and converts it to himself. He also accomplishes both these, by the words which he delivers to the junior Gods. For he fills them with demiurgic and prolific power, collects them to himself, constitutes himself the object of desire as it were to the mul- titude of Gods, and extends about himself all the demiurgi in the world,

' For rsrpas,-, it u necessary to read rmrrcef.

Proc. Vol. I. 9 Y

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354 ON THE THEOLOGY BOOK V.

In the third place therefore, let us purify our conceptions about the de- miurgic cause according to other projecting energies of intellect, following for this purpose Timams. In the first place then, Timseus in the begin- ning of the theory concerning the demiurgus, sufficiently exhibits his good- ness, and his unenvying and abundant communication of demiurgic reasons, being impelled to this from the seat of goodness which is in- herent in him, and from his exuberant deity. For his goodness and his unenvying abundance, are not as it were a certain habit of good, and a power, or a form itself by itself existing prior to many goods, but it is one ineffable participation of good, and the one of the demiurgic order; ac- cording to which the demiurgus also is a God, and fills all things with their proper good. For because there is deity in him which desires to adorn and arrange all things, and an hyparxis which is extended to the providence of the whole of things, on this account he establishes the prin- ciple of fabrication. His goodness therefore is nothing else than demi- urgic deity. But his will is the progeny of the energy of his goodness, bounding the end of his power. For since in the demiurgus of wholes there are, as we have said, father, power, and intellect, and these subsist in him intellectually, according to each of these he is filled with the par- ticipation of the one. And through goodness indeed, that which is paternal in biro, and which is as it were the intelligible of intellect, is illuminated. But through will, his power is governed, and is extended to one intelligible good. And through providence, his intellect is perfect, and gives subsistence to all things. All these likewise are the progeny of the one deity in the demiurgus.

In the first place, therefore, as I have said, Timaeus unfolds through these things the divine peculiarity of the demiurgus. But in the second

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CHAP. XVII.

place, he presents to our view the intelligible cause which is in him, and also the united paradigmatic cause of wholes which he contains. For to make all things similar to himself, evinces that he is the intelligible paradigm of every thiug beautiful and good in the world. For because he gives subsistence to all things by his very being, that to which he gives subsistence is the image of himself. And according to this reasoning the demiurgus is not only a God, but he contains in himself the intelligible, and true being, and antecedently comprehends not only the final cause of mundaoe natures, but also the paradigmatic cause. But again, in the third place, Timseus celebrates the demiurgic power, and the principle which abolishes every thing disorderly and indefinite, and prepares the beautiful alone and the good to have dominion in wholes. For the assertion that the demiurgus to the utmost of bis power suffered nothing evil and vile to exist, indicates his unconquerable power, which adorns things material in an unpolluted manner, and imparts by illumination bound to indefinite, and order to disorderly