Proclus on Direct Knowledge of the Forms

Abstract Proclus in his commentaries on the Timaeus and the Parmenides , distinguishes between a “higher” and a “lower” form of nóesis . In this article, I seek to understand the mechanics of this “higher nóesis ” and I argue that it is an activity that works in tandem with two other mental powers: what Proclus calls “vitality” ( zoe ), the general conative power of the soul, and the “unity of the soul” ( hén tês psychês ). This will lead to the hypothesis that the objects of this higher nóesis are none other than the synthémata , the transcendent tokens of the gods. This challenges the view that formal series, which are united by a common form, and divine series, which are united by a common token, are really distinct in Proclus.