the six enneads-第20节
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he animal life of this earth is produced by an image which goes forth from that celestial soul and may be said to flow downwards from it。 A soul； then； of the minor degree… reproducing； indeed； that of the Divine sphere but lacking in power inasmuch as it must exercise its creative act upon inferior stuff in an inferior region… the substances taken up into the fabric being of themselves repugnant to duration； with such an origin the living things of this realm cannot be of strength to last for ever； the material constituents are not as firmly held and controlled as if they were ruled immediately by a Principle of higher potency。 The heavens； on the contrary； must have persistence as a whole； and this entails the persistence of the parts； of the stars they contain： we could not imagine that whole to endure with the parts in flux… though； of course； we must distinguish things sub…celestial from the heavens themselves whose region does not in fact extend so low as to the moon。 Our own case is different： physically we are formed by that ＇inferior＇ soul； given forth ＇not directly from God but＇ from the divine beings in the heavens and from the heavens themselves； it is by way of that inferior soul that we are associated with the body ＇which therefore will not be persistent＇； for the higher soul which constitutes the We is the principle not of our existence but of our excellence or； if also of our existence； then only in the sense that； when the body is already constituted； it enters； bringing with it some effluence from the Divine Reason in support of the existence。 6。 We may now consider the question whether fire is the sole element existing in that celestial realm and whether there is any outgoing thence with the consequent need of renewal。 Timaeus pronounced the material frame of the All to consist primarily of earth and fire for visibility； earth for solidity… and deduced that the stars must be mainly composed of fire； but not solely since there is no doubt they are solid。 And this is probably a true account。 Plato accepts it as indicated by all the appearances。 And； in fact； to all our perception… as we see them and derive from them the impression of illumination… the stars appear to be mostly； if not exclusively； fire： but on reasoning into the matter we judge that since solidity cannot exist apart from earth…matter； they must contain earth as well。 But what place could there be for the other elements？ It is impossible to imagine water amid so vast a conflagration； and if air were present it would be continually changing into fire。 Admitting ＇with Timaeus； as a logical truth＇ that two self…contained entities； standing as extremes to each other need for their coherence two intermediaries； we may still question whether this holds good with regard to physical bodies。 Certainly water and earth can be mixed without any such intermediate。 It might seem valid to object that the intermediates are already present in the earth and the water； but a possible answer would be； 〃Yes； but not as agents whose meeting is necessary to the coherence of those extremes。〃 None the less we will take it that the coherence of extremes is produced by virtue of each possessing all the intermediates。 It is still not proven that fire is necessary to the visibility of earth and earth to the solidarity of fire。 On this principle； nothing possesses an essential…nature of its very own； every several thing is a blend； and its name is merely an indication of the dominant constituent。 Thus we are told that earth cannot have concrete existence without the help of some moist element… the moisture in water being the necessary adhesive… but admitting that we so find it； there is still a contradiction in pretending that any one element has a being of its own and in the same breath denying its self…coherence； making its subsistence depend upon others； and so； in reality； reducing the specific element to nothing。 How can we talk of the existence of the definite Kind； earth… earth essential… if there exists no single particle of earth which actually is earth without any need of water to secure its self…cohesion？ What has such an adhesive to act upon if there is absolutely no given magnitude of real earth to which it may bind particle after particle in its business of producing the continuous mass？ If there is any such given magnitude； large or small； of pure earth； then earth can exist in its own nature； independently of water： if there is no such primary particle of pure earth； then there is nothing whatever for the water to bind。 As for air… air unchanged； retaining its distinctive quality… how could it conduce to the subsistence of a dense material like earth？ Similarly with fire。 No doubt Timaeus speaks of it as necessary not to the existence but to the visibility of earth and the other elements； and certainly light is essential to all visibility… we cannot say that we see darkness； which implies； precisely； that nothing is seen； as silence means nothing being heard。 But all this does not assure us that the earth to be visible must contain fire： light is sufficient： snow； for example； and other extremely cold substances gleam without the presence of fire… though of course it might be said that fire was once there and communicated colour before disappearing。 As to the composition of water； we must leave it an open question whether there can be such a thing as water without a certain proportion of earth。 But how can air； the yielding element； contain earth？ Fire； again： is earth perhaps necessary there since fire is by its own nature devoid of continuity and not a thing of three dimensions？ Supposing it does not possess the solidity of the three dimensions； it has that of its thrust； now； cannot this belong to it by the mere right and fact of its being one of the corporeal entities in nature？ Hardness is another matter； a property confined to earth…stuff。 Remember that gold… which is water… becomes dense by the accession not of earth but of denseness or consolidation： in the same way fire； with Soul present within it； may consolidate itself upon the power of the Soul； and there are living beings of fire among the Celestials。 But； in sum； do we abandon the teaching that all the elements enter into the composition of every living thing？ For this sphere； no； but to lift clay into the heavens is against nature； contrary to the laws of her ordaining： it is difficult； too； to think of that swiftest of circuits bearing along earthly bodies in its course nor could such material conduce to the splendour and white glint of the celestial fire。 7。 We can scarcely do better； in fine； than follow Plato。 Thus： In the universe as a whole there must necessarily be such a degree of solidity； that is to say； of resistance； as will ensure that the earth； set in the centre； be a sure footing and support to the living beings moving over it； and inevitably communicate something of its own density to them： the earth will possess coherence by its own unaided quality； but visibility by the presence of fire： it will contain water against the dryness which would prevent the cohesion of its particles； it will hold air to lighten its bulky matters； it will be in contact with the celestial fire… not as being a member of the sidereal system but by the simple fact that the fire there and our earth both belong to the ordered universe so that something of the earth is taken up by the fire as something of the fire by the earth and something of everything by everything else。 This borrowing； however； does not mean that the one thing taking…up from the other enters into a composition； becoming an element in a total of both： it is simply a consequence of the kosmic fellowship； the participant retains its own being and takes over not the thing itself but some property of the thing； not air but air's yielding softness； not fire but fire's incandescence： mixing is another process； a complete surrender with a resultant compound not； as in this case； earth… remaining earth； the solidity and density we know… with something of fire's qualities superadded。 We have authority for this where we read： 〃At the second circuit from the earth； God kindled a light〃： he is speaking of the sun which； elsewhere； he calls the all…glowing and； again； the all…gleaming： thus he prevents us imagining it to be anything else but fire； though of a peculiar kind； in other words it is light； which he distinguishes from flame as being only modestly warm： this light is a corporeal substance but from it there shines forth that other 〃light〃 which； though it carries the same name； we pronounce incorporeal； given forth from the first as its flower and radiance； the veritable 〃incandescent body。〃 Plato's word earthy is commonly taken in too depreciatory a sense： he is thinking of earth as the principle of solidity； we are apt to ignore his distinctions and think of the concrete clay。 Fire of this order； giving forth this purest light； belongs to the upper realm； and there its seat is fixed by nature； but we must not； on that account； suppose the flame of earth to be associated with the beings of that higher sphere。 No： the flame of this world； once
