A quotation from Iamblichus
Quotation
It is not thought that links the theurgists to the gods — else what should hinder theoretical philosophers from union with them?
Philosophical Context
NeoplatonistIamblichus
He argued that philosophy alone cannot lift the soul to the divine. You also need to know the right rituals.
Iamblichus studied under Porphyry and then went his own way, founding a school in Syria. Where Plotinus had said the soul ascends to the One through intellect and contemplation, Iamblichus disagreed: the gap between the human and the divine is too great for unaided reason to cross. What bridges it is theurgy (ritual, prayer, symbol, sacred objects) which act not by compelling the gods but by aligning the practitioner with the divine order. He developed an elaborate metaphysical hierarchy: the One, then Henads, then Intellect, then Soul, each requiring its proper approach. His work gave late Platonic philosophy the shape it held until the fall of Constantinople: a synthesis of argument and devotion, logic and rite. Julian the Apostate was a devoted disciple. His influence on the tradition that ends with Proclus is immeasurable.
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More from Iamblichus→Understanding This Quotation
What does Iamblichus mean by this quotation?
He argued that philosophy alone cannot lift the soul to the divine. You also need to know the right rituals. Iamblichus studied under Porphyry and then went his own way, founding a school in Syria. Where Plotinus had said the soul ascends to the One through intellect and contemplation, Iamblichus disagreed: the gap between the …
What was the context or school of thought behind this idea?
Iamblichus articulated this thought in On the Mysteries. Iamblichus' reply, written under the mask of an Egyptian priest, to Porphyry's skeptical letter about ritual. Its claim scandalized philosophers and organized late Neoplatonism: thinking alone does no…