Friday, April 27th, 1984

WISDOM'S GOLDENROD, JUNE FRITCHMAN SEMINAR NOTES (TYPED)

APRIL 27a, 1984

PLOTINUS; MATTER

TOPIC: Plotinus

SUBJECT: Matter

SUBSUBJECTS: Space, Number

BOOKS READ FROM OR REFERENCED:

• Plotinus, The Enneads (MacKenna translation, 4th ed.)

• John N. Deck, Nature, Contemplation, and the One: A Study in the Philosophy of Plotinus

PLOTINUS QUOTES READ OR REFERENCED: II.4.3, 5, II.4.16, III.6.7, III.7.11, III.7.17, VI.6.1, 2, 3, VI.7.17

TYPED by JF 2018; REFORMATTED by IT 2024

NOTES:

• RETYPED HANDWRITTEN NOTES (V08.1). From JF Notes.

• This is 1984 04/27a, a Friday morning Plotinus; Matter seminar, and the first of two entries associated with this date. 1984 04/27b is the evening Western Tradition; Guenon class, for which no audio survives — only AB notes.

• In 2024, IT updates prefatory matter and footer, fixes errors/typos, adds notes within transcript, reformats to accord with new conventions.

1984 04/27a Friday AM SEMINAR at Wisdom's Goldenrod

Plotinus; Matter

[JF Notes Begin]

Matter is pure potentiality, in reference to the sensible world.

VI.6.1, 2, 3 Number and Matter [Note: Plotinus, The Enneads.]

1) Matter has not determination, forms are imposed on it.

2) The first imposition on it is direction which establishes place.

3) Wants to show no mathematical infinity in the world; matter is not infinite, rather as the (world-idea image) is projected it takes up as much space as needed - (it is) not empty, space (waiting) outside; that space is a determination on that empty matter.

4) Forms are always latent, always finite, (this) is the form of the universe.

5) The universe constantly becoming; the matter can only accept it instant by instant - the sensible world appears in matter like a mirror, but the mirror is not affected, but the mirror is in no place.

6) The series of universes has no beginning nor end.

7) The I.P. [Intellectual-Principle] too is numbered, not an infinite number of Beings, but each Being or Idea is infinite in power, is never exhausted by being projected on/into matter.

8) AD: 360 x KWF [knowing willing feeling] (ways/manifestation) = the total potential possible combinations is like the potentiality of matter.

9) Number is responsible for that ordering of that absolute infinite matter (called space); see #3.

10) Matter never gets any quality, they are only imposed on it; III.7.17 place an imposition on matter.

11) Mass-matter mirrors the absolute magnitude.

12) Traces are left behind in the formed matter, matter determined as Mahabhutas.

13) In the Intellectual Realm, the potentiality, (the actuality of non-existence is there); all possibilities actualized in the I.P. without which there would be no appearance.

Two kinds of matter, II.4; Chuang-Tzu Quote

III.6.7. Matter is not a trick; the image is not the matter.

III.7.11. Matter is evil in that it is not amenable to modification by the Good, amenable to no modification whatsoever. (It) isn't becoming anything, everything is becoming in it. Deck: the sensible world is an image of the intelligible world in matter. [Note: See John N. Deck, Nature, Contemplation, and the One.]

Saturn in Aries, the principle of Difference, only allows the I.P. to take itself as different; allows the second point of view or hierarchy, not just homogeneity. ((It is) not the power, not the determination, not the unity.)

Saturn in Aries will make its contribution at each level (determination of number, of form, etc).

II.4.3, 5. Two kinds of matter, fits in with VI.7.17, life is indetermined but looks to the One and gets determined.

The principle of matter allows the sensible world to be determined.

Proclus was right, the principle of difference unites beings to the One!

Or, the sensible world is less indefinite through the true indefiniteness, II.4.16, intellectual matter.

[JF Notes End]