Podcast episodes – The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) The Esoteric Plotinus, Part II: Unsaying the Real
Apr 13, 2021
This podcast explores the ineffable in Plotinus and his unique approach to the first principle. It discusses the esoteric nature of Platonist writing and the encounter with the one as a non-experience that defies reason and language. The concept of unsaying and apophatic discourse in Plotinus's works is analyzed, highlighting the denial of consciousness attributed to the one. The podcast also delves into different approaches to understanding Plotinus and his writing style, examining the concept of mysticism and its relation to philosophy.
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Performative Unsaying Pushes Thought Toward The One
- Plotinus turns unsaying into a performative, repetitive literary act that pushes readers toward non-conceptual contact with the One.
- He circles contradictions and strips predicates to make language fail, inviting anagogic movement rather than offering final definitions.
Apophatic Texts Provoke Ascent Not Answers
- Apophatic writing resists final meanings by promising approximations and then negating them, so the text's action is to provoke ascent rather than to state conclusions.
- Plotinus uses writing to point toward an encounter that, if attained, nullifies any linguistic affirmation.
Plotinus Prefers Exploratory Circling Over Formulaic Negation
- Classic apophasis proceeds by A then B then denying both without offering a positive D; Plotinus often refuses that final synthesis, keeping the paradox open-ended.
- He prefers an exploratory circling style over formulaic negations used by later apophatic writers.