Thoughts on Neo Platonism

Neo Platonism strikes me as the concept that the Matrix was trying to get at. The main concept of Neo Platonism is taking Plato's theory of forms and adding a hierarchy to it. The interesting thing about this is that it influenced much of Medieval Christianity in terms of "allegory and discourse which viewed the physical world as inherently symbolic of a higher world." (Habib)

Neo-Platonism is believed to be founded by Plotinus, a third century philosopher who despite being Greek and speaking Greek, had a Roman name. The philosophy he created was heavily influenced by Plato and his theory of forms. Habib explains that it is "the idea that ultimate reality subsists in another world, a transcendent and spiritual realm from which the physical world takes its existence and meaning." The main idea behind Neo-Platonism is that there is a heirarchy on four levels. The first is "The One" which embodies truth, origin and goodness. Next is Eternal, the divine mind. Next is There, the All Soul, World Soul and Here which is the world of matter.