Cover -- Abstract -- Contents -- Acknowledgment -- Notes on Reference and Translations -- Abbreviations -- Works of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite -- Works of Other Authors -- Introduction -- Section 1 The Historical Reception of Plotinus' Thought -- 1.1 The Extent of Plotinus' Influence -- 1.2 The Role of Proclus in the Reception of Neoplatonism -- Section 2 The Scholarly Approaches to Mysticism -- 2.1 The Theological Approach to Mysticism -- 2.2 The Psychological and Comparative Approach to Mysticism -- 2.3 The Philosophical Approach to Mysticism -- 2.4 Reflections on the Approaches to the Study of Mysticism -- Section 3 Subject, Method and Structure of the Present Study -- Chapter 1 Plotinus' Metaphysics of the One -- Section 1 The Standard Account -- Section 2 The Radical Transcendence of the One -- 2.1 "The One" as Oneness -- 2.2 "The One" as Simplicity -- 2.3 "The One" as the Illocutionary Self-Denial -- Section 3 The Radical Immanence of the One -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter 2 The Practice of Philosophy -- Section 1 Different Desires and the Desire for Knowledge -- 1.1 Toward an Interpretation of the Diversity of Desire -- 1.2 The Hierarchy Account of the Relation among Desires -- 1.3 The Reflexive Account of the Relation among Desires -- 1.4 Contentment and Contemplation -- 1.5 Section Summary -- Section 2 The Constitutive Role of Desire for Knowledge in the Practice of Philosophy -- 2.1 The Origin of Philosophical Inquiry -- 2.2 The Object of Philosophical Inquiry -- 2.3 The Method of Philosophical Inquiry -- 2.4 The End of Philosophical Inquiry -- 2.5 Section Summary -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter 3 The Practice of Negative Theology -- Section 1 Dionysius' Negative Theology of Unknowing -- Section 2 Plotinus' Negative Theology according to VI.7.36 -- 2.1 VI.7.36.3-5: Introduction -- 2.2 VI.7.36.5-8: the Indirect Study.

2.3 VI.7.36.8-15: the Direct Vision -- 2.4 VI.7.36.15-21: the Abandonment of Contemplation -- 2.5 Section Summary -- Section 3 Plotinus' Negative Theology of Abandonment -- 3.1 The Doctrine of Two Intellects in VI.7.35.19-33 -- 3.2 The Explanation of the "Dissolution" of the Intellect in VI.7.41.12-14 -- 3.3 The Transition from the "Dissolution" of the Intellect to Henosis: V.3.17 -- Chapter Summary -- Chapter 4 The Relation between Negative Theology and Henosis -- Section 1 The One's Mystical Presence -- 1.1 The Metaphysical Presence of the One -- 1.2 The One's Mystical Presence in Man's Innate Desire -- 1.3 The Coherence between Metaphysical and Mystical Presence -- Section 2 The Role of Negative Theology -- 2.1 The Consistency between the One's Presence in Man and Man's Fall from the One -- 2.2 The Consistency between the One's Presence in Man and the Role of Negative Theology -- 2.3 Section Summary -- Section 3 Plotinus on the Mystical Vision -- 3.1 The Mystical Vision in I.6.8.21-27 -- 3.2 The Visual Illustration of Henosis in VI.9.8.13-22 -- 3.3 An Interpretation of the Circle-Illustration -- Concluding Remarks -- References -- Primary Texts -- Secondary Works.