ABSTRACT
An old chestnut in Proclus research is “the geometrical method”. is notion refers, of course, to Euclid’s method in his Elements. In Proclus, it is primarily associated with the presentation of the basics of Neoplatonic metaphysics in the Elements of eology, a work which in di erent ways summons the mos geometricus. Although it has become clear that Proclus does not exactly follow Euclid’s method of presentation in his Elements of eology (see § “First case: Elements of eology” below), the importance of the suggestion that he does cannot be underestimated: it is this chestnut which is primarily responsible for the rehabilitation of Proclus’ thought in the past century. Taylor, when writing a defence of Proclus in 1918, states: “We have learned that the Neo-Platonists were neither magicians nor emotionalist schöne Seelen, but systematic philosophers addressing themselves to the philosopher’s task of understanding the world in which he lives as seriously as Aristotle or Descartes or Kant.” His main evidence for this thesis is Proclus’ Elements of eology, as displaying a “manner and method” similar to those of “the great rationalists”, rather than “ecstasies and other abnormal psychological wonders” (A. E. Taylor 1918: 605-6).
