597.Neoplatonism

Reader86

This image is a meme that blends a genuine philosophical diagram with a provocative (and offensive) joke. Let’s break it down seriously, then address the tone.



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???? What the Diagram Represents

This is a Neoplatonic metaphysical hierarchy, often attributed to Proclus, a late antique philosopher expanding on Plato’s ideas.

It illustrates how all reality emanates from “The One”, in descending levels of complexity:
        1.        The One – The ultimate, ineffable source of all existence; beyond being.
        2.        Being – First emanation from The One; the essence of existence.
        3.        Life – The principle of animation.
        4.        Intellect – The realm of divine thought and archetypes (the Forms).
        5.        Soul – The mediator between Intellect and material reality.
        6.        Paradigms, Bodies, Matter – These are progressively lower forms of reality, culminating in the physical world.

These stages are arranged in triads and series — a typical Proclean method that emphasizes order, causality, and nested wholes (hyparxis).

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???? Key Concepts in the Diagram
        •        Cause/Progression: Higher levels give rise to lower ones. The idea is that wholes come before parts, and the visible world is a shadow or image of the intelligible one.
        •        Hyparxis: A Neoplatonic term often meaning a mode of existence or presence — somewhat difficult to translate.
        •        Participation: Lower levels “participate” in the reality of higher levels.

This diagram is a deeply abstract attempt to map reality as a structured, hierarchical flow from unity to multiplicity.

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⚠️ About the Meme Text

“Neoplatonism… you mean ancient autism”

This line is a joke that uses the term “autism” pejoratively — mocking the complexity and abstract structure of Neoplatonic metaphysics by likening it to obsessive or hyper-systematic thinking.
        •        It’s clearly intended to be humorous to certain audiences, especially those familiar with both philosophy and internet irony.
        •        However, it’s offensive and ableist, reducing a complex neurodevelopmental condition to a punchline, and equating deep philosophical rigor with pathology.

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???? So What Does It Mean?
        •        Philosophically: It’s a genuine attempt to visualize how Neoplatonists thought the cosmos and consciousness are organized, from pure unity to material reality.
        •        Culturally: The meme reflects a modern discomfort (or amusement) at the hyper-abstract rigor of ancient metaphysics — mocking it as absurdly over-intellectual.

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Want a simpler breakdown of the levels or how this relates to Plato’s original theory of Forms?