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metaphysics

The One

τὸ ἕν

In Neoplatonism, the One (τὸ ἕν) is the ineffable source beyond Being from which all reality emanates — distinct from Parmenides' One, which is Being itself, single and indivisible.

Also: to hen · the good · the absolute · henad · absolute first principle · the absolute one

*The One* (`to hen`) is the absolute first principle of Plotinian Neoplatonism, articulated in the *Enneads* (V.1, V.4, VI.9). Plotinus reads it out of Plato's *Parmenides* dialogue (especially the First Hypothesis of the Second Part, 137c–142a) and out of the Form of the Good in *Republic* VI–VII (the Good "beyond being" — `epekeina tēs ousias`, 509b). The historical Parmenides — Plotinus's namesake but not his source — spoke of `to eon` ("What Is"), which is *unified, ungenerated, complete*, but is not yet the transcendent absolute Plotinus describes.

Plotinus's One is **absolutely simple** (`haplos`) — not "undifferentiated" in the sense of an inchoate mush, but unity in its highest mode, above even the unity-in-multiplicity of Nous (Intellect). It has no parts, no internal distinctions, no description in ordinary language; any attribute would introduce multiplicity. From the One, Nous emanates; from Nous, Soul; from Soul, the sensible world — a hierarchy that became foundational for late-antique and medieval metaphysics. The Plotinian One is identified with Plato's Good (Enn. VI.9.6) and was received into Jewish (Ibn Gabirol, Recanati, Ibn Gabbai), Christian (Pseudo-Dionysius, Eriugena), and Islamic (al-Farabi, Ibn Sina) Neoplatonism.

Where this idea shows up

3 Greek sources·1 Jewish-canon citation

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