the six enneads-第171节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ard of the essence； something contributory to the being： the essence； then； preceded the safeguard and the cause was inbound with the essence； distinct； this cause is in its nature a part of the essence。 All parts； thus； exist in regard to each other： the essence is all…embracing； complete； entire； the excellency is inbound with the cause and embraced by it； the being； the essence； the cause； all are one。 But； at this； sense…perception… even in its particular modes… is involved in the Idea by eternal necessity； in virtue of the completeness of the Idea； Intellectual…Principle； as all…inclusive； contains in itself all by which we are brought； later； to recognise this perfection in its nature； the cause； There； was one total； all…inclusive； thus Man in the Intellectual was not purely intellect； sense…perception being an addition made upon his entry into birth： all this would seem to imply a tendance in that great Principle towards the lower； towards this sphere。 But how could that Principle have such perception； be aware of things of sense？ Surely it is untenable on the one hand that sense…perception should exist There； from eternity； and on the other that only upon the debasement of the soul should there be sense…perception here and the accomplishment in this realm of the Act of what was always a power in that？ 4。 To meet the difficulty we must make a close examination of the nature of Man in the Intellectual； perhaps； though； it is better to begin with the man of this plane lest we be reasoning to Man There from a misconception of Man here。 There may even be some who deny the difference。 We ask first whether man as here is a Reason…Principle different to that soul which produces him as here and gives him life and thought； or is he that very soul or； again； the ＇yet lower＇ soul using the human body？ Now if man is a reasonable living being and by 〃living being〃 is meant a conjoint of soul and body； the Reason…Principle of man is not identical with soul。 But if the conjoint of soul and body is the reason…principle of man； how can man be an eternal reality； seeing that it is only when soul and body have come together that the Reason…Principle so constituted appears？ The Reason…Principle will be the foreteller of the man to be； not the Man Absolute with which we are dealing but more like his definition； and not at that indicating his nature since what is indicated is not the Idea that is to enter Matter but only that of the known thing； the conjoint。 We have not yet found the Man we are seeking； the equivalent of the Reason…Principle。 But… it may be said… the Reason…Principle of such beings must be some conjoint； one element in another。 This does not define the principle of either。 If we are to state with entire accuracy the Reason…Principles of the Forms in Matter and associated with Matter； we cannot pass over the generative Reason…Principle； in this case that of Man； especially since we hold that a complete definition must cover the essential manner of being。 What； then； is this essential of Man？ What is the indwelling； inseparable something which constitutes Man as here？ Is the Reason…Principle itself a reasoning living being or merely a maker of that reasoning life…form？ and what is it apart from that act of making？ The living being corresponds to a reasoning life in the Reason…Principle； man therefore is a reasoning life： but there is no life without soul； either； then； the soul supplies the reasoning life… and man therefore is not an essence but simply an activity of the soul… or the soul is the man。 But if reasoning soul is the man； why does it not constitute man upon its entry into some other animal form？ 5。 Man； thus； must be some Reason…Principle other than soul。 But why should he not be some conjoint… a soul in a certain Reason…Principle… the Reason…Principle being； as it were； a definite activity which however could not exist without that which acts？ This is the case with the Reason…Principles in seed which are neither soulless nor entirely soul。 For these productive principles cannot be devoid of soul and there is nothing surprising in such essences being Reason…Principles。 But these principles producing other forms than man； of what phase of soul are they activities？ Of the vegetal soul？ Rather of that which produces animal life； a brighter soul and therefore one more intensely living。 The soul of that order； the soul that has entered into Matter of that order； is man by having； apart from body； a certain disposition； within body it shapes all to its own fashion； producing another form of Man； man reduced to what body admits； just as an artist may make a reduced image of that again。 It is soul； then； that holds the pattern and Reason…Principles of Man； the natural tendencies； the dispositions and powers… all feeble since this is not the Primal Man… and it contains also the Ideal…Forms of other senses； Forms which themselves are senses； bright to all seeming but images； and dim in comparison with those of the earlier order。 The higher Man； above this sphere； rises from the more godlike soul； a soul possessed of a nobler humanity and brighter perceptions。 This must be the Man of Plato's definition ＇〃Man is Soul〃＇； where the addition 〃Soul as using body〃 marks the distinction between the soul which uses body directly and the soul； poised above； which touches body only through that intermediary。 The Man of the realm of birth has sense…perception： the higher soul enters to bestow a brighter life； or rather does not so much enter as simply impart itself； for soul does not leave the Intellectual but； maintaining that contact； holds the lower life as pendant from it； blending with it by the natural link of Reason…Principle to Reason…Principle： and man； the dimmer； brightens under that illumination。 6。 But how can that higher soul have sense…perception？ It is the perception of what falls under perception There； sensation in the mode of that realm： it is the source of the soul's perception of the sense…realm in its correspondence with the Intellectual。 Man as sense…percipient becomes aware of that correspondence and accommodates the sense…realm to the lowest extremity of its counterpart There； proceeding from the fire Intellectual to the fire here which becomes perceptible by its analogy with that of the higher sphere。 If material things existed There； the soul would perceive them； Man in the Intellectual； Man as Intellectual soul； would be aware of the terrestrial。 This is how the secondary Man； copy of Man in the Intellectual； contains the Reason…Principles in copy； and Man in the Intellectual…Principle contained the Man that existed before any man。 The diviner shines out upon the secondary and the secondary upon the tertiary； and even the latest possesses them all… not in the sense of actually living by them all but as standing in under…parallel to them。 Some of us act by this lowest； in another rank there is a double activity； a trace of the higher being included； in yet another there is a blending of the third grade with the others： each is that Man by which he acts while each too contains all the grades； though in some sense not so。 On the separation of the third life and third Man from the body； then if the second also departs… of course not losing hold on the Above… the two； as we are told； will occupy the same place。 No doubt it seems strange that a soul which has been the Reason…Principle of a man should come to occupy the body of an animal： but the soul has always been all； and will at different times be this and that。 Pure； not yet fallen to evil； the soul chooses man and is man； for this is the higher； and it produces the higher。 It produces also the still loftier beings； the Celestials ＇Daimons＇； who are of one Form with the soul that makes Man： higher still stands that Man more entirely of the Celestial rank； almost a god； reproducing God； a Celestial closely bound to God as a man is to Man。 For that Being into which man develops is not to be called a god； there remains the difference which distinguishes souls； all of the same race though they be。 This is taking 〃Celestial〃 ＇〃Daimon〃＇ in the sense of Plato。 When a soul which in the human state has been thus attached chooses animal nature and descends to that； it is giving forth the Reason…Principle… necessarily in it… of that particular animal： this lower it contained and the activity has been to the lower。 7。 But if it is by becoming evil and inferior that the soul produces the animal nature； the making of ox or horse was not at the outset in its character； the reason…principle of the animal； and the animal itself； must lie outside of the natural plan？ Inferior； yes； but outside of nature； no。 The thing There ＇Soul in the Intellectual＇ was in some sense horse and dog from the beginning； given the condition； it produces the higher kind； let the condition fail； then； since produce it must； it produces what it may： it is like a skillful craftsman competent to create all kinds of works of art but reduced to making what is ordered and what the aptitude of his material indicates。 The power of the All…Soul； as Reason…Principle of the universe； may be considered as laying down a
