Plotinus
~204–270 CE
“All things flow from the One. The soul ascends through contemplation back to its source.”
The four dimensions in the 16-axis model where this thinker scores highest. People in this archetype tend to lean the same way.
- MRMystical Receptivity10 / 10
- TRTrust in Reason9 / 10
- TDTheoretical Drive9 / 10
- UIUniversalist Impulse9 / 10
The six thinkers whose 16-dimensional positions sit closest to this one. Useful as next-reading suggestions.
- Ibn ArabiLIGHTHOUSE
Wahdat al-wujud — the unity of being. The world is God's self-manifestation. Imagination is creative.
- ProclusLIGHTHOUSE
In his systematic Neoplatonism every cause overflows itself, and reality descends in graded triads.
- DamasciusLIGHTHOUSE
Last head of the Athenian Academy — the Ineffable beyond even the One.
- Mulla SadraLIGHTHOUSE
Existence precedes essence. Reality of being intensifies through gradation. Trans-substantial motion.
- Adi ShankaraTHRESHOLD
Brahman alone is real. The world is illusion. Atman = Brahman. Liberation through knowledge.
- Marsilio FicinoLIGHTHOUSE
For his Renaissance Neoplatonism, the soul is the bond between God and matter.
Short exercises in the same tradition as Plotinus's thought. Each takes 5–25 minutes.
Three doors lead onward.
- 01 · QUIZThe InheritorFind your archetype — discover whether you'd argue with Plotinus or alongside them.CONTINUE ▶
- 02 · COMPAREPlotinus vs Ibn ArabiOn Mull's map Ibn Arabi sits closest. See where they agree and where they part.CONTINUE ▶
- 03 · DAILYToday's SparOne philosopher, one topic, five minutes. A new one drops every day.CONTINUE ▶