Solar Wind

“There is a principle having intellection of the external and another having self-intellection and thus further removed from duality.

“Even the first mentions is not without an effort towards the pure unity of which it is not so capable. It does actually contain its object, though as something other than itself.

“In the self-intellect, there is not even this distinction of being: self-conversing, the subject is its own object, and thus takes the double form while remaining essentially a unity. The intellection is the more profound for the internal possession of the object.

“This principle in the primal intellect since there can be no intellection without duality in unity. If there is no unity, perceiving principle and perceived object will be different, and the intellection, therefore, not primal: a principle concerned with something external cannot be the primal intellect since it does not process the object as integrally its own as itself; it it does possess the object as itself—the condition of true intellection—the two are one. Thus (in order to primal intellection) there must be a unity in duality, while a pure unity with no counterbalancing duality can have no object for its intellection and ceases to be intellective. In other words, the primal intellective must be at once simple and something else.

“But the surest way of realizing that its nature demands this combination of unity and duality is to proceed upwards from the Soul, where the distinction can be made more dearly since the duality is exhibited more obviously.” ~Plotinus

External Intellection and Self-Intellection

What Plotinus means when he speaks of intellection of the external is awareness of something or someone outside of ourselves. Self-intellection, therefore, means self-awareness. Plotinus says that the intellect of the external does “contain its object,” but sees it as something other than itself. I’m not quite sure what he is trying to say with that statement. Does he mean to say that all things are a part of ourselves and we just think they are external, or does he mean that there is but one intellect, one consciousness, so everything is part of that single unified consciousness and the separation is but illusion? I think it is possible to be separate beings and things, yet connected to the all, like individual bricks that are part of a wall. The structure of nearly everything in the universe seems to have a hierarchy to it including our physical bodies. The galaxy is made of many solar systems, solar systems are made of one or two stars and several planets, etc. One from many, that is the idea of a hierarchical structure.

One and the Same

Maybe these two types of intellect are really just a case of looking at the same thing from different angles. Does it really matter, for example, when we look at a tree if we think of it as a separate being or just a part of ourselves? It shouldn’t, but with some people it does. Many don’t think they are responsible in any way for the welfare of others, but they do care about themselves. But it really shouldn’t make any difference either way. How we treat others is just as important to our own well being as how we treat ourselves. Plotinus goes on to say as much himself. He says the intellect is the subject as well as the object, so essentially a unity. Duality in unity and unity in duality. That’s an idea that won’t make the anti-duality crowd happy, but maybe it should. Continue reading “Duality in Unity, Many in One” →