Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and legacy of Proclus Lycius (412–485 AD), one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. Known as "The Successor" for his role as head of the Neoplatonic Academy in Athens, Proclus developed one of the most elaborate systems of Neoplatonic thought, influencing figures ranging from Pseudo-Dionysius to G.W.F. Hegel,.

Join us as we discuss:

• The Philosopher’s Life: How Proclus abandoned a legal career in Alexandria to pursue philosophy and mathematics, eventually leading the Academy in Athens where he lived as a vegetarian bachelor writing 700 lines a day.

• Henads and The One: His complex metaphysical system which placed "henads" (individual gods) between "The One" and the rest of reality to explain causation.

• Theurgy: Why Proclus believed that philosophy alone was insufficient and that the soul required theurgy—rituals and "bodily reminders"—to return to its spiritual origin.

• A Hidden Legacy: How his Elements of Theology was adapted into the Liber de Causis, a text famously mistaken for Aristotle’s work during the Middle Ages until Thomas Aquinas identified its true source.

From his valuable commentaries on Euclid and Plato to his lasting impact on Christian and Islamic philosophy, we break down the work of the great systematizer of Neoplatonism,.