The Metaphysics of the Platonic Tradition-Tim Addey

Gentleman, scholar and co-founder of the Prometheus Trust Tim Addey joins us for an in-depth introduction to the Metaphysics of the Platonic Tradition - the foundation of the Western Esoteric Tradition.

Tim Addey, of the Prometheus Trust, will be introducing an outline of the metaphysics of the Platonic tradition, -which he holds as having its roots in the mythic writings of Homer and Hesiod -having been developed through the Pythagorean and Orphic schools, scientifically unfolded by Plato, and receiving its finest written flowering in late antiquity in the works of Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus and many others.
The One and the Gods unfold the divine summit of Platonic metaphysics.  The Platonic panorama describes, as far as is humanly possible, the universal order of all things, beginning with that which is most simple and beyond all definition, through the generations of all beings, and terminating in the indefiniteness of matter and space.

Addey aims to give the new student a framework from which to begin the serious study of the subject.  He aims to show how the orthodox understanding of Plato, based on the division of reality into abstract form and material manifestation is inadequate for the proper understanding of the tradition.  Instead a more subtle six-fold division of the universe is delineated as the way in which the divine sources of the universe unfold in progressive stages to the furthest extremity of things.  It explains how the universe is understood in this tradition to be a single entity, which not only proceeds outwards in an ordered way, but also returns to its source in a similar manner.

The Prometheus Trust was founded in 1986 (and was registered as a charity two years later): the founding Trustees were Tim Addey, Donald Skilling and Monica Skilling. The purpose of the Trust is described as “the advancement of education by the teaching of all subjects concomitant with a comprehensive and liberal education for the development of self-determined, rational, integral and versatile individuals.” The founders understood this general aim as being best served by an adherence to and development of the Platonic philosophic tradition – the great tap root of western civilization and a close counterpart to the wisdom traditions of the East. The Trust is run by a board of Trustees, who are assisted by volunteers.

Philosophy
Because humankind live lives which are more or less self-directed according to their understanding, philosophy is the inescapable basis of human life. We all make choices—an almost uncountable number every day—and insofar as these choices are wise we are likely to lead happy lives, while foolish choices tend towards unhappiness not only for ourselves but also for our fellow creatures who are naturally affected by our actions. From this point of view, the cultivation of wisdom—that is, philosophy – should be seen as not only the most natural of human activities but also the greatest possible service we can offer to the universe.

The Platonic Tradition
The Platonic tradition has served as the foundation for progressive thought in the West for millennia, and confirms and enshrines truths which the best of Eastern philosophies and religions affirm. Its noble history stretches back well before Plato and continues to draw to itself those who seek an intelligent, stable and autonomous spiritual path today. It offers its adherents a wealth of insights from a golden chain of wise men and women who have lived and walked the path before us, but at the same time it stresses the primacy of every person’s own access to truth, and each person’s autonomy— it does not seek to impose any particular doctrine upon those who would follow the Platonic path. It does, however, hold before us the highest ideal—the rediscovery of the divine within each human self—and through this the embrace of the best possible life and a vision of beauty beyond imagining.
Prometheus

The Greek myth of Prometheus relates how, once his brother Epimetheus had distributed to the world’s creatures various powers and gifts it became clear that he had none left over for the last of them—the human being. Prometheus went and brought the fire of the Gods down to earth as a gift for humankind. This fire is that of divine wisdom, a portion of which burns in the depths of every man and woman who lives on earth. For this reason, says Olympiodorus, “Prometheus should be regarded as the guardian of the descent of rational souls.” Prometheus means ‘forethought’, while Epimetheus means ‘after thought.’