Michæl Griffin on the Higher Virtues in Late Platonism
We know that the Late Platonists were interested in exploring what they viewed as the higher ‘realms’ of reality: the noetic reality, containing the archetypes of our lower world, and potentially a more unified ‘plane’ of ultimate unity beyond that noetic hyperkosmos.
Primary Sources
Problems Concerning First Principles
This text documents the final stand of the Platonic school against the encroaching silence of history. Damascius argues that any attempt to label or define the First Principle inevitably degrades it into a mere thing among many. He posits that the absolute must exist beyond Being and Unity to remain
The Lexicon of Suidas
Problems and Solutions Concerning First Principles, Volume 1
This text provides a front-row seat to the intellectual collapse of a dying tradition and the rigorous brilliance that accompanied it. Damascius argues that human reason is inherently inadequate when it tries to define the first principle, yet he maps the process of causality with unmatched precisio
Problems and Solutions Concerning First Principles, Volume 3
As the final leader of the Athenian Neoplatonic school, Damascius faces the impossible task of defining the source of all things. He argues that any description of the first principle inevitably limits it, as language requires duality and separation. The text rejects the simple labels used by his pr