How does the One give rise to Intellect in Plotinus’s philosophy?

In the philosophy of Plotinus, the emergence of Intellect (or nous) from the One is described as a timeless, spontaneous, and necessary creative act. This process is characterized by a double movement of outgoing and return in contemplation.1

The One, which is transcendent and beyond the reach of thought or language, acts as the source of all reality. Through this expressive act, the One gives rise to Intellect, the first derived reality. Intellect functions simultaneously as thinker, thought, and the object of thought, representing the totality of the world of forms. Because the One is a positive reality of superabundant excellence, this generation is not a deliberate choice but an inherent overflow of its nature. Consequently, Intellect remains eternally linked to the One through the impulse of return, which is defined by the pure love of Intellect for the Good from which it springs.1