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The Great Chain of Being

This document provides an overview of Arthur O. Lovejoy's treatment of the idea of the Great Chain of Being as understood in 18th century thought. Some key points: 1) The Great Chain of Being was a hierarchical arrangement of all entities from God down to inanimate matter, characterized by principles of plenitude, continuity, and gradation. 2) This conception originated with ancient Greek philosophers but was most fully developed in Neoplatonic thought. 18th century writers inherited this worldview from philosophers like Leibniz and Locke. 3) Consequences included that every being has an intrinsic purpose and man is not the central focus of creation. Man's relatively low position also meant

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Sebastian Clinciu
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443 views3 pages

The Great Chain of Being

This document provides an overview of Arthur O. Lovejoy's treatment of the idea of the Great Chain of Being as understood in 18th century thought. Some key points: 1) The Great Chain of Being was a hierarchical arrangement of all entities from God down to inanimate matter, characterized by principles of plenitude, continuity, and gradation. 2) This conception originated with ancient Greek philosophers but was most fully developed in Neoplatonic thought. 18th century writers inherited this worldview from philosophers like Leibniz and Locke. 3) Consequences included that every being has an intrinsic purpose and man is not the central focus of creation. Man's relatively low position also meant

Uploaded by

Sebastian Clinciu
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Clinciu Ioan-Sebastian

2nd Group, 1st Year

Facultatea de Litere

THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING IN 18TH CENTURY THOUGHT

Topic: In this paper we will draw an outline of Arthur O. Lovejoyʼs treatment of the idea
of the Chain of Being as it was understood in 18th century thought. Our main source will be the
lectures delieverd by Lovejoy at Harvard University in 1933 and gathered in his book The Great
Chain of Being: A Study of the History of an Idea.

I. Introduction

A. What is the Chain of Being?

The Chain of Being is a hierarchical arrangement of the universe – both inanimated and
animated entities – which starts downward from God to angels, humans, animals, plants and
inanimated matter. This Chain of Being, also called the Scale of Being (lat. scala naturae), is
characterised by some basic principles: plenitude, continuity and gradation. (cf. p. 183)

B. Where does this conception find its origins?

Elements that constitute the Great Chain of Being can be traced back to Plato (p. 28) and
Aristotle (p. 56-57), but the worldview, as it was inherited by medieval and early modern
philosophers, finds its most developed phase in Neoplatonic thought, especially that of Plotinus
(3rd century AD) and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (5th–6th century AD). (cf. p. 63, 67)

C. Wherefrom did 18th century writers inherit this worldview?

The Great Chain of Being was inherited through the thought of late 17th century
philosophers such as Leibniz and John Locke. (cf. p. 184)
II. The Chain of Being and Man's Place in Nature.

A. Consequences of the principle of plenitude.

 Within the Great Chain of Being the raison dʼêtre is not to be searched in a link’s
pragmatical effects on other links, but within itself, since its existence is a form
by which God realises the completeness of the series of forms, that is, his purpose
in creating the universe. (cf. p. 186)
 Man is not to be seen anymore as the central beneficiary of creation, because
every other being has its reason for existence within itself. (cf. p. 186-188)

B. Consequences of the relative position of man in the Chain of Being.

 That man should be humbled by his low position within the Great Chain of Being,
since there are an infinite number of creatures which occupy higher ranks. We see
this view reflected in the words of Pope from An Essay on Man: „Superior beings,
when of late they saw/ A mortal man unfold all nature's law,/ Admired such
wisdom in an earthly shape,/ And showed a NEWTON as we show an ape.”
(Alexander Pope, The Major Works, edited with an Introduction and Notes by Pat
Rogers, Oxford World’s Classics, 2006, p. 282)

III. Some Ethical and Political Consequences.

A. Ethical implications of the Great Chain of Being.

 „The good for a being of a given grade, it seemed evident, must consist in
conformity to its type, in the expression of just that Idea which defines its
position, or that of its species, in the series.” (p. 200) Thus, in conformity with his
nature, man is to be pleased with his place as a „middle link” within the Scale of
Nature and his duty is to keep „his place”. (cf. p. 200) For man to aspire to
become like a higher being or for him to descend and act like a lower being, that
would be an act of pride, the vice regarded as most revolting, for it implies the
breaking of a link within the Great Chain of Being. (cf. p. 201)

B. Political implications of the Great Chain of Being.

 Lovejoy presents the political consequences of the Chain of Being by citing an


18th century writer and Member of Parliament – Soame Jenyns. Since man is the
„middle link”, that is, the link which makes the transition from creatures without
the Light of Reason (or with only few rays of that Light) to higher creatures
whose main guide for life is rationality, his life is not perfectly lead by Reason.
Consequently, the institutions built by him, including political institutions are far
from being perfect. To desire a perfect government is to want more from human
nature that it can bear. (cf. p. 203-205)
 Another implication that can be drawn from the worldview of the Great Chain of
Being is the justification of inequality in our political context. It was thought by
Leibniz that our universe is the best possible one. Since this is the case, one might
conclude that our social order should imitate the Great Chain of Being, which has
lower links and higher links. Thus, to remove inequality between social estates is
to reject the blueprint of Nature itself. (cf. p. 205-206)

Works cited

Lovejoy, Arthur O., The Great Chain of Being: A Study of the History of an Idea,
Harvard University Press, 22nd printing, 2001.
Alexander Pope, The Major Works, edited with an Introduction and Notes by Pat Rogers,
Oxford World’s Classics, 2006

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