the six enneads-第48节

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　it　to　an　actor　to　play。　　　　　These　considerations　oblige　us　to　state　the　Logos　＇the　Reason…Principle　of　the　Universe＇　once　again；　and　more　clearly；　and　to　justify　its　nature。　　　　　This　Reason…Principle；　then…　let　us　dare　the　definition　in　the　hope　of　conveying　the　truth…　this　Logos　is　not　the　Intellectual　Principle　unmingled；　not　the　Absolute　Divine　Intellect；　nor　does　it　descend　from　the　pure　Soul　alone；　it　is　a　dependent　of　that　Soul　while；　in　a　sense；　it　is　a　radiation　from　both　those　divine　Hypostases；　the　Intellectual　Principle　and　the　Soul…　the　Soul　as　conditioned　by　the　Intellectual　Principle　engender　this　Logos　which　is　a　Life　holding　restfully　a　certain　measure　of　Reason。　　　　　Now　all　life；　even　the　least　valuable；　is　an　activity；　and　not　a　blind　activity　like　that　of　flame；　even　where　there　is　not　sensation　the　activity　of　life　is　no　mere　haphazard　play　of　Movement：　any　object　in　which　life　is　present；　and　object　which　participates　in　Life；　is　at　once　enreasoned　in　the　sense　that　the　activity　peculiar　to　life　is　formative；　shaping　as　it　moves。　　　　　Life；　then；　aims　at　pattern　as　does　the　pantomimic　dancer　with　his　set　movements；　the　mime；　in　himself；　represents　life；　and；　besides；　his　movements　proceed　in　obedience　to　a　pattern　designed　to　symbolize　life。　　　　　Thus　far　to　give　us　some　idea　of　the　nature　of　Life　in　general。　　　　　But　this　Reason…Principle　which　emanates　from　the　complete　unity；　divine　Mind；　and　the　complete　unity　Life　＇=　Soul＇…　is　neither　a　uniate　complete　Life　nor　a　uniate　complete　divine　Mind；　nor　does　it　give　itself　whole　and　all…including　to　its　subject。　＇By　an　imperfect　communication＇　it　sets　up　a　conflict　of　part　against　part：　it　produces　imperfect　things　and　so　engenders　and　maintains　war　and　attack；　and　thus　its　unity　can　be　that　only　of　a　sum…total　not　of　a　thing　undivided。　At　war　with　itself　in　the　parts　which　it　now　exhibits；　it　has　the　unity；　or　harmony；　of　a　drama　torn　with　struggle。　The　drama；　of　course；　brings　the　conflicting　elements　to　one　final　harmony；　weaving　the　entire　story　of　the　clashing　characters　into　one　thing；　while　in　the　Logos　the　conflict　of　the　divergent　elements　rises　within　the　one　element；　the　Reason…Principle：　the　comparison　therefore　is　rather　with　a　harmony　emerging　directly　from　the　conflicting　elements　themselves；　and　the　question　becomes　what　introduces　clashing　elements　among　these　Reason…Principles。　　　　　Now　in　the　case　of　music；　tones　high　and　low　are　the　product　of　Reason…Principles　which；　by　the　fact　that　they　are　Principles　of　harmony；　meet　in　the　unit　of　Harmony；　the　absolute　Harmony；　a　more　comprehensive　Principle；　greater　than　they　and　including　them　as　its　parts。　Similarly　in　the　Universe　at　large　we　find　contraries…　white　and　black；　hot　and　cold；　winged　and　wingless；　footed　and　footless；　reasoning　and　unreasoning…　but　all　these　elements　are　members　of　one　living　body；　their　sum…total；　the　Universe　is　a　self…accordant　entity；　its　members　everywhere　clashing　but　the　total　being　the　manifestation　of　a　Reason…Principle。　That　one　Reason…Principle；　then；　must　be　the　unification　of　conflicting　Reason…Principles　whose　very　opposition　is　the　support　of　its　coherence　and；　almost；　of　its　Being。　　　　　And　indeed；　if　it　were　not　multiple；　it　could　not　be　a　Universal　Principle；　it　could　not　even　be　at　all　a　Reason…Principle；　in　the　fact　of　its　being　a　Reason…Principle　is　contained　the　fact　of　interior　difference。　Now　the　maximum　of　difference　is　contrariety；　admitting　that　this　differentiation　exists　and　creates；　it　will　create　difference　in　the　greatest　and　not　in　the　least　degree；　in　other　words；　the　Reason…Principle；　bringing　about　differentiation　to　the　uttermost　degree；　will　of　necessity　create　contrarieties：　it　will　be　complete　only　by　producing　itself　not　in　merely　diverse　things　but　in　contrary　things。　　　　　17。　The　nature　of　the　Reason…Principle　is　adequately　expressed　in　its　Act　and；　therefore；　the　wider　its　extension　the　nearer　will　its　productions　approach　to　full　contrariety：　hence　the　world　of　sense　is　less　a　unity　than　is　its　Reason…Principle；　it　contains　a　wider　multiplicity　and　contrariety：　its　partial　members　will；　therefore；　be　urged　by　a　closer　intention　towards　fullness　of　life；　a　warmer　desire　for　unification。　　　　　But　desire　often　destroys　the　desired；　it　seeks　its　own　good；　and；　if　the　desired　object　is　perishable；　the　ruin　follows：　and　the　partial　thing　straining　towards　its　completing　principle　draws　towards　itself　all　it　possibly　can。　　　　　Thus；　with　the　good　we　have　the　bad：　we　have　the　opposed　movements　of　a　dancer　guided　by　one　artistic　plan；　we　recognize　in　his　steps　the　good　as　against　the　bad；　and　see　that　in　the　opposition　lies　the　merit　of　the　design。　　　　　But；　thus；　the　wicked　disappear？　　　　　No：　their　wickedness　remains；　simply；　their　role　is　not　of　their　own　planning。　　　　　But；　surely；　this　excuses　them？　　　　　No；　excuse　lies　with　the　Reason…Principle…　and　the　Reason…Principle　does　not　excuse　them。　　　　　No　doubt　all　are　members　of　this　Principle　but　one　is　a　good　man；　another　is　bad…　the　larger　class；　this…　and　it　goes　as　in　a　play；　the　poet　while　he　gives　each　actor　a　part　is　also　using　them　as　they　are　in　their　own　persons：　he　does　not　himself　rank　the　men　as　leading　actor；　second；　third；　he　simply　gives　suitable　words　to　each；　and　by　that　assignment　fixes　each　man's　standing。　　　　　Thus；　every　man　has　his　place；　a　place　that　fits　the　good　man；　a　place　that　fits　the　bad：　each　within　the　two　orders　of　them　makes　his　way；　naturally；　reasonably；　to　the　place；　good　or　bad；　that　suits　him；　and　takes　the　position　he　has　made　his　own。　There　he　talks　and　acts；　in　blasphemy　and　crime　or　in　all　goodness：　for　the　actors　bring　to　this　play　what　they　were　before　it　was　ever　staged。　　　　　In　the　dramas　of　human　art；　the　poet　provides　the　words　but　the　actors　add　their　own　quality；　good　or　bad…　for　they　have　more　to　do　than　merely　repeat　the　author's　words…　in　the　truer　drama　which　dramatic　genius　imitates　in　its　degree；　the　Soul　displays　itself　in　a　part　assigned　by　the　creator　of　the　piece。　　　　　As　the　actors　of　our　stages　get　their　masks　and　their　costume；　robes　of　state　or　rags；　so　a　Soul　is　allotted　its　fortunes；　and　not　at　haphazard　but　always　under　a　Reason：　it　adapts　itself　to　the　fortunes　assigned　to　it；　attunes　itself；　ranges　itself　rightly　to　the　drama；　to　the　whole　Principle　of　the　piece：　then　it　speaks　out　its　business；　exhibiting　at　the　same　time　all　that　a　Soul　can　express　of　its　own　quality；　as　a　singer　in　a　song。　A　voice；　a　bearing；　naturally　fine　or　vulgar；　may　increase　the　charm　of　a　piece；　on　the　other　hand；　an　actor　with　his　ugly　voice　may　make　a　sorry　exhibition　of　himself；　yet　the　drama　stands　as　good　a　work　as　ever：　the　dramatist；　taking　the　action　which　a　sound　criticism　suggests；　disgraces　one；　taking　his　part　from　him；　with　perfect　justice：　another　man　he　promotes　to　more　serious　roles　or　to　any　more　important　play　he　may　have；　while　the　first　is　cast　for　whatever　minor　work　there　may　be。　　　　　Just　so　the　Soul；　entering　this　drama　of　the　Universe；　making　itself　a　part　of　the　Play；　bringing　to　its　acting　its　personal　excellence　or　defect；　set　in　a　definite　place　at　the　entry　and　accepting　from　the　author　its　entire　role…　superimposed　upon　its　own　character　and　conduct…　just　so；　it　receives　in　the　end　its　punishment　and　reward。　　　　　But　these　actors；　Souls；　hold　a　peculiar　dignity：　they　act　in　a　vaster　place　than　any　stage：　the　Author　has　made　them　masters　of　all　this　world；　they　have　a　wide　choice　of　place；　they　themselves　determine　the　honour　or　discredit　in　which　they　are　agents　since　their　place　and　part　are　in　keeping　with　their　quality：　they　therefore　fit　into　the　Reason…Principle　of　the　Universe；　each　adjusted；　most　legitimately；　to　the　appropriate　environment；　as　every　string　of　the　lyre　is　set　in　the　precisely　right　position；　determined　by　the　Principle　directing　musical　utterance；　for　the　due　production　of　the　tones　within　its　capacity。　All　is　just　and　good　in　the　Universe　in　which　every　actor　is　set　in　his　own　quite　appropriate　place；　though　it　be　to　utter　in　the　Darkness　and　in　Tartarus　the　dreadful　sounds　whose　utterance　there　is　well。　　　　　This　Universe　is　good　not　when　the　individual　is　a　stone；　but　when　everyone　throws　in　his　own　voice　towards　a　total　harmony；　singing　out　a　life…　thin；　harsh；　imperfect；　though　it　be。　The　Syrinx　does　not　utter　merely　one　pure　note；　there　is　a　thin　obscure　sound　which　blends　in　to　make　the　harmony　of　Syrinx　music：　the　harmony　is　made　up　from　tones　of　various　grades；　all　the　tones　differing；　but　the　resultant　of　all　forming　one　sound。　　　　　Similarly　the　Reason…Principle　entire　is　One；　but　it　is　broken　into　unequal　parts：　hence　the　difference　of　place　found　in　the　Universe；　better　spots　and　worse；　and　hence　the　inequality　of　Souls；　finding　their　appropriate　surroundings　amid　this　local　inequality。　The　diverse　places　of　this　sphere；　the　Souls　of　unequal　grade　and　unlike　conduct；　are　wen　exemplified　by　the　distinction　of　parts　in　the　Syrinx　or　any　other　instrument：　there　is　local　difference；　but　from　every　position　every　string　gives　forth　its　own　tone；　the　sound　appropriate；　at　once；　to　its　particular　place　and　to　the　entire　plan。　　　　　What　is　evil　in　the　single　Soul　will　stand　a　good　thing　in　the　universal　sys