page_title: Great chain of being
section_title: The Chain
hierarchical_section_title: Great chain of being / The Chain
context_page_description: The Great Chain of Being is a hierarchical structure of all matter and life, thought in medieval Christianity to have been decreed by God. The chain starts with God and progresses downward to angels, humans, animals, plants, and minerals.
  The Great Chain of Being is a concept derived from Plato, Aristotle, Plotinus and Proclus. Further developed during the Middle Ages, it reached full expression in early modern Neoplatonism.
context_section_description: At its simplest, the chain of being runs God, Angels, Humans, Animals, Plants, Minerals. These links of the chain are described in more detail below.
caption: St Thomas Aquinas classified all beings by rank.
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