The first emanation from the One. It contains the totality of Platonic Forms and represents eternal, non-discursive thinking where the thinker and the thought are one.
At the furthest point of emanation lies matter, which Plotinus identifies as evil because it is the total absence of form and "light". The Return: Ethics and Beauty PLOTINUS THE ENNEADS
Existence is viewed as a "flow" or emanation from the One, like light from a fire or heat from a sun. This process is: The first emanation from the One
Plotinus describes a hierarchical universe emanating from three foundational principles: The Return: Ethics and Beauty Existence is viewed
For Plotinus, the goal of human life is the of the soul back to its source.
Plotinus influenced some of history’s most important thinkers:
It does not happen in time; it is a permanent, ontological dependence.