Marcus Hines

Dionysius’ ordering of the processions being, life, and wisdom in De Divinis Nominibus book 5 seems to conflict with the structure of his cosmology. He argues that the procession being extends further than life and wisdom, while intellects are closer to God than things that have only life or being. His reply in 5.3 to the objection that if being is first among processions, then mere beings rather than intellects should be first in the cosmic hierarchy paradoxically reinforces the problem insofar as it implies that the cause of intellects, namely wisdom, must be most complete among processions. I will first spell out the apparent conflict between the orderings of the processions and the cosmic hierarchy, and then offer a solution by drawing a parallel between Dionysius’ conception of love and the procession being. I will show that, by the nature of love, as illustrated by the image of the circle whose beginning and end is God, all beings depend in their essence on other beings, and therefore neither intellects nor wisdom are simply complete, thus defusing the apparent contradiction between the processions and the hierarchy.

Introduction

In De Divinis Nominibus 1.1-3, Pseudo-Dionysius (whom I will henceforth refer to simply as ‘Dionysius’) argues that the procession being is prior to life and wisdom. This priority seems contrary to Dionysius’ ranking of natures in his cosmic hierarchy, according to which angelic intellects, not inanimate beings, hold the highest place.