Proclus • Universe Harmony & Methexis
He was interested in demonstrating the harmony of ancient religious revelations and integrating them into the philosophical tradition of Pythagoras and Plato.
❈ Mathematical harmony, is understood as equality or proportionality of parts with each other and part with the whole. “Harmony is a proportionality of parts with the whole, the confluence of the various components of the object into a single organic whole. In the harmony, the internal ordering and the measure of being get the external manifestation.”
❈ Aesthetic harmony, In contrast to the mathematical understanding of the harmony, the aesthetic understanding is not only quantitative but also qualitative, and expresses the inner nature of things. The aesthetic harmony associated with aesthetic experiences, with an aesthetic evaluation. Most clearly this type of harmony is manifested in the perception of the nature beauty.
ত Proclus proposed a "Mathematical Theory of the Universe Harmony" based on Platonic solids and the "golden section".
According to this hypothesis, the Pythagorean doctrine of the numerical harmony of the Universe and Plato’s Cosmology, based on regular polyhedra, was embodied in the Euclidean Elements.
He believed that the main purpose of the Elements was to demonstrate the harmony of the universe. He also believed that the harmony of the universe was reflected in the harmony of the soul.
Overall, his hypothesis is an attempt to reconcile the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle on the soul, and demonstrate the interconnectedness of various aspects of the universe, including mathematics, the soul, and ancient religious revelations.
As stated in the books of the Western historians of mathematics, Johannes Kepler was convinced in the correctness of the Proclus hypothesis, and this is confirmed by his “Cosmic Cup”, the original model of the solar system, based on the Platonic solids.
In the 19th century, the prominent German mathematician Felix Klein (1849–1925) suggested the hypothesis that the icosahedron, one of the most important Platonic Solids, is the main geometric object of mathematics, which allows uniting all the most important branches of mathematics: geometry, Galois theory, group theory, invariant theory, and differential equations.
He believed the universal harmony connects all things in the universe, and the soul is part of this harmony. He believed the soul is a self-moving, self-constituting entity that links the transcendent with the immanent, and it's harmony is it's unity.
ত For Proclus, the human soul contains innate knowledge and has the ability to intentionally relate to its objects.Having in mind his belief that the World Soul infuses the sensible, temporal, divided, and material cosmos with unity and Forms ultimately deriving from the One and Intelligible Being, we can comprehend why "Methexis" is part of a philosopher's core, and a core aspect of Neoplatonism.
Methexis refers to the participation of
lower beings in higher beings.
lower beings in higher beings.
According to Proclus, the universe is a hierarchy of beings, and each being participates in the being above it through methexis.
ত The soul, as an entity, wants to return to En and thus participates in the divine through methexis, and this participation is what gives the soul its unity and harmony.
Each level contains divine energy from the En. So if a lower level
participates to its higher level, gains a pure form of energy.
With Methexis' geometrical reasoning,
lower beings participate in the Forms.
lower beings participate in the Forms.
Purificiation (out of respect even) is important for being in methexis with a higher or an even more higher level, reaching the En which is superempirical, beyond thinking. The En, or God, is unfathomable in it's omni-being.
This is the divine union, the Plotinic Return to En. And that’s why in Neoplatonism, not only philosophy, but theurgy is also used. This means, that the magickian lives as a philosopher, disciplines his body and his mind, purifies his body and his soul to achieve methexis with the Ultimate En, the Ultimate God.
Every manifold or plurality is said to participate in some way in unity or oneness. All that participates in unity is both one and not-one.
The participation of a manifold in unity means that it has unity as an effect and has undergone a process of becoming one.
Additionally, every universal which includes a Many, either appears in the particulars and has its existence in them, exists prior to the Many and produces plurality, or is formed from particulars by reflection.
ত According to these three modes of being :
- some universals are prior to their instances
- some are in their instances,
- some are constituted by virtue of being related to them as their predicate.
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Wrap up to Farewell...
Proclus, the Neoplatonist sage, uncovered the universe's harmony through mathematical and aesthetic dimensions, uniting ancient revelations with Pythagoras and Plato's philosophy.
His "Mathematical Theory of the Universe Harmony" revealed a connection between Platonic solids, the golden section, and the universe's mathematical order. Proclus believed that Euclidean Elements showcased the universe's harmony, reflecting the soul's harmony. This concept greatly influenced scientific minds like Johannes Kepler and mathematician Felix Klein.
Proclus also stressed the notion of "Methexis," where the soul, through purification, aspired to return to the divine, achieving unity and harmony by participating in higher levels of existence, ultimately leading to a Neoplatonic ascent towards divine union.
Available readings on Bookshelf :
Intellectual Meditations
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Cultivate your Spirit via the path of Intellect.
Meditate on and Contemplate with,
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delve into the Essence of Universal Truths,
expand your mental horizons towards infinity,
and experience Cosmic Forms & Ideas,
Cultivate your Spirit via the path of Intellect.
Meditate on and Contemplate with,
concepts & theories, symbols & archetypes.
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