Damascius and the First-Principle Aporia in Neoplatonism

The first-principle aporia in Neoplatonism concerns how the first principle of everything can be both transcendent (beyond everything) and non-transcendent (in a causal relationship with its products). According to Damascius, earlier Neoplatonists attribute these two contradictory characteristics to the One. Damascius argues that the One is insufficient as the ultimate principle because it still relates to beings by being their cause. He posits the Ineffable above the One as the ultimate principle, which, in its absolute transcendence, can no longer be called a principle. Thus, the One is merely what can be called a principle, whereas the Ineffable is the ultimate principle, even though this notion is no longer applicable to it. Damascius separates the absolute transcendence and the causality of the first principle, assigning these to the Ineffable and the One, respectively. However, his “double principle doctrine” introduces difficulties for both the One and for the Ineffable, leaving neither adequate as the first principle.