Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth: From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism 

Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth

From Ancient Egypt to Neoplatonism 

Algis Uzdavinys, Prometheus Trust, 2008, 368 p.

Description

Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth challenges our understanding of philosophy – indeed it challenges many centuries of assumptions which have reduced othodox philosophy to a shadow of its original. Uzdavinys returns to the very roots of philosophy in Ancient Egypt, and shows why the Greeks revered that land of pyramids and priest-kings as the source of divine wisdom. Bringing his understanding of many great traditions of philosophy – Indian, Islamic, Greek, and others – he presents the case for considering philosophy as a human participation in a theophany, or divine drama. Casting aside the unnatural limitations of modern philosophy, as well as the grave misunderstandings of Egyptologists, radical and exciting possibilities emerge for the serious philosopher. These possibilities will certainly change our view of the universe in general, but most particularly our view of ourselves. The Rebirth of the title is one that implies an expansion of consciousness both upwards towards the divine heights of reality, and outwards to embrace the whole of creation as a living image of the gods. The exercises of philosophy thus move from the rational to the intuitive, onward to pure contemplation and, ultimately, to a god-like energy in the divine drama.

(Text from the publisher)

Table of contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

I – UNDERSTANDING ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY 

1. Philosophy and the Eternal Wonder
2. Learning to Live and Learning to Die
3. Ancient Practices of Wisdom
4. The True Ancient Philosophy and the Way of Pious Living
5. Understanding of Ancient Philosophy by Porphyry and Augustine
6. From the Egyptian Soil to Hellas
7. Translatability of Divine Names in Ancient Civilizations
8. Heracles and Philosophical Ascent
9. From Akhenaten to Thales
10. Thales and the Egyptian Myths
11. Water as Metaphysical Principle and Divine Substance
12. Metaphysical Meaning of Ancient Mythologies
13. Pythagorean Numbers and their Paradigms
14. Standing on the Solar Barque
15. Celestial Nile as the Cause of Geometry
16. The Apollonian Road to Rebirth
17. Philosophy as Divine Mystagogy and Beneficial Madness
18. Philosophy and the Power of Faith: Towards the Final Union

II – ETERNAL MEASURES AND SYMBOLS OF EGYPTIAN SAGES 

1. On the Back of the Heavenly Cow
2. Proteus and the Egyptian Wisdom
3. Allegorical Myths and Philosophy in the Temples
4. Porphyry De abstinentia IV.6-9
5. Sacred Animals, Philosophers, and Cosmic Numbers
6. Hieratic Powers and Symbols of the Ineffable Father
7. Philosophical Life of the Egyptian Priests
8. Proximity of the Gods and the Bau of Amun
9. Perfumes, Images, and Contemplations
10. Divine Knowledge and Paradigms for Philosophical Mysteries
11. Priests and Spiritual Guides
12. Egyptian Scribes and the Way of Imhotep
13. Amenhotep and Theology of Amun

III – IN THE REALM OF DIVINE SEMIOTICS 

1. The Ramesside Icon and Three Hypostases of Plotinus
2. Back to One‟s Native Star
3. Archetypal Foundation of Hieroglyphic Signs and Colours
4. Divine Ideas and Symbols
5. Symbolic Interpretation of Hieroglyphic Script
6. Return to the Golden Age and Paradigms to be Imitated
7. Hieratic Myths and Symbols
8. All Things and All Hieroglyphs
9. Ancient Theories of Ideas
10. Proclus ‟ Conception of Divine Forms and Unities

IV – BEING IN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN AND NEOPLATONIC THOUGHT 

1. From Eidology to Metaphysics of Being and Beyond-Being
2. Hierarchy of Priority and Posteriority
3. Indivisible and Divisible Being
4. The One as Foundation of Being
5. Incomprehensible Divine Unities
6. Images of Divine Light
7. The One and Many according to Egyptians
8. Levels of Being and Non-being
9. The Lord of Totality and His Magic
10. Cosmogonical and Ontological Principles
11. Invisible God and His Theophanies

V – RITUALS OF DEIFICATION AND THEURGIC ASCENT 

1. Depreciation of Hieratic Rites
2. Rituals and Sacred Masks
3. Climbing to the Divine State
4. Cosmos and the Sacred Harmony of Strings
5. On the Wing of Thoth: the Theurgic Way of Ra
6. Divine Triads in Egyptian and Neoplatonic Thought
7. Theurgic Assimilation to the Gods
8. Deification through the Eye of Horus
9. Spiritual Teachers and Sacred Masters
10. Radiant Power of Names and Flight to the Throne
11. Theurgic Union with the Divine Principle
12. Intellect of the Father and His Cosmic Drama
13. Elevating Powers in the Pharaonic State-Body
14. The Perfect Man who Slew the Lords
15. Theurgic Rites and Sacramental Theologies

VI – ANIMATION OF STATUES IN ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS  AND NEOPLATONISM 

1. Sacred Images and Idols
2. Vehicles of Divine Forces
3. The Living Images of Everlasting Gods
4. Animation as Ritual of Union with the Descending Rays of Ra
5. Opening of the Mouth and Awakening to Light
6. The Sacramental Birth of Statues in Mesopotamia and Egypt
7. The Way of the Golden Falcon
8. When the Womb-like Tomb is Opened
9. Divine Beauty and the Inner Golden Statue: From Egyptian Theology to Plotinus

VII – TELESTIC TRANSFORMATION AND PHILOSOPHICAL REBIRTH 

1. Philosophy in the Tomb-Sanctuary
2. The Tomb as a Threshold of Light
3. Sacrificial Alchemy of Tombs and Altars
4. Alchemical Passage through Death
5. Mummification and Dialectic
6. Musicians, Lovers, and Philosophers
7. Divine Knowledge and Theurgic Prayers
8. Intellect as the Spirit of Light
9. The Osirian Initiation and Separation from the Mortal Body
10. Resurrection of the Golden Phoenix
11. Two Ways of theAmduat 
12. The Union of Osiris and Ra
13. The Inner Alchemical Work and Return to Itself
14. Metaphysics of the Heart
15. Understanding of Soul and Body
16. The Homecoming of Odysseus
17. From the Homeric Ghost to the Immortal Soul of Plato
18. Reawakening of Intellect and Rehabilitation of Images

GLOSSARY

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

CATALOGUE

Link: https://www.themathesontrust.org/library/philosophy-as-a-rite-of-rebirth