Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-15462-9 — Philosophic Silence and the ‘One' in Plotinus Nicholas Banner Index More Information
Index
Allegory, cfr. Enigma therôleofdianoia in the ascent (anagôgê, Anagôgê (ἀναγωγή) q.v.), –, – as marker of the accomplished philosopher, unable fully to comprehend higher realities, , , , – in Plotinus, – Platonist via eminentiæ, Elitism, philosophic, , , –, , , Aphairesis (ἀφαίρεσις) Aristophanes’ satire of, – as concrete ontological practice in Plotinus, in Plato, –, – in Plotinus, –, as discursive practice in Plotinus, – Empedocles Apollonius of Tyana, significance for the development of Platonist Apophasis, –, philosophic silence, – difficulties of interpretation, – Enigma (αἴνιγμα) in Apocryphon of John, – As technical term of esoteric hermeneutics, in Basilides, – – In Plotinus, –, – distinction between enigma and allegory, applied to nous and noêsis, – Ascent narratives, in Plato, –, – epistemological status of, in Plotinus, , in Philo of Alexandria, – in Plutarch, –, in Zostrianos and Allogenes, – Erôs (ἔρως) the Hermetic Poimandres, as driving force of Platonist ascent (anagôgê, Augustine of Hippo, q.v.), in Plotinus, – Basilides, – Esoteric relation of the esoteric to philosophic silence, Chaldæan Oracles, –, – Contemplation (θεωρία), – working definition of term, – Cornutus the Stoic, Esoteric hermeneutics, –, – Cratylus, applied by Plotinus to Plato, – applied to traditional religious materials, Dianoia (διάνοια) – in Philo of Alexandria unable to contemplate in the Derveni papyrus, God, – limits of interpretation, – In Plotinus of Platonists reading Aristotle, as ‘discursive thought’, – of Platonists reading Plato, – presence of nous to dianoia, –, symbolon as technical term of, – – speech the externalised form of dianoia, Gnôsis (γνῶσις) – applied to the One by Plotinus,
© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-15462-9 — Philosophic Silence and the ‘One' in Plotinus Nicholas Banner Index More Information
Index
the supreme form of knowing in the as rational account and speech, – Hermetica, – silence as logos in ‘Pythagoreanism’, – Gnosticism methodological problems with the term Middle Platonism ‘Gnostic’, as a broadly-understood phenomenon Platonising Gnostic movements, – including Platonising religious movements, –, Hairesis (αἵρεσις) Modes of knowing in Plotinus’ anti-Gnostic polemic, – Direct unknowing, – increasingly important in post-Hellenistic defined, philosophy, – in Gnostic texts, – Platonist constructions of their lineage, in Hermetica, – – in Numenius and Celsus, – Harmonisation, philosophic, – in Plotinus, – Hellenism as polemic term in Plotinus, – Discursive indirect knowing, – Heraclitus defined, significance for the development of Platonist in Plotinus, – philosophic silence, Non-discursive direct knowing Hermetica, – defined, Direct unknowing in, – typified by some Middle-Platonists as Hieroi logoi, , – noêsis, , – Hypostasis (ὑπόστασις) Non-discursive indirect knowing meaning of the term in Plotinus, , – defined, – three primary hypostases in Plotinus, – in Plotinus, – Mystery-cult, – Ineffable, – importance of the Eleusinian mysteries as In Plotinus exemplar, limitations of discursive thought and mystery initiation, – language, topos of mystic silence, , – limitations of language when speaking of Mysticism nous, – as problematic construct, – , the higher the hypostasis under discussion, the problem of interpreting experience, – the greater the ineffability, Initiation Noêsis (νόησις), cfr. Nous in Empedocles, – Nous (νοῦς) in Parmenides, – ‘flower of nous’inChaldæan Oracles, – In Plotinus In Plotinus initiatic silence equated with ineffability, as hypostasis, – – nous as intelligible world, – in traditional mystery-cult, nous as non-discursive faculty, – initiated/profane dichotomy, – presence of nous to discursive thought, typified by the act of silence, – –, – Plato’s use of the theme of initiation, problems with linguistic expression of nous, Platonist trope of Platonic reading as , – initiation, the limits of nous, truth-claims of nous, – Numenius of Apamea, , –, , Julian, Emperor, , perennialist view of truth, reveals the mysteries of Eleusis, – Katharsis (κάθαρσις), cfr. Purification theory of esoteric writing, –
Logismos (λογισμός), cfr. Dianoia One, the Plotinian, – Logos (λόγος) Contact with the One as metaphysical principle in Plotinus, –, through the One’s immanence to all things , – that partake of oneness, , –
© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-15462-9 — Philosophic Silence and the ‘One' in Plotinus Nicholas Banner Index More Information
Index
through the turning of philosophic broken oath to keep Ammonius’ teachings attention toward it, – secret, – the One as the Beautiful, – esoteric reading methodology of, – the One as the Good, – Spiritual practices The One ineffable, – ascent (ἀναγωγή), – because beyond being, – practical aphairesis, – because perfectly simple, – use of hermeneutic term enigma, , – contact with the One ineffable, – Writing practices the One’s ‘hyperconsciousness’, apophasis, – Orpheus ascent narratives, – as theologos, discursive aphairesis, – Orphic texts, – indeterminacy, – use of kataphatic descriptions of the One, Parmenides – significance for the development of Platonist Plutarch philosophic silence, – esoteric reading of Plato, – Philo of Alexandria, – perennialist view of philosophic history, ascent narrative at de op. mun. , – Philosophic secrecy Purification for safety, – in Plato equated with philosophy, – privileging of knowledge for pedogogical In Plotinus reasons, , – equated with philosophic virtues, , , Philosophic silence, –, – – philosophic taciturnity, purification of nous, social dimensions of, –, –, , , in Plutarch equated with philosophy, – –, in the Eleusinian mysteries, Themes of philosophic silence Pythagoreanism indeterminacy of silence and secrecy, –, development of concept of transcendence in, –, – – philosophy as mystery, , –, , hierarchy among Pythagoras’ students, – – problems of evidence for early the paradox of saying the unsayable, –, Pythagoreanism, – – prominence of Pythagoras and his school in the secret hidden in plain sight, Platonist perennialism, – the secret revealed, , –, , –, Pythagorean orality and esoteric oral –, – teaching, – the self-hiding secret, –, –, – Pythagorean silent novitiate, , the truth hidden within tradition, –, synonymous with silence in late antiquity, – –, Plato themes of silence and secrecy, – lecture On the Good, – Platonic secrecy Secret knowledge, –, , for pedogogical reasons, , Silent philosophers, – Platonic valorisation of oral over written Apollonius of Tyana, – teaching, – Plotinus as silent philosopher, – use of mystery-themes, – Secundus, ‘the Silent Philosopher’, – use of the trope of enigma, – Soul in Plotinus, Platonist orientalism, –, doctrine of the undescended soul, –, Platonist perennialism, – – defined, identity of the individual soul indeterminate, not universal among Platonists, – Platonist readings of religious materials as Strauss, Leo, , , , – esoteric philosophy, –, – Symbolon, – Plotinus as technical term of esoteric hermeneutics, as Platonist perennialist, – –
© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-15462-9 — Philosophic Silence and the ‘One' in Plotinus Nicholas Banner Index More Information
Index
cultic origins of term, In Plotinus Sympathy, cosmic (συμπάθεια), , transcendence of hypostases balanced by immanence, – Tübingenschule, , , , , , – strong and weak, –, – Transcendence strong transcendence in Platonising Gnostic development of concept in Platonism, – texts, –
© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org