The ‘Before the Veil’ section is a little unwieldly; it is kind of a thing unto itself but is quite interesting nonetheless and, although kind of jumpy, the purpose is clear – to introduce some basic notions of ancient philosophy, in this case by making an argument for the revival of Platonism and also showing its close connection and origin in Indian philosophy.
Platonism is presented more in a Neoplatonic style that views the history of Greek philosophy as kind of perennial philosophy. Nowadays, Greek philosophy is strictly divided into Pre-Socratic, Classical, Middle-Platonic and Neoplatonic but perhaps those classifications are, although useful, too rigid and the Neoplatonists never made such distinctions and quoted freely from philosophers of all periods. Therefore this holistic, comparative presentation of Greek philosophy, although kind of quirky, is refreshing and much more spiritual than most studies.
Moreover, a tentative effort to demonstrate the connection with Indian philosophy is presented, comparing Plato’s Allegory of the Cave with the doctrine of Maya and the Pythagorean Tetraktys with the creation story in Manu Smriti. This notion could be considered a pioneering effort in Indo-European studies and lately Thomas McEvilley in The Shape of Ancient Thought has published a ground-breaking study that takes up this idea once again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HAiTfOSP_w
In the glossary at the end of this section, we have an initial attempt at defining the terminology that would later become so important; it’s kind of sketchy, but full of interest – of particular note are the Sanskrit terms which seem to show an intriguing knowledge of the more esoteric aspects of Hindu ritual that she would rarely expounded on afterwards, which such terms as Akasha, Fakir, Mantra, Pitris, Soma and Yajna. The Vedas are generously quoted in these and in many other parts and so as a sample, the entry for ‘Evolution’ is an interesting example of a comparative study of creation myths.
She continues to define her project of dealing with the conflict between Science and Religion:
Between these two conflicting Titans — Science and Theology — is a bewildered public, fast losing all belief in man’s personal immortality, in a deity of any kind, and rapidly descending to the level of a mere animal existence. Such is the picture of the hour, illumined by the bright noonday sun of this Christian and scientific era! x
She does not deny the importance of a certain sceptical and critical outlook:
Would it be strict justice to condemn to critical lapidation the most humble and modest of authors for entirely rejecting the authority of both these combatants? Are we not bound rather to take as the true aphorism of this century, the declaration of Horace Greeley: “I accept unreservedly the views of no man, living or dead”?** Such, at all events, will be our motto, and we mean that principle to be our constant guide throughout this work. xi
It is not just a matter of blindly accepting all aspects of ancient wisdom, but sifting it and blending it with what is valid in modern knowledge, a kind of middle way between ancient and modern and re-uniting science and religion:
The whole question of phenomena rests on the correct comprehension of old philosophies. Whither, then, should we turn, in our perplexity, but to the ancient sages, since, on the pretext of superstition, we are refused an explanation by the modern? Let us ask them what they know of genuine science and religion; not in the matter of mere details, but in all the broad conception of these twin truths — so strong in their unity, so weak when divided.
Besides, we may find our profit in comparing this boasted modern science with ancient ignorance; this improved modern theology with the “Secret doctrines” of the ancient universal religion. Perhaps we may thus discover a neutral ground whence we can reach and profit by both. xii
She ends this long section with an eloquent critique of materialism and a plea for spiritual freedom:
Deeply sensible of the Titanic struggle that is now in progress between materialism and the spiritual aspirations of mankind, our constant endeavor has been to gather into our several chapters, like weapons into armories, every fact and argument that can be used to aid the latter in defeating the former. Sickly and deformed child as it now is, the materialism of To-Day is born of the brutal Yesterday. Unless its growth is arrested, it may become our master.
It is the bastard progeny of the French Revolution and its reaction against ages of religious bigotry and repression. To prevent the crushing of these spiritual aspirations, the blighting of these hopes, and the deadening of that intuition which teaches us of a God and a hereafter, we must show our false theologies in their naked deformity, and distinguish between divine religion and human dogmas. Our voice is raised for spiritual freedom, and our plea made for enfranchisement from all tyranny, whether of SCIENCE or THEOLOGY. xlv
One Comment
Pavel Axentiev
I thought I would share the outline of the section that I have compiled. Numeration is by paragraph in the hopes that it will prevent confusion when using different editions (it is also my hope that such or similar numeration – used by the academicians for the study of ancient texts – will be more widely adopted):
BEFORE THE VEIL
————————-
1 Historical & modern context / Ironical assessment of the modern view
2-4 Critical context / “A death-grapple of Science with Theology for infallibility – ‘a conflict of ages.'” / The position of the public (“Such is the picture of the hour…!”)
5 Renunciation of both scientific and religious authorities of the day by the author
6 Introduction of Spiritualism
7 Application to the wisdom of the ancients
8 Sharpening the application to “Platonic philosophy, the most elaborate compend of the abstruse systems of old India”
9 The transcendenal system of Plato, misunderstood
10 Platonic definition of the Supreme (INTELLIGENCE or MIND)
11 Platonic philosophy contained in the ancient Greek mysteries
12 Plato’s doctrine and its relationship to myths
13 Platonic view of the nous, spirit, sharing in its nature with the Divine
14 !- The two-fold nature of nous; the allegories of sleep and of the cave; the soul being capable of remembering the life of the spirit; the goal of philosophy
15 !- The correspondence of spirit with night and death; the purpose of the Mysteries; initiatic nature of philosophy
16 Plato and the history of Western thought
17 Plato’s disciples: Xenocrates, Speusippus (“the author of Numerical Analysis… listener to the unwritten lectures of Plato”); Aristotle’s criticisms of the Platonic doctrine
18 Aristotle “no trustworthy witness”; “canon of interpretation” (!); Pythagorean influences on Plato and Aristotle’s misinterpretation of them
19 Modern science concurs with Pythagoras
20 Unity in multiplicity = the key to Pythagorean “dogmas”
21 Hindu/Vedic parallels
22 The Pythagorean Decade
23-27 Hindu origins of the numerical philosophy (based on the Book of Manu)
28 More on the views of Platonic philosophers: the Deity vs. the (World)-Soul
29 !- Man’s idea of God as a “blinding light” is only his own Spirit, and but a reflection of the Deity
30 “No God, No Soul?” Atheism vs. the Buddhistic Nirvana
31 Speusippus
32 Xenocrates: three degrees of knowledge (Thought, Perception, and Intuition)
33 Cf. from the Book of Manu (Manas vs. Ahamkara)
34 Views of Neoplatonists on the relations between the soul, the Ideas (=Indivisible Magnitudes?), and the primary elements
35 Daemons vs. the soul according to the Neoplatonists and Hermetists
36 Morals of the Neoplatonists
37 Soul according to Crantor (an early Platonic philosopher)
38 Views of Herakleides as to the soul and the world
39 On the Epinomis (and Iamblichus)
40 Parallels with the Hindu tradition; the souls of stars
41 !- Three classes of daemons according to the Epinomis
42 Summing it up: the attitude of contemporary science
43 Tyndall’s contradictions
44 Preamble to the Glossary
45-52 AETHROBACY
– 46-47 The story of Simon Magus
– 48-49 “Electromagnetic” explanation
– 50 Four cases of somnambulists and ecstatics
– 51 Spanish girl story
53 ALCHEMISTS
54-57 ASTRAL LIGHT
58-59 AKASA
60-62 ANTHROPOLOGY
63 CHALDEANS
64 DACTYLS
65 DAEMONS
66 DEMIURGOS
67 DERVISHES
68 DRUIDS
69-71 ELEMENTAL SPIRITS
72 ELEMENTARY SPIRITS
73 ESSENES
74-83 EVOLUTION
84 FAKIRS
85 HERMETIST
86-87 HIEROPHANT
88 INITIATES
89 KABALIST
90 LAMAS
91 MAGE
92-93 MAGICIAN
94-96 MANTICISM
97 MANTRA
98 MARABUT
99 MATERIALIZATION
100 MAZDEANS
101 METEMPSYCHOSIS
102 MYSTERIES
104 MYSTICS
105 NABIA
106 OCCULTIST
107 PAGAN GODS
108 PITRIS
109-111 PYTHIA
112 SAMOTHRACES
113 SHAMANS
114-115 SOMA
116 SPIRIT
117 SOUL
118-119 THEOSOPHISTS
120-127 THEURGIST
128-129 YAJNA
130 Note on the Archaic vs. Ancient and Medieval
131 Explanatory note as to the sources of information presented in the book
132 On the structure of the work as to the comparing of modern and ancient knowledge
133 Declaration of the work’s purpose: against materialism and spiritual dogmas, and for spiritual freedom