ISSN 1337-8740 (print) | ISSN 2453-7675 (online) | EV 5344/16

SYSTEMATIC ONTOLOGICAL AND GNOSEOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO GEORGE PACHYMERES AND PROCLUS: THE PLATONIC UNCONDITIONED AS THE SOURCE OF TWO DIFFERENT WORLDVIEWS

(Systematické ontologické a gnozeologické prístupy ku Geórgiovi Pachymérisovi a Proklovi: platónske absolútno ako zdroj dvoch rôznych svetonázorov)

Abstract: In this study, the authors focus their attention on the ontological question of the divine essence in Christianity and Neoplatonism, its consequences in the gnoseological field and its historical-philosophical origins from Plato’s unconditioned. This is an issue that establishes a common tradition between two clearly different worldviews, which, despite the fact that the first one is monotheistic while the second is polytheistic, they both adopt monism and suggest unutterability of the divine essence. Concerning the structure of the study, the question of the divine essence is firstly approached from the ontological and gnoseological point of view in George Pachymeres, a Christian philosopher and theologian of the Palaeologan Renaissance. It is followed by a discussion on the same question in Proclus. In the last two parts of the study, the authors are discussing the origin of the matter of the agnosia of the divine essence and the transformation of the way in which Metaphysics is approached, following its course from the Platonic moderate anthropocentrism to the Neoplatonic and Christian theological attempt at understanding the divine revelation.

Author: Terezis, Christos – Petridou, Lydia

DOI: 10.17846/CL.2018.11.1.119-129

Publication order reference: Prof. Christos Terezis; University of Patras, Department of Philosophy, 26500, Rion-Patras, Greece; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr. Lydia Petridou; University of Patras, Department of Philosophy, 26500, Rion-Patras, Greece; email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Source: Konštatínove listy, 2018, vol.: 11, issue: 1, pages: 119-129 (PDF file)

Keywords: GEORGE PACHYMERES, PROCLUS, PLATO, DIVINE ESSENCE, UNCONDITIONED
Language: ENGLISH