the six enneads-第130节
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r to found it upon a decision taken by its maker at some given moment。 That teaching shirks the penetration of such a making as is here involved： it fails to see that as long as the Supreme is radiant there can be no failing of its sequel but； that existing； all exists。 And… since the necessity of conveying our meaning compels such terms… the Supreme has existed for ever and for ever will exist。 13。 The God fettered ＇as in the Kronos Myth＇ to an unchanging identity leaves the ordering of this universe to his son （to Zeus）； for it could not be in his character to neglect his rule within the divine sphere； and； as though sated with the Authentic…Beauty； seek a lordship too recent and too poor for his might。 Ignoring this lower world； Kronos ＇Intellectual…Principle＇ claims for his own father ＇Ouranoo； the Absolute； or One＇ with all the upward…tending between them： and he counts all that tends to the inferior； beginning from his son ＇Zeus； the All…Soul＇； as ranking beneath him。 Thus he holds a mid position determined on the one side by the differentiation implied in the severance from the very highest and； on the other； by that which keeps him apart from the link between himself and the lower： he stands between a greater father and an inferior son。 But since that father is too lofty to be thought of under the name of Beauty； the second God remains the primally beautiful。 Soul also has beauty； but is less beautiful than Intellect as being its image and therefore； though beautiful in nature； taking increase of beauty by looking to that original。 Since then the All…Soul… to use the more familiar term… since Aphrodite herself is so beautiful； what name can we give to that other？ If Soul is so lovely in its own right； of what quality must that prior be？ And since its being is derived； what must that power be from which the Soul takes the double beauty； the borrowed and the inherent？ We ourselves possess beauty when we are true to our own being； our ugliness is in going over to another order； our self…knowledge； that is to say； is our beauty； in self…ignorance we are ugly。 Thus beauty is of the Divine and comes Thence only。 Do these considerations suffice to a clear understanding of the Intellectual Sphere； or must we make yet another attempt by another road？ NINTH TRACTATE。
THE INTELLECTUAL…PRINCIPLE； THE IDEAS； AND THE AUTHENTIC EXISTENCE。
1。 All human beings from birth onward live to the realm of sense more than to the Intellectual。 Forced of necessity to attend first to the material； some of them elect to abide by that order and； their life throughout； make its concerns their first and their last； the sweet and the bitter of sense are their good and evil； they feel they have done all if they live along pursuing the one and barring the doors to the other。 And those of them that pretend to reasoning have adopted this as their philosophy； they are like the heavier birds which have incorporated much from the earth and are so weighted down that they cannot fly high for all the wings Nature has given them。 Others do indeed lift themselves a little above the earth； the better in their soul urges them from the pleasant to the nobler； but they are not of power to see the highest and so； in despair of any surer ground； they fall back in virtue's name； upon those actions and options of the lower from which they sought to escape。 But there is a third order… those godlike men who； in their mightier power； in the keenness of their sight； have clear vision of the splendour above and rise to it from among the cloud and fog of earth and hold firmly to that other world； looking beyond all here； delighted in the place of reality； their native land； like a man returning after long wanderings to the pleasant ways of his own country。 2。 What is this other place and how it is accessible？ It is to be reached by those who； born with the nature of the lover； are also authentically philosophic by inherent temper； in pain of love towards beauty but not held by material loveliness； taking refuge from that in things whose beauty is of the soul… such things as virtue； knowledge； institutions； law and custom… and thence； rising still a step； reach to the source of this loveliness of the Soul； thence to whatever be above that again； until the uttermost is reached。 The First； the Principle whose beauty is self…springing： this attained； there is an end to the pain inassuageable before。 But how is the ascent to be begun？ Whence comes the power？ In what thought is this love to find its guide？ The guiding thought is this： that the beauty perceived on material things is borrowed。 The pattern giving beauty to the corporeal rests upon it as Idea to its Matter and the substrate may change and from being pleasant become distasteful； a sign； in all reason； that the beauty comes by participation。 Now； what is this that gives grace to the corporeal？ Two causes in their degree； the participation in beauty and the power of Soul； the maker； which has imprinted that form。 We ask then is soul； of itself； a thing of beauty： we find it is not since differences are manifest； one Soul wise and lovely； another foolish and ugly： soul…beauty is constituted by wisdom。 The question thus becomes； 〃What principle is the giver of wisdom to the soul？ and the only answer is 〃The Intellectual…Principle；〃 the veritably intellectual； wise without intermission and therefore beautiful of itself。 But does even this suffice for our First？ No； we must look still inward beyond the Intellectual； which； from our point of approach； stands before the Supreme Beginning； in whose forecourt； as it were； it announces in its own being the entire content of the Good； that prior of all； locked in unity； of which this is the expression already touched by multiplicity。 3。 We will have to examine this Nature； the Intellectual； which our reasoning identifies as the authentically existent and the veritable essential： but first we must take another path and make certain that such a principle does necessarily exist。 Perhaps it is ridiculous to set out enquiring whether an Intellectual…Principle has place in the total of being： but there may be some to hesitate even as to this and certainly there will be the question whether it is as we describe it； whether it is a separate existence； whether it actually is the real beings； whether it is the seat of the Ideas； to this we now address ourselves。 All that we see； and describe as having existence； we know to be compound； hand…wrought or compacted by nature； nothing is simplex。 Now the hand…wrought； with its metal or stone or wood； is not realized out of these materials until the appropriate craft has produced statue； house or bed； by imparting the particular idea from its own content。 Similarly with natural forms of being； those including several constituents； compound bodies as we call them； may be analysed into the materials and the Idea imposed upon the total； the human being； for example； into soul and body； and the human body into the four elements。 Finding everything to be a compound of Matter and shaping principle… since the Matter of the elements is of itself shapeless… you will enquire whence this forming idea comes； and you will ask whether in the soul we recognise a simplex or whether this also has constituents； something representing Matter and something else… the Intellectual…Principle in it… representing Idea； the one corresponding to the shape actually on the statue； the other to the artist giving the shape。 Applying the same method to the total of things； here too we discover the Intellectual…Principle and this we set down as veritably the maker and creator of the All。 The underly has adopted； we see； certain shapes by which it becomes fire； water； air； earth； and these shapes have been imposed upon it by something else。 This other is Soul which； hovering over the Four ＇the elements＇； imparts the pattern of the Kosmos； the Ideas for which it has itself received from the Intellectual…Principle as the soul or mind of the craftsman draws upon his craft for the plan of his work。 The Intellectual…Principle is in one phase the Form of the soul； its shape； in another phase it is the giver of the shape… the sculptor； possessing inherently what is given… imparting to soul nearly the authentic reality while what body receives is but image and imitation。 4。 But； soul reached； why need we look higher； why not make this The First？ A main reason is that the Intellectual…Principle is at once something other and something more powerful than Soul and that the more powerful is in the nature of things the prior。 For it is certainly not true； as people imagine； that the soul； brought to perfection； produces Intellect。 How could that potentiality come to actuality unless there be； first； an effective principle to induce the actualization which； left to chance； might never occur？ The Firsts must be supposed to exist in actuality； looking to nothing else； self…complete。 Anything incomplete must be sequent upon these； and take its completion from the principles engendering it which； like fathers； labour in the improvement o
