PLATONISM
, the doctrine and sentiments of Plato and his followers, with regard to philosophy, &c. His disciples were called Academics, from Academia, the name of a villa in the suburbs of Athens where he opened his school. Among these were Xenocrates, Aristotle, Lycurgus, Demosthenes, and Isocrates. In physics, he chiefly followed Heraclitus; in ethics and politics, Socrates; and in metaphysics, Pythagoras.
After his death, two of the principal of his disciples, Xenocrates and Aristotle, continuing his office, and teaching, the one in the Academy, the other in the Lycæum, formed two sects, under different names, though in other respects the same; the one retaining the denomination of Academics, the other assuming that of Peripatetics. See these two articles.
Afterwards, about the time of the first ages of Christianity, the followers of Plato quitted the title of Academists, and took that of Platonists. It is supposed to have been at Alexandria, in Egypt, that they first assumed this new title, after having restored the ancient academy, and re-established Plato's sentiments; which had many of them been gradually dropped and laid aside. Porphyry, Plotin, Iamblichus, Proclus, and Plutarch, are those who acquired the chief reputation among the Greek Platonists; Apuleius and Chalcidius, among the Latins; and Philo Judæus, among the Hebrews. The modern Platonists own Plotin the founder, or at least the reformer, of their sect.
The Platonic philosophy appears very consistent with the Mosaic; and many of the primitive fathers follow the opinions of that philosopher, as being favourable to Christianity. Justin is of opinion that there are many things in the works of Plato which this philosopher could not learn from mere natural reason; but thinks he must have learnt them from the books of Moses, which he might have read when in Egypt. Hence Numenius the Pythagorean expressly calls Plato the Attic Moses, and upbraids him with plagiarism; because he stole his doctrine concerning God and the world from the books of Moses. Theodoret says expressly, that he has nothing good and commendable concerning the Deity and his worship, but what he took from the Hebrew theology; and Clemens Alexandrinus calls him the Hebrew Philosopher. Gale is very particular in his proof of the point, that Plato borrowed his philosophy from the Scriptures, either immediately, or by means of tradition; and, beside the authority of the ancient writers, he brings some arguments from the thing itself. For example, Plato's confession, that the Greeks borrowed their knowledge of the one infinite God, from an ancient people, better and| nearer to God than they; by which people, our author makes no doubt, he meant the Jews, from his account of the state of innocence; as, that man was born of the earth, that he was naked, that he enjoyed a truly happy state, that he conversed with brutes, &c. In fact, from an examination of all the parts of Plato's philosophy, physical, metaphysical, and ethical, this author finds, in every one, evident marks of its sacred original.
As to the manner of the creation, Plato teaches, that the world was made according to a certain exemplar, or idea, in the divine architect's mind. And all things in the universe, in like manner, he shews, do depend on the efficacy of internal ideas. This ideal world is thus explained by Didymus: ‘Plato supposes certain patterns, or exemplars, of all sensible things, which he calls ideas; and as there may be various impressions taken off from the same seal, so he says are there a vast number of natures existing from each idea.’ This idea he supposes to be an eternal essence, and to occasion the several things in nature to be such as itself is. And that most beautiful and perfect idea, which comprehends all the rest, he maintains to be the world.
Farther, Plato teaches that the universe is an intelligent animal, consisting of a body and a soul, which he calls the generated God, by way of distinction from what he calls the immutable essence, who was the cause of the generated God, or the universe.
According to Plato, there were two sorts of inferior and derivative gods; the mundane gods, all of which had a temporary generation with the world; and the supramundane eternal gods, which were all of them, one excepted, produced from that one, and dependent on it as their cause. Dr. Cudworth says, that Plato asserted a plurality of gods, meaning animated or intellectual beings, or dæmons, superior to men, to whom honour and worship are due; and applying the appellation to the sun, moon, and stars, and also to the earth. He asserts however, at the same time, that there was one supreme God, the self originated being, the maker of the heaven and earth, and of all those other gods. He also maintains, that the Psyche, or universal mundane soul, which is a self-moving principle, and the immediate cause of all the motion in the world, was neither eternal nor self existent, but made or produced by God in time; and above this self-moving Psyche, but subordinate to the Supreme Being, and derived by emanation from him, he supposes an immoveable Nous or intellect, which was properly the Demiurgus, or framer of the world.
The first matter of which this body of the universe was formed, he observes, was a rude indigested heap, or chaos: Now, adds he, the creation was a mixed production; and the world is the result of a combination of necessity and understanding, that is, of matter, which he calls necessity, and the divine wisdom: yet so that mind rules over necessity; and to this necessity he ascribes the introduction and prevalence both of moral and natural evil.
The principles, or elements, which Plato lays down, are fire, air, water, and earth. He supposes two heavens, the Empyrean, which he takes to be of a fiery nature, and to be inhabited by angels, &c; and the Starry heaven, which he teaches is not adamantine, or solid, but liquid and spirable.
With regard to the human soul, Plato maintained its transmigration, and consequently its future immortality and pre-existence. He asserted, that human souls are here in a lapsed state, and that souls sinning should fall down into these earthly bodies. Eusebius expressly says, that Plato held the soul to be ungenerated, and to be derived by emanation from the first cause.
His physics, or doctrine de corpore, is chiefly laid down in his Timæus, where he argues on the properties of body in a geometrical manner; which Aristotle takes occasion to reprehend in him. His doctrine de mente is delivered in his 10th Book of Laws, and his Parmenides.
St. Augustine commends the Platonic philosophy; and even says, that the Platonists were not far from Christianity. It is also certain that most of the celebrated fathers were Platonists, and borrowed many of their explanations of scripture from the Platonic system. To account for this fact, it may be observed, that towards the end of the second century, a new sect of philosophers, called the modern, or later, Platonics, arose of a sudden, spread with amazing rapidity through the greatest part of the Roman empire, swallowed up almost all the other sects, and proved very detrimental to Christianity.
The school of Alexandria in Egypt, instituted by Ptolomy Philadelphus, renewed and reformed the Platonic philosophy. The votaries of this system distinguished themselves by the title of Platonics, because they thought that the sentiments of Plato concerning the Deity and invisible things, were much more rational and sublime than those of the other philosophers. This new species of Platonism was embraced by such of the Alexandrian Christians as were desirous to retain, with the profession of the gospel, the title, the dignity, and the habit of philosophers. Ammonius Saccas was its principal founder, who was succeeded by his disciple Plotinus, as this latter was by Porphyry, the chief of those formed in his school. From the time of Ammonius until the sixth century, this was almost the only system of philosophy publicly taught at Alexandria. It was brought into Greece by Plutarch, who renewed at Athens the celebrated Academy, from whence issued many illustrious philosophers. The general principle on which this sect was founded, was, that truth was to be pursued with the utmost liberty, and to be collected from all the different systems in which it lay dispersed. But none that were desirous of being ranked among these new Platonists, called in question the main doctrines; those, for example, which regarded the existence of one God, the fountain of all things; the eternity of the world; the dependance of matter upon the Supreme Being; the nature of souls; the plurality of gods, &c.
In the fourth century, under the reign of Valentinian, a dreadful storm of persecution arose against the Platonists; many of whom, being accused of magical practices, and other heinous crimes, were capitally convicted.
In the fifth century Proclus gave new life to the doctrine of Plato, and restored it to its former credit in Greece; with whom concurred many of the Christian doctors, who adopted the Platonic system. The| Platonic philosophers were generally opposers of Christianity; but in the sixth century. Chalcidius gave the Pagan system an evangelical aspect; and those who, before it became the religion of the state, ranged themselves under the standard of Plato, now repaired to that of Christ, without any great change of their system.
Under the emperor Justinian, who issued a particular edict, prohibiting the teaching of philosophy at Athens, which edict seems to have been levelled at modern Platonism, all the celebrated philosophers of this sect took refuge among the Persians, who were at that time the enemies of Rome; and though they returned from their voluntary exile, when the peace was concluded between the Persians and Romans, in 533, they could never recover their former credit, nor obtain the direction of the public schools.
Platonism however prevailed among the Greeks, and was by them, and particularly by Gemistius Pletho, introduced into Italy, and established, under the auspices of Cosmo de Medicis, about the year 1439, who ordered Marsilius Ficinus to translate into Latin the works of the most renowned Platonists.
