Noetic world view in Plotinus and notion of Nature. Johannes Scholasticus (Galatasaray University, Constantinople)

Contents 0. Definition of Nature.1. Spinoza natura naturans vs. natura naturata. 2.Plotinian Physis and hierarchy in orgnism by PA Weiss 3.Plotinian thought on the procession of Soul.4. Intellect : Noetic world. 5. Comparison with Takahashis Four Layer Structure.

0. Definition of the word Nature.Webster New Collegiate Dictionary1. The inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing : ESSENCE.2.A: A creative and controlling force in the universe. (A hidden mechanistic view.) B: an inner force or the sum of such forces in an individual. 3.The physical constitution or drives of an organism. Esp. an excretory organ or function usually used in the phrase call of nature=.4.The external world in its entirety.5. Natural scenery.(Robert) Ce qui, dans lunivers, se produit spontanment, sans intervention de lhomme tout ce qui existe sans laction de lhomme. 6. Things spontaneously produced and exist without intervention of human beings (human - nature dualism. If not human, no nature as such.)

1.Spinoza natura naturansvs. natura naturata. Natura =1. The essence of a thing in contrast to its properties e.g. the nature of God, man, a triangle.

2. Entity of existing things (= Natura rerum) governed by their internal laws. No external authority.

The whole of these laws may have a Principle (so called God) not identified with any part of the Nature Triangle

Natura naturans: Substances and attributes that are conceived clearly and distinctly through themselves (in se est et per se concipitur) = God. Total self-sufficiency (selfstandigheden).Natura naturata : Modes and creature.

a) Universal (natural laws), b) Particular (concrete beings).Universal modes immediately depending on God. The greatness of the workman cf. Divine mind workman of all things (Seneca= Later Stoic thought) Particular Modes derived from the Universal.Spinoza natura naturansvs. natura naturata.

Plotinus (205- 270 A.D.) Alexandrian Neoplatonist. His pupil collected all treatises of their teacher into a collection named Enneades. 9 treatises x 6 booksInfluence on Proclus Diadochus (412- 485 A.D.) and all neo-platonists, Christianity (Augustinus), Islamic thought (Al Kindi), Renaissance (Ficino). .

Main subject:Teaching of Plotinus on Physis = => Soul= => Intellect= . Actual as we reexamine the global world structure, laws of nature.

3. Plotinian notion of physis ( ) Plotinus uses the term physis rather like generating power or productive power than nature. (

What physis does with respect to other beings is contemplation ( = theoria). But it is also the object of contemplation ( = theorema).Physis simultaneously 1) contemplates, 2) is contemplated and appears to be 3) logos (reason). Still physis cannot be compared with a summation of mechanical forces making to collide one particle with another. Statistic mechanical laws e.g. Boltzmanns law on gas, emerge from the entity of colliding particles. But each particle does not collide with the entity (so called ensemble).

Lotka-Volterra Prey-PredatorDymamical system model

Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction-diffusion

PA Weiss criticizes genetic determinism = animism Paul Afred Weiss: This is still an inclination today: in many description of activity of proteins or steroid hormones and the like, the organism seems to be steered by such substances. The common term used is control : a protein or gene controls a cellular process, a hormone controls the function of an organ. From an organismic perspective it would be more appropriate to state that the organism uses such signalling molecules to regulate its functions and to adapt them to current conditions. The most extreme form of such an obscure animism is genetic determinism, which is currently under pressure by recent development in genetics and epigenetics. (The living system: determinism stratified. in Beyond Reductionism. Alpbacher symposium 1968 proceedings 68 (1984): , , J.R. )

Cf. Webster dictionary definition No.2 = nature as the controlling power of the universe.

Although Weiss writes here the organism uses such signalling molecules, verbs like to use or to regulate, to adapt shall be understood in a metaphorical meaning. The existence of organism makes the regulation possible while the regulation ensures the existence of the organism. Here A entails B type causality logic cannot be applied.

Paul A. Weiss(1898-1989)Paul A. Weiss was a German-American biologist who challenged the applicability of mechanistic anddeterministicphysical laws to living systems.

Interactions between hierarchyical order of subsystems within an organism by Weiss

Development of a Neural system by Weiss The development of the neural system is even more than the summation of all these arrows in the diagram even after addition of feedback- control arrows. The number of these arrows must be infinite so that to meet the reality.

Possible applications to ethics throgh sociology.(1) Each life is possible thanks to the network connection with other lives and social structure () .(2) Each life contributes to realisation of other lives and the society.

Bernd Rosslenbroich (Witten-Herdeke U.) : Outline of a concept for organistic systems biology (2011)

Old view: DNA influences on the RNA production by its transcription .

Transcriptionis the first step of gene expression, in which a particular segment ofDNAis copied intoRNAby the enzyme.

2) Ribosomestranslate the nucleotide sequence of amessenger RNA moleculeinto the amino acid sequence of a protein. The ribosome reads the nucleotides 3 at a time (a codon), and assembles the correctamino acids together into a protein.

New model for DNA transcription. DNA is a part of a huge molecular network with manifold feedbacks.

RNA => DNA : mysterious non-Mendelian inheritance.

Non-Mendelian inheritanceis a general term that refers to any pattern of inheritance in which traits do not segregate in accordance with Mendels laws. These laws describe the inheritance of traits linked to singlegenesonchromosomesin the nucleus. InMendelian inheritance, each parent contributes one of two possibleallelesfor a trait. If thegenotypesof both parents in a genetic cross are known, Mendels laws can be used to determine the distribution ofphenotypesexpected for the population of offspring. There are several situations in which the proportions of phenotypes observed in the progeny do not match the predicted values. Non-Mendelian inheritance plays a role in several disease processes.

3. Plotinian theory on the procession of the soul . Soul is the organising power of sensual- material world.

Early Stoics (Zeno of Citium, Chrysippus etc.): consolidation power in minerals (crystallization) or vegetative power of plants.

Zeno (335-264 B.C.) Chrysippus

Chrysippus(281-205 B.C.)

Plotinus : detailed analysis of the hierarchy among souls anda teaching on the relation between the World Soul and lower order souls.

This hierarchy is characterised by upward (ascension=, ) and downward (descent=) movements, called procession (Emile Brhier:la procession).

If the soul of every individual were a part of the World Soul and the body, part of the World Body, then our fate would have been completely entrained in the (Cosmic) Circuit. (IV.3.7) This phrase would mean a kind of determinism in the spirit of Laplace. Laplace operator

Pierre Simon de Laplace(1749- 1827)

As members of the universe we take over something from the All Soul. We do not deny the influence of the Cosmic Circuit, but against all this we oppose another soul in us proven to be distinct . As for our being begotten children of the Cosmos, we answer that in motherhood the entrant soul is distinct, is not the mothers. (IV.3.7) On Procession. ) Internal life of the soul is conjugate to its location (e.g. body) . Various forms of reality correspond to different levels of the procession.B) In the world understood as a sequence of forms every level of the sequence depends hierarchically on the precedent level.

-Plotinus observed meta-structure of birth and extinction of body and roles of soul in the formation of the world order.

-For Plotinus, soul is the organizing power of the world i.. Included various laws of natural phenomena (physics, chemistry, biology) and mathematical theorems. In the Procession ascension: descent = general : particular .

Plotinian procession Atiyah-Singer theorem Gauss-Bonnet Theorem hyperbolic or spherical geometry plane triangle Every sequence level hierarchically depends on the precedent one (V.2.2).

point : plane geometry black curve: spherical geometry red curve: hyperbolic geometry surface : Gauss-Bonnet theorem Ambient space: Atiyah-Singer index theorem.

, : dielectric density , : , .

Laplace eqn.

potential = constant ( dotted curves )

and the vector field of electric force E (fat curves).

E: electric force,

Physis and Logos=formative principle associated to PsycheIn Physis some logos (1) produces another logos (2). This second logos (2) gives something of itself to the material substratum that is not able to produce another logos any more. The logos that becomes visible is of the lowest rang. (Enneades III.8.2.)Example: Logos (1) = formative principle assoc. to second order elliptic equations, logos (2)= Principle assoc. to Laplace equation like electrostatic equation ( the last stage of logos hierarchy, no logos will be produced if concrete dielectric density has been chosen.)

Material substratum = Electrostatic, Heat conduction, Membrane with tension, Neutron diffusion, Fluid without vortex.

4. Plotinian notion of Intellect ( ).

Souls proceed from the Intellect. The thinking () Intellect and that which is actually (not potentially) thought () by the Intellect constitute an inseparable unity. No Subject-Object scheme! The (Platonic ) ideas are immanently internal to the Intellect, as they were in the Intellect from the very beginning. Intellect: all forms ( ) science ( ): all laws &theorems ( ) Soul gives forms of the world to the elements. While the Intellect gives logos to the soul (V.9.3). Art : logos of art : soul of the artist Intellect : logos of the soul : soul=psyche

Intellect all possible physical, chemical laws and mathematical theorems together with their consequences. Entity of the upper structure from which these theorems and laws are derived. (Universal) Universal : laws Intellect : ideasThis Universal thinks about the law of gravitational force. This thought () is always actual (not potential, independent of time or place).Inside of this Universal the law of gravitation cannot be independent of other physical laws like those of electromagnetism.

Grand Unified Theory :(1) theelectromagnetic, (2) weak and (3) strong interactions (not gravitation so far) are unified into one single interaction.(The Universal actually thinks about all theorems simultaneously and actually.)

). Inside of this Universal the law of gravitation cannot be independent of other physical laws like those of electromagnetism.Further Comparative Studies Cf. Kantian a priori deduction of the categories. Categories are not separate from and indifferent to each other.

Cf. Hegels Logic. The genealogy of its concepts = genealogy of the things + metaphysics.

Speculative logic = Denklehre (= science on logical reasoning) + Seinlehre (=ontology).

Physis Psyche Mathematical theoremsPhysical etc. lawsNoetic world Intellect = Earths vegetative soul =Elements iLogic

5. T. Takahashis Four Layer World OrderComparisonRational Order, Scientific reasoning Stable everyday life order Unstable animistic world Life itself, Generating powerAmplenessChaosPhysisPsyche