Emanation, and in this case “emanationism”, is a philosophical and theological theory that sees all of creation as an unwilled, necessary, and spontaneous outflow of contingent beings of descending perfection—from an infinite, undiminished, unchanged primary substance.
Note: This area of philosophy has a strong religious flavor. Which, while interesting to read about, is not the focus of “Emanation” as it pertains to my exploration of the subject.
The “Emanation” I would like to focus on was originally coined by Neoplatonists, namely Ammonius Saccus and his student Plotinus, as well as Proculs (one of the last of the great “Greek” philosophers), somewhere around the 3rd century AD.