This thesis provides an historical and intellectual summary of the role of the concepts of 'substance,' and 'participation,' in the making of the doctrine of the Trinity. In the concluding chapter, a study is made of the assumptions of deconstruction, which are somewhat hostile to a substance paradigm. We argue for an appreciation of the importance of both substance and participation for the Trinity, and philosophy generally. Chapters are dedicated to individuals who have in some way contributed to perceptions of these two terms, as they pertain to the Christian notion of the Trinity. Additionally, we seek to define some philosophical problems that accompany a Trinitarian metaphysics of 'substance,' and 'participation.' The problems include those of deconstruction: issues such as 'Logocentrism,' and 'Presence.' Finally, we investigate how Trinitarian ontology can provide answers to many of the questions Derrida raises conceming the problematic future of metaphysical thinking. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

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This thesis provides an historical and intellectual summary of the role of the concepts of 'substance,' and 'participation,' in the making of the doctrine of the Trinity. In the concluding chapter, a study is made of the assumptions of deconstruction, which are somewhat hostile to a substance paradigm. We argue for an appreciation of the importance of both substance and participation for the Trinity, and philosophy generally. Chapters are dedicated to individuals who have in some way contributed to perceptions of these two terms, as they pertain to the Christian notion of the Trinity. Additionally, we seek to define some philosophical problems that accompany a Trinitarian metaphysics of 'substance,' and 'participation.' The problems include those of deconstruction: issues such as 'Logocentrism,' and 'Presence.' Finally, we investigate how Trinitarian ontology can provide answers to many of the questions Derrida raises conceming the problematic future of metaphysical thinking. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)

The diploma thesis attempts to present a consistent conception of matter in the philosophy of Plotinus. Its first part therefore contains a presentation of his own ideas about matter employing the interpretation of three key treatises dealing with this topic (Ennead II, 4 (12) "On the Two Kinds of Matter", Ennead III, 6 (26) "On Impassibility of Things Without Body" and Ennead I, 8 (51) "On What Are And Whence Come Evils"), the second part is dedicated to the overview and criticism of major modern interpretations of Plotinian matter. The third part then introduces my own approach, consisting of splitting Plotinus' hypostatis of soul into two hypostases, and identifying matter with the procession (i.e. proodic aspect) of the ontologically lower of the two. Arguments are offered for these nonstandard interpretive choices; the resulting conception is shown both as self-consistent as well as consistent with Plotinus' metaphysics as such, and it is demonstrated to be able to reconstruct the features that Plotinus attributes to matter.

Le présent mémoire est une étude détaillée des écrits Plotin et de Porphyre au sujet des Catégories d’Aristote. Le Commentaire aux Catégories de Porphyre ainsi que les traités VI, 1-3 de Plotin constituent ainsi la matière première de notre étude. Notre lecture de ces ouvrages est orientée vers l’objectif suivant : déterminer si ces deux néoplatoniciens étaient en accord ou en désaccord dans leur interprétation et leur évaluation des Catégories. Pour ce faire, nous avons longuement commenté les passages les plus importants (relativement à notre objectif) du Commentaire aux Catégories de Porphyre, puis des traités VI, 1-3. Finalement, nous avons comparé les résultats obtenus pour chacun de ces auteurs en contextualisant leurs propos à l’intérieur des débats de l’époque au sujet des Catégories. À notre avis, l’examen que nous avons conduit au cours des pages de notre mémoire montre clairement qu’il y avait désaccord entre Plotin et son disciple. En effet, malgré la similarité de certains aspects de leur interprétation globale des Catégories, leur évaluation de cet ouvrage est diamétralement opposée : Plotin le critique, Porphyre l’approuve. De fait, nous soutenons que les similarités dans leur interprétation globale ne font qu’exacerber leur désaccord au sujet des Catégories : nombre de leurs propos peuvent être mis en opposition directe précisément parce qu’ils s’entendent partiellement sur ce que sont les Catégories / This thesis is a detailed study of the Plotinus’ and Porphyry’s writings on Aristotle’s Categories. Thus, Porphyry’s Commentary on the Categories and Plotinus’ Enneads VI, 1-3 are the main sources of my study. My reading of these works is conditioned by a precise aim: to establish whether these two Neoplatonists agreed or disagreed on their interpretation and their evaluation of the Categories. To accomplish this task, I have extensively commented the most important passages (in relation to my aim) of Porphyry’s Commentary on the Categories and, then, of the Enneads VI, 1-3. Finally, I have compared the results of my inquiry on each of these two philosophers while replacing them in the context of the ongoing debates about the Categories at the time. It is my contention that the inquiry conducted in this thesis clearly shows a disagreement between Plotinus and his disciple. Despite some similarities in their general interpretation of the Categories, their appreciation of this work is diametrically opposed: Plotinus criticizes it while Porphyry defends it. In fact, I argue that the similarities in their general approach to the Categories exacerbates their disagreement: their comments are in direct conflict precisely because they partially agree about what the Categories are.

The questions about the origin of evil in the world were often a secondary product of the great philosophical systems. One of the first thinkers to deal with that problem systematically was neoplatonic scholar Plotinus. He developed a theory which he considered to be only a continuation of Plato´s thinking. It became an original theory, which in its core, has influence to this day. This theory was, mostly thanks to St. Augustine, applied to christian theology and became the living doctrine. The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate in what Plotinus´ theory of evil was "christianized" through the hand of Augustin. In other words, how it trasformed from a pagan philosophy to a theological one and how it was preserved for rediscovery in the scholastic era and became a new-again topic of scholastic scholars.

La thèse cherche à établir les balises du discours mythique et de la métaphore au sein du langage philosophique de Plotin. Le premier chapitre pose comme éléments essentiels de cette recherche le temps, la discursivité, l'âme et les autres hypostases. Le deuxième chapitre expose différentes théories existantes sur le mythe dans la philosophie ancienne et évalue leur pertinence dans le contexte des Ennéades. Le troisième chapitre porte sur l'exégèse plotinienne du mythe cosmogénétique du Timée, en reprenant un débat inhérent au contexte platonicien au sujet du niveau de littéralité de la création du monde. Le dernier chapitre explore un procédé propre à Plotin, qui sera appelé l'accumulation des images et qui servirait à compenser l'insuffisance du langage littéral à l'égard du discours sur les hypostases, sans toutefois réellement appartenir au discours mythique. La thèse conclut au caractère essentiel et fondamental du discours mythique et des métaphores dans l'expression philosophique de Plotin. / This thesis aims to define and delimit myth and metaphorical language in the context of Plotinus’s Enneads. In the first chapter, time, discursive practices, soul and the hypostases are identified as essential elements of myth through a short but dense passage of Ennead III.5.9. As this passage proves insufficient to conjure a definition, the second chapter deals with other attempts at definition of myth in the broader context of platonism, and their adequacy to the context of Plotinus is assessed. In the third chapter, I give my insight on a long-standing and intricate debate about the status of the cosmogenesis of Plato’s Timaeus and its Plotinian exegesis. The last chapter is about the most properly Plotinian device, which consists of accumulating clusters of metaphors in order to describe his metaphysical world. This method is to be understood as different from myth but is also intended to bypass ordinary language’s shortcomings when it comes to highly abstract notions. The thesis concludes in the fundamental importance of Plotinus’s mythical and metaphorical language in expressing his philosophy; it should not be seen as a kind of language opposing or rephrasing philosophical thought, but rather as an indispensable part of it.

Cette thèse a pour but de présenter en détails l’importance de la théurgie dans la philosophie de Proclus, ainsi que sa relation avec la mystagogie. Un des premiers objectifs de la recherche est d’expliciter les raisons du jaillissement de la théurgie au cours de l’Antiquité tardive. Nous présentons ainsi le cadre historique d’où émerge la notion de théurgie dans un contexte de christianisation de l’Empire à partir du IVe siècle. Il est ensuite primordial de définir clairement la théurgie, ce que les chercheurs n’ont pas fait jusqu’à maintenant, en tant qu’opération rituelle par laquelle un réceptacle matériel est animé par le divin. Puis, nous démontrons que, bien que le terme « théurgie » soit tardif, celui-ci trouve néanmoins ses racines dans la longue tradition platonicienne, de Platon lui-même jusqu’à Proclus, en passant notamment par Plotin, Porphyre et Jamblique. À la suite du volet historique et après avoir présenté une définition claire de la notion de théurgie, il est important de préciser son statut au sein de la philosophie de Proclus, notamment en nous intéressant au passage-clef TP, I, 25 dans lequel le néoplatonicien présente la théurgie comme étant supérieure (κρείττων) à la philosophie. Nous nous intéressons ensuite à deux rites théurgiques concrets présentés dans l’œuvre proclienne en les analysant en profondeur : le rite de l’ensevelissement du corps (TP, IV, 9) et le rite de l’immortalisation d’Achille (In Remp., I, 152-152). Après avoir exposé le lien intrinsèque de la théurgie avec la mystagogie, notamment autour de l’importance du silence (σιγή) mystique, nous développons sur les implications de la théurgie pour le système philosophique de Proclus. Nous constatons que ces implications sont monumentales et touchent une multitude d’aspects de sa pensée : le statut de l’âme, celui de la matière, l’ontologie, la primauté du véhicule (ὄχημα) de l’âme, la notion d’imagination (φαντασία), l’importance des symboles (σύμβολα et συνθήματα) et le rôle de l’amour (ἔρως). Nous terminons finalement la recherche en présentant l’héritage de Proclus, principalement à travers l’œuvre du néoplatonicien chrétien Pseudo-Denys. / This thesis has for goal to present in detail the importance of theurgy in the philosophy of Proclus, as well as his link with mystagogy. One of the first objectives is to describe the causes of the emergence of theurgy during the late Antiquity. So, we present the historical setting from where emerges the notion of theurgy in the context of the process of Christianisation of the Empire starting during the 4th century. It is after that primordial to propose a clear definition of theurgy, something that the researchers haven’t done yet, as the ritual operation by which a material receptacle is animated by the divine. Then, we demonstrate that, even if the term “theurgy” is late, it finds however his roots in the long platonic tradition, from Plato to Proclus, passing by Plotinus, Porphyry, and Iamblichus. Following the historical aspect and after having clearly define the notion of theurgy, it is important to explain the status of theurgy in the philosophy of Proclus, especially by analyzing the crucial passage in TP, I, 25, where the Neoplatonist declares that theurgy is superior (κρείττων) to philosophy. Moreover, we examine two concrete theurgical rites presented in the Proclus’ works: the burial of the body (TP, IV, 9) and the immortalisation of Achille (In Remp., I, 152-152). After having exposed the intrinsically relation between theurgy and mystagogy, notably with the mystical silence (σιγή), we develop the implications of theurgy in the vast philosophical system of Proclus. These implications are monumental and touch many aspects: the status of the soul, the one of the matter, the ontology, the primacy of the soul’s vehicle (ὄχημα), the notion of imagination (φαντασία), the importance of symbols (σύμβολα et συνθήματα) and the role of love (ἔρως). We finally end this research by presenting the legacy of Proclus, especially through the work of the Christian Neoplatonist Pseudo-Dionysius.

Cette nouvelle édition critique du De fuga saeculi d’Ambroise de Milan repose sur la collation de nouveaux témoins manuscrits et sur la révision de ceux utilisés par C. Schenkl, dont les valeurs respectives sont évaluées à l’aide d’un stemma absent de son édition de 1897. Le texte ainsi édité est assorti d’une traduction originale en langue française. Le De fuga saeculi, œuvre spirituelle et morale publiée par Ambroise avec trois autres textes au sujet proche, est replacé dans le contexte milanais de la fin du IVe siècle : mutations des modes de vie chrétiens, intérêt pour la vie monastique, concurrence avec les partisans du néoplatonisme et devoir pastoral de guider et former la communauté d’une capitale impériale. L’enquête sur les sources révèle que le De fuga saeculi est à la fois l’héritier des traditions philosophiques platoniciennes et stoïciennes relues au prisme de la pensée de Philon d’Alexandrie, et le promoteur d’une fuite du monde spécifiquement chrétienne inspirée d’épisodes et de préceptes de l’Ancien et du Nouveau Testament. Le commentaire éclaire les enchaînements d’une pensée kaléidoscopique, mettant en évidence les thèmes principaux, leurs reprises et leurs variations. Est ainsi soulignée l’originalité ambrosienne de la fuga saeculi sur un sujet d’actualité à la fin du IVe siècle et au début du Ve siècle : une fuite intra-mondaine qui est différente de celle encouragée par ses contemporains, Jérôme, Paulin de Nole et Augustin. / This new critical edition of De fuga saeculi by Ambrose of Milan is based on the collation of new witness manuscripts and the revision of those used by C. Schenkl (their respective worth was examined thanks to a missing stemma in the 1897 edition). The edition is accompanied by an original French translation. A spiritual and moral work published by Ambrose along with three other texts on a similar topic, De fuga saeculi is placed in its Milanese context of the end of the 4th century : transformations in Christian ways of living, an interest in monastic life, competition with advocates of Neo-Platonism and a pastoral duty to guide and train the community of an imperial capital. An enquiry into the sources reveals that De fuga saeculi both inherits the Neo-Platonician and Stoic philosophical traditions – reinterpreted through the thought of Philo of Alexandria –, and advocates a specifically Christian escape out of the world, inspired by events and precepts from the Old and New Testaments. The commentary displays the sequences of a kaleidoscopic thought and highlights its majors themes, re-uses and variations. Inner-wordly escape is a topical issue of the late 4th and early 5th centuries, but Ambrose’s conception expressed in De fuga saeculy is original given that it differs from those of contemporary writers such as Jerome, Paulinus of Nola and Augustine.

The place of virtue in the philosophy of Plotinus Abstract The main intention of this thesis is to clarify some aspects of Plotinus's concept of virtue. Significant part of it is a report of J. M. Dillon's article An ethic for the late anthique sage and its comparison with P. Hadot's essay Plotinus or the simplicity of vision, which form a base for characteristics of a dualism between sensual and spiritual world, the body/soul polarity, and relation between higher and lower virtues. Consequently a relationship of a Plotinian sage towards others is being investigated. The result of this thesis confirms that Dillon's interpretation of a radical distinction between polarities mentioned above is exaggerated and his pronouncement of an absence of the element of concern for others in Plotinus's ethical reflextion is basically mistaken. Key words Plotinus, ethics, virtue, neoplatonism, J. M. Dillon, P. Hadot, higher and lower virtues, relation with other, body and soul, sensual and spiritual world, late anthique philosophy.