Plotinus and Aquinas on God

Steven L. Kimbler

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This thesis attempts to show that Plotinus and St. Thomas Aquinas differ in their conceptions of God. In particular, I focus upon their understandings of God’s simplicity and their “ontological” claims, i.e., how God relates to being. I claim that their disagreements about God occur because of a metaphysical disagreement on whether being constitutes a composition. Plotinus thinks it does, and assumes that unity is most fundamental, whereas Aquinas thinks it does not, and assumes that being is most fundamental. These different conceptions of being result in different conceptions of God, with Plotinus concluding that the One is beyond being and Aquinas concluding that God is being itself…

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3
Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Chapter I: Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Chapter II: Plotinus’ Views on God ………………………………………………………………………… 9
II.1. Plotinian Metaphysics ………………………………………………………………………………… 9
II.2. Knowing the One …………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
II.3. Some Attributes of the One ……………………………………………………………………….. 17
II.4. Emanation and the One …………………………………………………………………………….. 19
II.5. Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Chapter III: Aquinas’ Views on God …………………………………………………………………….. 23
III.1. Being …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
III.2. Divine Simplicity ……………………………………………………………………………………. 26
III.3. The Perfections of God ……………………………………………………………………………. 29
III.4. Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Chapter IV: Comparisons ……………………………………………………………………………………. 35
IV.1. Some Similarities ……………………………………………………………………………………. 35
IV.2. Some Differences …………………………………………………………………………………… 36
IV.2.a. Discussing God ………………………………………………………………………………… 36
IV.2.b. Will, Intellect, Love, Goodness, and the Source of Being. ……………………… 37
IV.2.c. Simplicity and Actuality through God’s Existence………………………………… 38
IV.2.d. Perfection through Being and Unity ……………………………………………………. 39
IV.2.e. The General Picture through Metaphysical Hierarchy. ………………………….. 41
IV.2.f. Principles of Existence ………………………………………………………………………. 41
IV.3. An Analysis to Determine the Superior Philosophy …………………………………….. 42
IV.3.a. Criticisms about the One as the Source of Being. …………………………………. 43
IV.3.b. Ontological vs. Logical Conceptions …………………………………………………… 46
IV.4. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 47
Works Cited ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 49

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