What is emanation in philosophy. Problems of Medieval Philosophy

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] the higher sphere of the Universe to the lower, less perfect spheres; those. the spread of the excess fullness of the absolute Being [beyond the limits of its own being].

The idea of ​​emanation goes back genetically:

  1. to epistemological models of pre-Socratic natural philosophy, based on the presumption of the expiration of “model copies” from the object, causing corresponding sensations in sensory perception [of a person] (Empedocles, Leucippus, Democritus, etc.);
  2. to the understanding of the Good in the philosophy of Plato, as irradiating ("radiating") and being as such ( aporroia, other Greek ἀπόρροια - expiration, selection), and its immanent meaning, which makes it possible to know it;
  3. to the Aristotelian understanding of the distribution of energy produced by the prime mover and successively setting in motion all levels of the Universe;
  4. to the stoic concept of the outflow of the creative Logos as a “first fire”, waningly penetrating with its “streams” - fiery pneuma ( πνεῦμα ) - all being, up to the "cold" inorganic nature.

The term itself (“outflow”, “spread”) is based on the metaphorical image of the source used in the tradition of Platonism, giving rise to the river, but inexhaustible; or the image of the Sun, pouring out rays from itself, but remaining the same light.

The concept of emanation was most fully developed in Neoplatonism. Emanation is conceived here as a consequence of the ontological, energetic and creative redundancy of the One (Good) as the fundamental principle of the world; this redundancy is manifested in the involuntary natural and creative outpouring of the One (Good) [outside one's own being] (compare with the creative semantics of the “spermatic logos” in Stoicism). Plotinus points out:

“Imagine a source that has no other beginning, but which gives itself to all streams, not being exhausted by these streams, but remaining calm in itself. Imagine also that the sources from it, before flowing to each in different directions, are still together, but each, as it were, already knows where his currents will go. And imagine the life of a huge tree, embracing everything, while its beginning remains everywhere unchanged and unscattered throughout the tree and, as it were, located at the root. This beginning, therefore, on the one hand, gives the tree a comprehensive, diverse life, on the other hand, remains itself, being not manifold [itself], but the beginning of manifold».

In the process of emanation as a stepwise descent of the Absolute (the One), a multiple world of the “other” is formed, i.e. lower levels of being nous, νόος , world souls, etc.), and at the lowest level - matter as "non-existence" ( meon, μείων ).

According to Neoplatonism, the relationship between the One and the lower levels of Being is governed by two main principles, fundamental regularities. Firstly, the immutability (non-diminishing) of the Good in the process of emanation and, secondly, the return of creative potential back to the Good, thanks to the willful overcoming of isolation from the source. In Plotinus, this position is fixed by the postulate of "ascent to the One" and is conveyed by the term "ecstasy", in Proclus in "The Fundamentals of Theology" it is formulated by the thesis "everything that primarily moves itself is capable of returning to itself." In this sense, comprehension and self-knowledge, the highest form of which is ecstasy, is compensation, completion, another hypostasis of the emanation itself.

The paradigm of emanation (as opposed to the paradigm of creation) removes the problem of theodicy: the presence

It happens that scientific concepts begin to be used in everyday speech. Words can change meaning when they enter colloquial speech.

For example, the concept of "emanation", which developed into an ironic designation of smell, was often used by Russian writers, for example Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Meaning of the word

The emanation comes from emanatio“, that is, “appearance, distribution.”

Exists several definitions of the term"emanation":

  • General: emergence from something, the emergence of something from a more complex element.
  • Theological: Emanation means the emergence of the universe (Universum) through its emergence from the transcendental initial phenomenon of the One (Deity).

There are several interpretations of the concept:

  • Philosophical.
  • Chemical.
  • Physical.

In physics, an emanation is a gaseous intermediate product of decay.

Emanation in chemistry isotope Radon, 86 elements of the periodic table.

Upon discovery of the element, Rutherford suggested calling it "emanation", later called Radon.

The concept of "Emanation" is associated with Plotinus, an ancient Greek thinker who systematized the teachings of Plato and gave impetus to the emergence of Neoplatonism.

The origins of the concept of "emanation"

  • Natural philosophy. Gnoseological model copies are elements from which something arises and to which a person is receptive and feels the corresponding feelings.
  • Platonism. If we accept the Good as a radiant source and as being, then the knowledge of an outflowing object (phenomenon) will become possible.
  • Philosophy of Aristotle. The beginning creates energy, its distribution moves the Universe, develops. The beginning becomes the driving force behind the emergence of something.
  • Philosophy of the Stoics. The creative "first fire" pierces everything that exists, even inorganic nature, and thus makes it possible for something to arise.

The basis of the concept was the image of the source, which is metaphorical in nature. A similar comparison was in use among the followers of Platonism. The source gives rise to the river, but never runs out. It should be understood that this is not an act of the will of the biblical Creator, but a spontaneous act. The One Good releases emanations like the sun, releasing heat and light.

The emergence of the term

The world in the interpretation of Plato was a pyramid, the top of which is "Good". The good releases and creates from itself being and the ability of a person to understand existing phenomena.

The good becomes the basis of ideas, the result of which is the "emanation" of every object in the universe.

According to Plato, the divine principle becomes the prime mover, universe, which creates energy and with its help makes the universe exist and create something.

The development of the interpretation of the term

Ancient Platonism gave birth to several philosophical schools. Their followers established a metaphor for the concept of emanation, defined as arising from an unknown inexhaustible source that creates something.

The universe was often compared to the sun, whose rays did not dry out and did not take away light and energy from the sun.

More fully developed the idea of ​​emanation ancient Roman thinkers. Taking the concept of "Logos" as a basis, they presented it as the creative principle of the world.

The Stoics believed that the "first fire" radiates its energy, pneuma, which, cooling and solidifying, creates an organic nature.

Emanation theory

The concept gained popularity thanks to neoplatonists. Plotinus, the largest follower of Neoplatonism, proposed to consider the Universe as a source of creative energy, of which the universe has a constant excess.

That is, the creative principle of the Good is so strong that it overflows the universe. Our world is created by the prime mover naturally and involuntarily. The world can be divided into several levels according to the proximity to the Universe.

Philosophical interpretation emanations - the concept of loss of perfection during the progressive release of energy. Which can end in non-existence, which in Neoplatonism means matter.

In a simplified form, the concept of "Emanation" (an explanation of the emergence of the existing through the allocation of a creative divine message) is revealed by Govorov in the work "Smirdin and Son":

“Praise be to you, woman, the ancestor of all that is beautiful in the world! When we are sad and lonely, you come from nowhere and look with eyes that understand everything, like an emanation of a deity.

The concept of emanation had a great influence on the development of European philosophy. In theology, the concept of "Emanation" has influenced:

  • The development and interpretation of the Christian canon (a fundamental concept in the interpretation of the Holy Spirit).
  • The development of theology.

The concept of emanation determined the vector of development of European philosophical schools, giving rise to scholicism, mysticism and the humanistic philosophy of the Renaissance.

Emanation(philosophical; from emanare - to expire) - one of the possible forms

explanation of the world process. Emanation is the opposite of evolution. Evolution

puts the idea of ​​perfection at the end of the process, emanation, on the contrary, at its beginning,

and considers the process itself as a gradual deterioration, by

expiration. On a specific example, the relation of evolution to emanation is represented

in the following form: evolution explains the emergence of life and consciousness from

dead matter - emanation, on the contrary, explains death from consciousness and life.

It cannot be said that the theory of emanation is obsolete, although it is certain that

evolutionism in the 19th century. took over emanation In the history of emanation theories

three major names are given out: Plotinus and his school, John Scott Erigena and

Schelling (in the last period of his life). Generally speaking, emanation has

some connection and affinity with mysticism. Supporters of emanation theories willingly

use the analogy of the relationship between God and the world to define the relationship

the sun to the light that comes from it. Just like the power of light

decreases in proportion to the distance from its source - the sun, and

the perfection of being decreases with distance from the deity, and

the last, worst step is matter. The concept of emanation

naturally entails the requirement to enumerate the main steps

being, located between God and matter. According to Plotinus,

The Spirit (nouV) flows from the One, from it - the world of supersensible ideas

(kosloV nohtoV), from the latter - the world soul, from the world soul -

separate souls, and from the souls - the corporeal world. The idea of ​​emanation with peculiar

modifications were carried out by Iamblichus, Proclus, Gnostics, later Dionysius

Areopagite ("On the Heavenly Hierarchy"). John Scott Erigena connected the emanation with

evolutionary ideas: the world flows from the Divine, but at the same

time returns to him, therefore the world remains in God, and God in the world; from

creative and uncreated nature comes the world of created, but creative

ideas from which come created and non-creative beings,

returning to the bosom of the Divine. This way the world is

self-revelation (theophany) of the Deity. Related ideas are found in

Eckhart and Jacob Boehme. Emanational representations are common in

Eastern philosophy (eg in Sufism); in Greek philosophy emanation

appeared, in all likelihood, under the influence of the East. some benefit

the theory of emanation presents itself to explain the evil in the world: by putting a number of

links between Divinity and matter, we thereby distance evil from

the origin of being; however, this benefit is more apparent than real.

Since God is conceived in most emanation systems,

transcendent, but immanent in the world, then in the Deity itself there is

search for the "dark foundation" (Schelling) to clarify evil. All in all,

the objections that can be made against the theory of emanation are the same as

objections to evolution: both here and there we have only a picture,

depicting the genesis of phenomena; meanwhile, an indication of the genesis of the known

phenomenon does not in the least relieve the obligation to consider the logical

his viability. In this regard, we must admit that the emanation

wields with constructions of fantasy, which only to a very small extent

can be justified by the indications of experience and speculation. Concepts of the world soul,

intelligible world and the like, although accepted in some

systems, but built, however, by analogy with the phenomena of mental

of the world, which hardly give grounds for such constructions. In these

concepts, thought is enclosed in a vicious circle: they must serve

explanation of the phenomena of the mental world, and at the same time they are in this

mental world are looking for their justification.

But still one with her. Science teaches that evolution is physiologically a kind of generation, where the germ that develops into the womb already exists in the parent, and the development and final form, and the characteristics of this germ are established in nature; and that in cosmology this process is carried out unconsciously through the correlation of elements and their various constituents. Occultism answers that this is only an apparent order, the present process is an Emanation guided by intelligent Forces in accordance with an immutable Law. Therefore, since the occultists and theosophists fully believe in the doctrine of Evolution as given by Kapila and Manu, they are emanationists rather than evolutionists. The doctrine of emanation was once universal. It was taught by both Alexandrian and Indian philosophers, Egyptian, Chaldean and Hellenic Hierophants, as well as Jews (in their Kabbalah and even in Genesis). For it is only through a deliberate mistranslation that the Hebrew word asdt is translated in the Septuagint as "angels" when it means Emanations, Aeons: just like the Gnostics. Indeed, in Deuteronomy (XXXIII, 2) the word asdt, or ashdt, is translated as "fiery law", while the correct translation of this passage should be "out of his right hand came (not the fiery law, but) fire in accordance with the law "; those. the fire of one flame is transmitted and picked up by others, as if following the trail of a highly flammable substance. That is what emanation is. As shown in Isis Unveiled: "In Evolution, as is now beginning to be understood, the existence of an impulse towards the attainment of a higher form is supposed in all matter, an assumption clearly expressed by Manu and other Hindu philosophers of the most hoary antiquity. The philosophers' tree illustrates this in the case of dissolution The disagreement between the followers of this school and the emanationists can be summarized as follows: the evolutionist stops all research at the limits of the "Unknowable", while the emanationist believes that nothing can evolve (be evolved) - or, according to the meaning of this word, come out of the womb, be born - if it was not first projected (been involved), thereby indicating that life, first of all, comes from spiritual power.

Source: Blavatsky H.P. - Theosophical Dictionary

The Occultist and Chela need not explain the difference between Energy and Emanation. The Sanskrit word "Shakti" is untranslatable. It may be Energy, but occurring by itself, and not due to the actual or conscious will of the one who produces it. The "Original" or Logos is not an Emanation, but an Energy inherent in Parabrahman, the One, and coeval with Him. The Zohar speaks of emanations, but reserves the word for the seven Sephiroth that emanate from the first three—forming one triad—Kether, Chokmah, and Binah. As regards these three, the Zohar explains the difference by calling them "immanations", something inherent, of the same age as the postulated object, or, in other words, "Energies".

Only these “Helpers”, Aufanim, half-human Prajapatis, Angels, Architects under the Guidance of the “Angel of the Great Council” together with the rest of the Builders of the Cosmos of other peoples, can explain the imperfection of the Universe. This imperfection is one of the arguments of the Secret Science in favor of the existence and activity of these "Forces". And who knows better than some of the philosophers of our civilized countries how close to the truth Philo was when he attributed the origin of evil to the admixture of lower forces in the formation of matter, and even in the formation of man, a task entrusted to the divine Logos.

EMANATION

EMANATION

(from late Latin emanatio - outflow, distribution; Greek apporroia, probole, proodos) - philosophy. , specially developed in Neoplatonism, meaning the transition from the highest and perfect ontological level of the universe to less perfect and lower levels. As the development of E. - descent, fragmentation, dispersion - is opposite to ascent, improvement and gaining simplicity and unity. The doctrine of E. is always fraught with pantheistic conclusions, although it does not exclude a transcendental understanding of the origin of the world. In monistic systems (Platonism), the doctrine of E. as a “natural” productive force of the beginning, “involuntarily” producing the lower from an overabundance of creative power, explains the appearance of evil in the world: there is an absence of good, and inevitably because the first generation already has less perfection according to compared to the original. Neoplatonism specifically developed two concepts that complement the concept of E.: the immutability of the higher when the lower is generated; the return of the lower to the primary source (single and mind-nus), in the sensual world only thanks to the will to overcome the isolation of the soul from its intelligible "homeland". In dualistic systems (Pythagoreanism, Gnosticism), E. is usually provoked by a conscious act of eternal "impudence". One of the most common images of E. as an "outflow" - the sun and sunlight - was perceived by Christian theology (especially Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite), as well as Arab-Muslim and European medieval thought. By pantheistic conclusions E. led John Scotus Eriugena; no doubt her influence on him. mystics of the 14th century. (I. Eckhart and others), Nicholas of Cusa.

Philosophy: Encyclopedic Dictionary. - M.: Gardariki. Edited by A.A. Ivina. 2004 .

EMANATION

(from Late Lat. emanatio - expiration, distribution; Greek ,) , philosophy a concept specially developed in Neoplatonism, meaning the transition from the highest and perfect © ontological. steps of the universe to less perfect and lower steps. As a type of development, E.-descent is opposite to ascent, improvement. The doctrine of E. is always fraught with pantheistic. conclusions, although it does not exclude a transcendent understanding of the primary source of the world. In the monistic systems (Platonism, Neoplatonism) the doctrine of E. as a “natural” productive force of the beginning, “involuntarily” producing the lower from an excess of creativity. power, explains the appearance of evil in the world: evil is the absence of good, and it is inevitable because the first generation already has less perfection compared to the first principle. Neoplatonism specifically developed two concepts that complement the concept of E.: the immutability of the higher when the lower is generated; return of the lower to the origin (single and mind-nusu) possible in the senses. world only thanks to the will to overcome the isolation of the soul from its intelligible "homeland". In dual stitch. systems (Pythagoreanism, Gnosticism) E. is usually provoked consciously. an act of eternal "impudence". One of the most common images of E. as "outflow" - the sun and sunlight (cf. Plato, State VI 508 a-509 d)- was accepted Christ. theology (especially Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite) as well as Arab Muslims. and European Wed-century. thought. To the pantheistic the conclusions of the concept of E. led John Scotus Eriugena; its influence is undeniable among the German mystics 14 in. (Eckhart and others) and Nicholas of Cusa.

Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ch. editors: L. F. Ilyichev, P. N. Fedoseev, S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. 1983 .

EMANATION

EMANATION(from lat. emanatio - outflow) - outflow from a single, whole. According to the teachings of the Neoplatonists and Gnostics, there is an emanation of a deity, which, however, remains unchanged. Everything lower, according to this doctrine (emanacism), follows from the higher, which is designated not only as “God”, but also as “the first unity”, “one and all” ( cm. also ALL-ONE). In emanationism, the doctrine of development history suggests from lowest to highest.

Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary. 2010 .

EMANATION

(Late Latin emanatio - expiration, origin, distribution, from Latin emano - flow out) - popular antich. philosophy, denoting the origin of the lower areas of being from the higher ones, when the higher ones remain in a motionless and inexhaustible state, and the lower ones appear in a gradually decreasing form down to zero. Materialist and ch. the doctrine of E. belongs to one degree or another to almost all ancient natural philosophy. So, Empedocles (A 90, B 109a) explained vision by outflows from the elements, producing the corresponding irritations of our sense organs. Systematic this doctrine acquired a form from the atomists, who taught about the separation from atoms of what they called "vidiks" (εἴδωλα). These "vidiks", "expiring" from the atoms themselves, also fall into human organs. feelings, becoming the cause of the corresponding sensations (Leucippus A 29, cf. 30–31; Democritus A I, 121, 135). The idealists taught about outflows from the ideal world in . Platonism put forward the doctrine of the E. of the super-reasonable and super-existent One, or the Good, which Plato (R. R. VI 508a–509d) gives in the semi-mythical. form of the doctrine of the Good as a superintelligent Sun, radiating everything from itself, i.e. allowing everything to be, and to be known. Aristotle, not recognizing such a One and believing that it is simply the unity of the diverse, developed the doctrine of energy as opposed to potency (Met. IX 6–9) and as the prime mover (Met. XII 6–10), which ry moves the whole world energetically. This doctrine was developed by Neoplatonism, in the doctrine of E. to-rogo three trends merged: 1) the Platonic concept of the One, combined with the Aristotelian energy; 2) about the general fluidity of things in the spirit of the Hellenistic. subjectivism, developed especially in Stoicism, following which the Neoplatonists understood E. in the spirit of providentialism, fatalism, and teleology; 3) the idea of ​​monistic, immanently inherent in all reality, the active mobility of the beginning. The Stoics understood this materialistically - as the outflow of the primary fire, embracing with its creative flows ("artistic and creative fire") everything in the form of fiery pneuma, reaching the warm breath of a person and fading into inorganic. nature. One had only to understand these stoich. expiration providentially-fatalistically and intimately-creatively (and their energy-semantic was already developed by Aristotle), as the developed neoplatonic. the doctrine of E. These are the ideas of Plotinus about creativity. "expiration" (III 4.3; 7.2; 8.9; IV 5, 2; 7.5; VI 7, 12, 22), light radiation (I 1.8; V 1.6; 3, 15 ; VI 7, 5), leaving the fundamental principle without any loss throughout all eternity (III 8, 9; IV 9, 5) and acting not arbitrarily, but according to the strict laws of reality (III 2,2; IV 8, 6; V 4 , one). This theory E. developed in detail Proclus, who used for E. technical. the term "exit", "exodus"), used, however, already by Plotina (VI 3, 12). In Proclus, the doctrine of E. reached its final, dialectical. and structural design: "staying in place" - E. - "return". In the end, despite all this theory, intuitively, he nevertheless remained within the limits of that cycle of matter in nature, which had long been preached by ancient Greek. . The doctrine of E. is found in the philosophy of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Here it collided with monotheistic. opposition of the creator and the creature and only compare, rarely left untouched the theory of theistic. creeds (as, for example, in the Areopagitica or Nicholas of Cusa). For the most part, it introduced a strong pantheistic. element, thanks to which it led theistic. the theory of creationism to complete catastrophe (as, for example, in John Scotus Eriugena, the German mystics of the 14th century, or in the natural philosophy of the Renaissance, especially Bruno).

Lit.: Muller H. F., Plotinische Studien I, "Hermes", 1913, Bd 48, S. 408–25; Armstrong, A. H., "Emanation" in Plotinus, "Mind", 1937, v. 46, p. 61–66; Beierwaltes W., Proklos. Grundzüge seiner Metaphysik, Fr./M., 1965, S. 118–64.

A. Losev. Moscow.

Philosophical Encyclopedia. In 5 volumes - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia. Edited by F. V. Konstantinov. 1960-1970 .

EMANATION

Emanation (from late Latin emanatio - outflow, distribution; Greek απόρροια, προβολή, πρόοδος) is a philosophical concept developed in Neoplatonism and meaning the transition from the highest and perfect ontological level of the universe to less perfect and lower levels. As a type of development, emanation - descent, fragmentation, dispersion - is opposite to ascent, improvement and gaining simplicity and unity. The doctrine of emanation is fraught with pantheistic conclusions, although it does not exclude a transcendent understanding of the origin of the world. In monistic systems (Platonism), the doctrine of emanation as a “natural” productive force of the beginning, “involuntarily” producing the lower from an excess of creative power, explains the appearance of evil in the world: evil is the absence of good, and it is inevitable because the first generation already has less perfection. compared to the original. Neoplatonism specifically developed two concepts that complement the concept of emanation: the immutability of the higher when the lower is generated; the return of the lower to the primary source (the One and the umunus), which is possible in the sensual world only thanks to the will to overcome the isolation of the soul from its intelligible “homeland”. In dualistic systems (Pythagoreanism, Gnosticism), emanation is usually provoked by a conscious act of eternal "impudence" (τόλμα). One of the most common images of emanation as "outflow" - the sun and sunlight (cf. Plato. "State" VI 508 a-509d) - was perceived by Christian theology (especially Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite), as well as Arab-Muslim and European medieval thought. The concept of emanation led John Scotus Eraugenu to pantheistic conclusions; its influence is undeniable among the German mystics of the 14th century. (Eckhart and others), Nicholas of Cusa.

Yu. A. Shichalin

New Philosophical Encyclopedia: In 4 vols. M.: Thought. Edited by V. S. Stepin. 2001 .


Synonyms:

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