Abstract

The three aspects of the relation of the One and Intellect treated in this study are: Intellect's procession from the One; the formation of Intellect through its return in contemplation to the One; Intellect's mystical ascent to the One. In these three moments of Intellect's life the varying character of its intellection is fully explored. Similarly, the question whether the One, as the transcendental absolute, possesses some sort of inner activity or consciousness is investigated. ;The format employed is a translation of and commentary on the most important texts in the Enneads that discuss the problems. Each discussion is analyzed fully in its context before parallel passages are considered. The texts are presented and discussed according to the chronological order in which they were written. Thus, the question whether or not Plotinus' thought developed receives extensive attention. ;The careful scrutiny of these important texts reveals that Plotinus was generally consistent in his presentations of the relation of One and Intellect. But because in his philosophical speculation on this difficult metaphysical problem he draws on the vast resources of hs creative imagination, it is evident that he continued to rethink each aspect of this relation from every possible perspective. Hence we observe Plotinus making slight modifications in his position a he follows the logic of a given argument. But these variations in his thought, which are dictated largely by his unsystematic mode of philosophisizing and the diversity of the philosophical traditions to which he was indebted, do not obscure the fact that: Plotinus repeatedly refers to activity or consciousness in the One; eternally perfect Intellect experiences three distinct states--pre-noetic, noetic, and hyper-noetic; he consistently believed that in the experience of mystical union, Intellect or the soul ceases to exist