Aporia as the Manifestation of Transcendence

Christ Creating the Categories of Opposites, Light and Dark, Night and Day, Sun and Moon, Showing How Apparent Created Opposites are United within the Nature of the Uncreated God

By Bp. Joseph Boyd (Ancient Church of the West)

In the realm of philosophical and theological discourse, the concept of "aporia" holds significant importance. Derived from the works of Plato, "aporia" refers to a state of puzzlement or impasse where contradictions coexist, prompting deep reflection and contemplation. This idea resonates profoundly within Christian theology, particularly when exploring the nature of God’s oneness and complexity. We believe in God’s oneness of Essence, yet God’s hypostatic complexity is united to and an expression of this essence. Terms like Prosopon (person) and Hypostasis (substance) highlight this intricate nature, emphasizing that God's revelation cannot be confined to the Platonic simplicity of the “En.”

Plato’s dialogues often lead to aporia, a state where interlocutors confront the limits of their knowledge. This method encourages the pursuit of deeper truths beyond apparent contradictions. Similarly, in Christian theology, God's nature transcends human comprehension, presenting as both simple and complex. Plotinus, a later interpreter of Plato, describes the divine in the Enneads as the "Perfect Orb of the One," an ultimate simplicity. Yet, this description falls short of encapsulating the Christian understanding of God, who transcends both simplicity and complexity.

Plotinus’ Enneads offer profound insights into the nature of reality, emphasizing an ultimate unity from which all multiplicity flows. This notion, while enlightening, contrasts with the Christian perspective that God, in His super-existential nature, embodies both unity and diversity. The hypostatic union in Christian doctrine—God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—illustrates this dynamic interplay of oneness and multiplicity. Thus, God's essence cannot be reduced to mere simplicity or complexity; it is a harmonious synthesis of both.

The influence of Platonic and Neo-Platonic thought on early Christian theology is evident in the works of Church Fathers such as St. Augustine and the Cappadocian Fathers. These thinkers integrated Platonic ideas with Christian doctrine, forming what is known as Christian Neo-Platonism. They embraced the concept of aporia, acknowledging the limitations of human reason in fully comprehending divine mysteries. This fusion underscores that while God’s nature may present as paradoxical, it is precisely through these paradoxes that deeper truths are revealed.

Expanding this dialogue to Eastern philosophies, one finds intriguing parallels in Taoism and Traditional Chinese Philosophy. The Tao, or “Way,” described in the Tao Te Ching, is an ultimate principle that transcends binary oppositions, uniting all in a purpose of an eternally unfolding creation. Like the Christian understanding of God, the Tao embodies unity and multiplicity, simplicity and complexity. Laozi’s teachings emphasize living in harmony with the Tao, recognizing that true wisdom lies in embracing the coexistence of opposites.

The Arising of Opposites and Otherness from the Trinity of Primal Unities, According to the Philosophy of Zhang Zai, 11th Century Chinese Neo-Confucian Scholar and Educator 

Christian Neo-Platonism and Taoist philosophy both suggest that transcendent existence naturally leads to the emergence of opposite categories. This is evident in the yin-yang symbol, representing the interdependence of opposites. Similarly, in Christian theology, God’s nature encompasses attributes that appear contradictory yet are fundamentally unified. This recognition fosters a deeper appreciation for the mysteries of existence, encouraging a contemplative approach to understanding the divine.

Patristic quotations further illuminate this theme. St. Augustine of Hippo stated, "We are talking about God. What wonder is it that you do not understand? If you do understand, then it is not God." This echoes the aporetic method, highlighting the insufficiency of human language and concepts in capturing the divine essence. Similarly, Laozi’s words, "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao," remind us of the ineffable nature of ultimate reality.

Holy Scripture also reflects this complexity. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God declares, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." This passage underscores the transcendence and immanence of God, whose ways are beyond human comprehension, yet intimately involved with creation.

St. Maximos the Confessor, a pivotal figure in the development of Christian thought, profoundly articulated the ineffability of God’s nature. He wrote, “For the Divine is completely without parts, because it is completely without quantity; and it is completely without quantity because it is completely devoid of qualities; and it is completely devoid of qualities because it is completely simple; and it is completely simple because it is completely without extension or dimension; and it is completely without extension or dimension because it is completely infinite; and it is completely infinite, because it is completely free of movement (for that which has nowhere to move to never moves); and it is completely free of movement, because it is without beginning (for there is nothing greater that is anterior to it, nor is there anything alongside it that is equal with it, nor is there anything subsequent to it that could parallel or contain it); and it is completely without beginning, because it is completely unbegotten; and it is completely unbegotten, because it is completely one and supremely singular above all others; and it is completely one and supremely singular above all others, because it is absolutely undetermined, and this is why it is, in every respect, ineffable and unknown, and why it remains, for all who move toward it rightly and with reverence, the ultimate limit of knowledge, for the ultimate truth that we can know about it is that it cannot be known (Amb 17.12)."

St. Maximos' description encapsulates the essence of aporia in Christian thought. It acknowledges that God's nature defies human categories and logical constraints, presenting a mystery that can only be approached with reverence and humility. This perspective aligns with the Platonic tradition of encountering the limits of human understanding, leading to a deeper pursuit of the divine.

St. John of Damascus, another prominent Christian theologian, echoed similar sentiments. He emphasized that while we can know God through His energies and actions, His essence remains beyond our grasp, a cause that remains hidden because it is unlike anything it creates within the temporal realm. "God's essence is incomprehensible, and His energies are manifold. Through these energies, He becomes known to us, but His essence remains inaccessible." This distinction between God's essence and energies highlights the aporetic nature of divine knowledge, now called "Apophatic," where apparent contradictions coexist and point towards a higher, unified truth.

Summary

The exploration of Platonic "aporia" and the complementation of opposites reveals profound insights into the nature of divine and transcendent reality. Whether through the lens of Christian theology, Neo-Platonic philosophy, or Eastern traditions like Taoism, the recognition of paradox and mystery invites a deeper engagement with the ultimate questions of existence, framing human inability to understand in terms of the infinite. Embracing these complexities and contradictions enriches our understanding and draws us closer to the ineffable truths that lie beyond the limits of human reason.We believe in God’s oneness of Essence, but God’s hypostatic complexity is united to it and an expression of it. Prosopon and Hypostaton, are both complex and cannot be separated from who God has revealed Himself to be. Therefore, God cannot be “reduced” to a Platonic simplicity, the “Perfect Orb of the En” that Plotinus describes. God transcends simplicity and complexity and appears as both simultaneously. Existence is dependent upon God, so, therefore, ontologically, all that has, is, or ever will exist cannot define God. Therefore, God’s super-existential nature can only appear to the created world as paradox - as two things that appear contradictory, equally true, and equally in accommodating mystery.