Plotinus and Free Will: Emanation as Random and Horizontal

We often describe certain processes as “random” that are actually pseudorandom, insofar as they effectively result from classical physical law: rolling dice, for instance. But philosophical reflection on free will need not hold itself to rigorous quantum-mechanical standards of randomness. For something like freedom to exist, it is enough if accidental factors intervene in the shaping of a chain of causes, and this can occur in literally every link between two entities. This article considers the problem through a reconsideration of the famous theme of “emanation” in the writings of Plotinus, which thereby regains in contemporary relevance. In passing, a parallel is noted between the ideas in Plotinus's Enneads and J.G. Fichte's much later Wissenschaftslehre. In addition, a distinction is drawn between two senses of “surplus” in philosophy: the first referring to a hidden, unexpressed reserve beneath the surface of a thing (as for Aristotle, Kant, and Heidegger) and the second to a tangible residue that exerts a visible effect (as for Plotinus and Marx).