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Proclus: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy

Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor (Ancient Greek: Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος, Próklos ho Diádokhos), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers of late antiquity. He set forth one of the most elaborate and fully developed systems of Neoplatonism and, through later interpreters and translators, exerted an influence on Byzantine philosophy, early Islamic philosophy, scholastic philosophy, and German idealism, especially G. W. F. Hegel, who called Proclus's Platonic Theology "the true turning point or transition from ancient to modern times, from ancient philosophy to Christianity."

Key Facts

Legacy and Impact

The influence of Proclus extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped human thought and intellectual discourse, and his ideas and philosophical frameworks remain foundational to this day.

Though he passed away in 485, his ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.

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