ABSTRACT
A close reading of Plotinus will show that the same vicious circularity that undermined the early efforts of German Idealism to account for the existence of the Absolute is clearly discernable in Plotinus’ attempts to account for how the One creates the world through emanation. As is evident, Plotinus’ theory of emanation precludes a duality of principles. Emanation is the flowing of beings from the One as a source. By modeling the first principle on the soul, the concept of emanation is in keeping with the ancient account of Form, for the first principle is a living source that generates particulars. Plato’s intuition appears to know nothing of emanation, yet Plotinus’ intuition runs over with it. Thus, as is evident, the very same circularity that plagues the early attempts of the German Idealists to account for the second principle also affects the Neo-Platonic account of emanation.
