Editing Higher Tiers Explanation (section)

== Emanationism, Nigh-0 and 0 ==
Armstrong's interpretation of ''The One'' as described by Plotinus and later clarified by Pseudo-Dionysius focuses on the metaphysical necessity of attributing characteristics, such as will and creation, to the First Cause. By doing so, he essentially turns ''The One'' into an ''ousia'' (substance), allowing it to be subject to logical distinctions and predications. According to Armstrong, this move is required for ''The One'' to be understood as the First Cause within a metaphysical framework. He ascribes various attributes to ''The One'' such as "lover, love, loved, eternal, creator, creative process, and eternally created," implying that it has an active and relational nature within its metaphysical role.

However, this interpretation introduces a misunderstanding in regard to the radical transcendence of ''The One'' as envisioned by both Plotinus and Pseudo-Dionysius. The key misunderstanding lies in treating ''The One'' as something that can be predicated, or even subjected to attributes like will or creative process. Armstrong overlooks the fact that ''The One'', as posited by Plotinus and emphasized by Pseudo-Dionysius, is beyond all being, beyond ousia, and thus cannot be approached with the same categories or logical distinctions we use for beings.

Pseudo-Dionysius, in particular, insists that ''The One'' transcends both affirmation and negation. It is neither "one" in the way we understand the term, nor can we deny it certain characteristics as if it existed within the realm of intelligible distinctions. To speak of ''The One'' as possessing will, creative process, or relational characteristics, as Armstrong suggests, imposes a level of determinacy and limitation that contradicts its absolute transcendence.

In contrast, Plotinus emphasizes that ''The One'' is not a being among beings, but the source of all being. It is utterly beyond any distinctions of intellect, will, or creative process. The moment we ascribe these characteristics to ''The One'', we reduce it from its transcendent nature and mistakenly bring it into the realm of conditioned existence, which it fundamentally surpasses. As Pseudo-Dionysius states, ''The One'' is beyond every assertion and denial because it is "free of every limitation, beyond every limitation."

Thus, Armstrong's treatment of ''The One'' as a metaphysical being with certain attributes misapprehends the core philosophical idea that ''The One'' remains ineffable, unconditioned, and beyond even the distinction between being and non-being. It can only be approached through negation, or apophatic theology, which denies the applicability of any characteristics, including those Armstrong attributes to it.
Plotinus, in this passage, delves into the complex relationship between ''The One'' and the multiplicity of beings. The One is the principle of all things, not by being identical with them, but by containing all things in an undistinguished and indivisible unity. This leads to the concept of emanation, where the multiplicity we experience arises at the second level of existence—''nous'' or intellect—where distinctions and rational forms of being are introduced.

To answer how ''The One'' can be the principle of all things without being identical to them, Plotinus emphasizes the transcendence of ''The One''. It does not possess distinctions in itself but causes them to arise on a secondary level. While ''The One'' contains all, this containment is not multiplicity in the sense of division but a form of non-differentiated potentiality. The distinctions, or rational forms, arise only when beings emanate from ''The One'' and exist on a lower level of reality.

Moreover, Plotinus makes it clear that if ''The One'' were separate or "other" from being, it would lose its transcendence, becoming just another entity among many. To maintain its absolute transcendence, ''The One'' must be simple and beyond all being, yet omnipresent. This paradoxical condition means that while ''The One'' is present to all beings, it is not identical to any of them. It is not bound by the relational limitations of beings within the realm of multiplicity, which maintains its status as transcendent and infinite.

By maintaining that ''The One'' is beyond both being and non-being, Plotinus avoids the pitfalls of reducing ''The One'' to just another part of the cosmos. He stresses that all generated things must originate from a simpler principle, and this simplicity must go beyond even the simplest forms of multiplicity or division. The One, therefore, is "outside all multiplicity and any simplicity whatsoever," meaning that it is the ultimate source, fundamentally different from the beings it brings into existence, even while it is the cause of their existence.

Plotinus presents ''The One'' as the principle of all things, bringing all into existence through a process of emanation. ''The One'' contains all things in an undistinguished manner, meaning the multiplicity that arises later in existence is not present within ''The One'' itself. Distinctions, as Plotinus explains, only occur on the second level of reality, the level of ''nous'' or intellect, where the rational form of being comes into play.

Plotinus emphasizes that as beings move downward toward multiplicity, they become more fragmented and distant from the original source. Conversely, moving upwards represents a return to the simplicity and unity of ''The One''. This is why ''The One'' is beyond all multiplicity and simplicity—because it is the absolute source from which all things emanate without being divided itself.

In his model, Plotinus describes three main hypostases: ''The One'', ''Nous'' (intellect), and ''Psyche'' (soul). The One is the first and highest hypostasis, the ultimate source and cause of all things. It is identified with ''The Good'', and this Good is something that intellect relies on, but it itself is not reliant on intellect. Instead, intellect (''nous'') is a reflection or trace of ''The Good''—emanating from it but of a lesser nature. ''The One'' as the creative force exceeds being, categories, and all predicates. It is not subject to the distinctions of positive and negative predicates, such as "one" or "oneness," because these distinctions belong to the realm of multiplicity, which ''The One'' transcends.

Plotinus stresses that while ''The One'' is the source of everything, it is not identical to the things that emanate from it. The emanated forms—intellect, soul, and all other beings—are not ''The One'', but they are reflections of it. Thus, even though all things come from ''The One'', they are not equivalent to it. This is the essence of Plotinus' doctrine of emanationism, where everything flows from ''The One'', yet ''The One'' remains undivided, transcendent, and beyond all forms of existence or non-existence.

Emanationism necessitates that Tier 0 entities are inherently undifferentiated and unconditioned, meaning they are independent of any other existence and not bound by lower levels of potential or actuality.

"...but it [the One] is without need, sufficient unto itself, lacking nothing, the measure and bound of all things, imparting from itself intellect, real being, soul, life, and intellectual activity." (I.8.2, 5)

The pre-intellect (sometimes referred to as the form of the good or the inchoate intellect) arises from the exteriority or external aspect of the One, which is itself a result of the interiority of the One. This essence overflows, leading to the formation of a lower essence, which ultimately manifests as the intellect. The intellect, in turn, is a trace of the form of the One. This stage represents the boundary between High 1-T+ and Tier 0, where complete undifferentiatedness is present, second only to the One in terms of nominal aspects. This suffices for a comprehensive emanation-based ontology.

This is considered the first act of generation: the One, being perfect and in need of nothing, overflows, and its superabundance creates something distinct from itself. This creation turns back toward the One, becomes filled, and, by gazing upon the One, transforms into Intellect. The act of halting and turning towards the One constitutes being, and the gaze itself becomes Intellect. Intellect, in its likeness to the One, emanates power in the same way the One did. This emanation, springing from the substance of Intellect, is Soul, which comes into being as Intellect remains unchanged, just as Intellect arose while the One stayed immutable. (V.2.1, 7–18)

A fitting metaphor for this is the sun (the One) and its rays (the external aspect), which cause effects. Although we use causal or temporal language to describe this process, the actual emanation is outside of time and thought, but this is the only way we can express it.

In Plotinus' emanationism, the external act or effect is entirely dependent on the internal act, while the internal act remains unaffected by the external. The One emanates passively, and its external act—a reflection of its internal activity—exists in constant motion yet remains within the realm of atemporality. The external effect is a consequence of the internal act, but the internal act itself is unchanging and distinct from the external manifestation.

Plotinus explains this relationship through the analogy of fire:

''"In each and every thing there is an activity which belongs to substance and one which goes out from substance; and that which belongs to substance is the active actuality which is each particular thing, and the other activity derives from that first one, and must in everything be a consequence of it, different from the thing itself: as in fire there is a heat which is the content of its substance, and another which comes into being from that primary heat when fire exercises the activity which is native to its substance in abiding unchanged as fire."'' (V.2.2, 21–37)

This points to a distinction between the internal act (the essence of the thing) and the external act (the effect or consequence of that essence). The sun serves as another analogy: the sun itself remains unchanged at its center, but it emanates light, which extends everywhere without ever being separated from the sun:

''"The sun, too, is an example since it is like a centre in relation to the light which comes from it and depends on it; for the light is everywhere with it and is not cut off from it; even if you want to cut it off on the one side, the light remains with the sun."'' (I.7.1, 27)

In this model, the external act can be compared to a mirror image: the image does not change the thing it reflects, and it cannot exist separately from its source. The internal act, like the object in the mirror, remains unaffected and unchanged by the external:

''"Just as the image of something, like the weaker light, if cut off from that which it is, would no longer exist, and in general one cannot cut off and make exist separately anything at all which derives its existence from something else and is its image, these powers also which came from that first could not exist cut off from it."'' (VI.4.9, 36–40)

This emphasizes the inseparability of the external from the internal act, where the internal remains unchanged and omnipresent, while the external merely reflects its essence.

In Plotinus' system of emanationism, the distinction between the internal and external acts is crucial. The internal act is entirely self-contained, whereas the external act is directed outward, emerging naturally as a consequence of the internal act. Plotinus emphasizes this in his description of the internal act of Intellect, which rests in itself and directs its activity inward, while still generating an external effect. He explains:

''"Peace and quiet for Intellect is not going out of Intellect, but the peace and quiet of Intellect is an activity taking its rest from other activities... For it had to be first in itself, then also directed to something else, or with something else coming from it made like itself, just as in the case of fire it is because it is previously fire in itself, and has the activity of fire that it is able to produce a trace of itself in another."'' (V.3.7, 13–25)

The internal act (the One) is independent of its external manifestation (Intellect). However, as Emilsson argues, the external act naturally follows the internal one, not as two separate actions but as a "double activity"—the external act occurring inherently due to the internal act. The process is not sequential but simultaneous, where the internal act remains unchanged while emanating the external one.

Plotinus continues to explain how Intellect comes into being from the One:

''"When, therefore, the Intelligible abides ‘in its own proper way of life’, that which comes into being does come into being from it, but from it as it abides unchanged... what comes into being does so as thinking; and since it is thinking and thinks that from which it came... it becomes Intellect... a representation and image of it."'' (V.4.2, 27–39)

In this model, the external act is not a second, separate event but an inherent result of the internal act's perfection. Plotinus compares this to fire producing heat: fire remains unchanged in its nature, yet its external heat is generated naturally from its essence.

However, when external activity is specifically directed outside the self-contained nature of Intellect, it gives rise to a new stage—Soul. Plotinus explains:

''"For when it [Intellect] is active in itself, the products of its activity are the other intellects, but when it acts outside itself, the result is Soul."'' (VI.2.22, 26–29)

Thus, while the internal and external acts are distinct, they are also interconnected. The internal act of Intellect is inward-directed and self-contained, while the external act (emanation of Soul) is outward-directed, arising as a natural consequence of the internal act. Plotinus uses the term "double activity" to express how the external act inherently follows from the internal:

''"The intelligible could not be the last, for it had to have a double activity, one in itself and one directed to something else."'' (II.9.8, 20–25)

This reflects Plotinus' vision of a seamless chain of emanation, where each higher reality remains unchanged yet generates a lower reality through its inherent power.

=== Emanationism (Motion and Atemporality): ===
In Plotinus' emanationism, the concept of motion and atemporality is described through what he calls a "double act," which is viewed as a single, continuous movement but with two different descriptions. This dual description reflects how the same act can be understood in two ways: the internal act, which is complete and timeless, and the external act, which operates in relation to temporality and causality.

Plotinus aligns this duality with Aristotelian causation. The internal act is an absolute, self-contained activity, freed from the constraints of any external goal or telos. It does not require any further completion because it is always in a state of completeness. This activity is atemporal—outside time and instantaneously fulfilled without the need for any progression. In contrast, the external act engages in causality but remains linked to the timeless nature of the internal act.

Plotinus illustrates this point:

''"But if someone were to say that movement was an incomplete active actuality, nothing would prevent us from giving active actuality the priority and subordinating movement to it as a species as being incomplete, making its category active actuality, but adding the 'incomplete'... For certainly the man who is in motion has already moved, and the man who is cutting, cut already. And just as what is called active actuality does not need time, so neither does movement."'' (VI.1.16, 1–6,9,15–17)

Here, Plotinus emphasizes that even though external movement may seem incomplete, it is already a complete actuality in itself. He draws a distinction between external movement, which appears to be ongoing, and internal movement, which has already been fulfilled. The internal act—like walking or cutting—is already finished from the outset.

In essence, movement is defined as the transition from potentiality to actuality, with Plotinus emphasizing that the potentiality for an act (e.g., walking or sculpting) is not something to be completed over time, but rather, the act itself is the motion. Thus, he writes:

''"Let us grant that movement, to describe it sketchily, is the passage from potentiality to that which it is said to be the potentiality for... and when one progresses to a statue, its progress is movement, and when the other is engaged in walking, the walking itself is movement."'' (VI.3.22, 9–12)

In this view, even though movement involves a transition from potentiality to actuality, it remains grounded in the internal, timeless completeness of the act. The external manifestation is merely a reflection of the internal, absolute motion that is already fulfilled. This captures the way in which Plotinus' emanationism conceptualizes both motion and atemporality as intrinsic to the nature of the One and its emanations.

In any version of emanationism, based on Plotinus’ framework, certain core principles must be present to align with his metaphysical model:

==== I. The Internal Act is Self-Contained and Does Not Intend the External Act ====
The internal act, representing the One or the highest principle, is completely self-contained. It does not intentionally cause or direct itself toward an external effect. The One, in its perfect state, overflows naturally without any intention or necessity, and this overflow produces lower hypostases, like Intellect. This means the external act (emanation) is an inevitable consequence of the One’s self-sufficiency, not something actively pursued.

==== II. The External and Internal Acts Are Both Simultaneous and Atemporal ====
The internal and external acts are not separate events in time; they happen instantaneously and beyond time (atemporally). While the One remains unchanged, the external act, or emanation, occurs as a continuous reality, without progression in time. The external act exists at the same time as the internal one, and both are part of a singular movement, as Plotinus describes.
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=== Traces (Emanationism) ===
The concept of "traces" refers to the external act of the hypostases, which leaves a reflection of the higher reality (the One) in lower realms. For example, Intellect contains a "trace" of the One's power, reflecting its essence but without diminishing or affecting the One itself. The trace is the external aspect of the hypostases, and it indicates the generative power of the One, which emanates without undergoing any change.

Plotinus illustrates this process of emanation through the analogy of sunlight radiating from the sun:

''"It must be a radiation from it while it remains unchanged, like the bright light from the sun which, so to speak, runs round it, springing from it continually while it remains unchanged."'' (V.1.6, 28–33)

The trace signifies the continuous flow from the One, where lower beings receive their form and essence without the One itself undergoing any alteration. As with fire producing heat, the external act (emanation) is a necessary consequence of the internal substance.

In summary, any consistent version of emanationism should involve:

# '''Self-contained internal action''': The One does not intend the external but emanates naturally.
# '''Simultaneous and atemporal external/internal acts''': Both exist at once, beyond time.
# '''Traces''': The external act is a reflection or trace of the internal, as lower hypostases reflect the higher.