the six enneads-第59节
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e Authentic Existents； images playing upon an image devoid of Form； visible against it by its very formlessness； they seem to modify it but in reality effect nothing； for they are ghostly and feeble； have no thrust and meet none in Matter either； they pass through it leaving no cleavage； as through water； or they might be compared to shapes projected so as to make some appearance upon what we can know only as the Void。 Further： if visible objects were of the rank of the originals from which they have entered into Matter we might believe Matter to be really affected by them； for we might credit them with some share of the power inherent in their Senders： but the objects of our experiences are of very different virtue than the realities they represent； and we deduce that the seeming modification of matter by visible things is unreal since the visible thing itself is unreal； having at no point any similarity with its source and cause。 Feeble； in itself； a false thing and projected upon a falsity； like an image in dream or against water or on a mirror； it can but leave Matter unaffected； and even this is saying too little； for water and mirror do give back a faithful image of what presents itself before them。 8。 It is a general principle that； to be modified； an object must be opposed in faculty； and in quality to the forces that enter and act upon it。 Thus where heat is present； the change comes by something that chills； where damp by some drying agency： we say a subject is modified when from warm it becomes cold； from dry wet。 A further evidence is in our speaking of a fire being burned out； when it has passed over into another element； we do not say that the Matter has been burned out： in other words； modification affects what is subject to dissolution； the acceptance of modification is the path towards dissolution； susceptibility to modification and susceptibility to dissolution go necessarily together。 But Matter can never be dissolved。 What into？ By what process？ Still： Matter harbours heat； cold； qualities beyond all count； by these it is differentiated； it holds them as if they were of its very substance and they blend within it… since no quality is found isolated to itself… Matter lies there as the meeting ground of all these qualities with their changes as they act and react in the blend： how； then； can it fail to be modified in keeping？ The only escape would be to declare Matter utterly and for ever apart from the qualities it exhibits； but the very notion of Substance implies that any and every thing present in it has some action upon it。 9。 In answer： It must； first； be noted that there are a variety of modes in which an object may be said to be present to another or to exist in another。 There is a 〃presence〃 which acts by changing the object… for good or for ill… as we see in the case of bodies； especially where there is life。 But there is also a 〃presence〃 which acts； towards good or ill； with no modification of the object； as we have indicated in the case of the Soul。 Then there is the case represented by the stamping of a design upon wax； where the 〃presence〃 of the added pattern causes no modification in the substance nor does its obliteration diminish it。 And there is the example of Light whose presence does not even bring change of pattern to the object illuminated。 A stone becoming cold does not change its nature in the process； it remains the stone it was。 A drawing does not cease to be a drawing for being coloured。 The intermediary mass on which these surface changes appear is certainly not transmuted by them； but might there not be a modification of the underlying Matter？ No： it is impossible to think of Matter being modified by； for instance； colour… for； of course we must not talk of modification when there is no more than a presence； or at most a presenting of shape。 Mirrors and transparent objects； even more； offer a close parallel； they are quite unaffected by what is seen in or through them： material things are reflections； and the Matter on which they appear is further from being affected than is a mirror。 Heat and cold are present in Matter； but the Matter itself suffers no change of temperature： growing hot and growing cold have to do only with quality； a quality enters and brings the impassible Substance under a new state… though； by the way； research into nature may show that cold is nothing positive but an absence； a mere negation。 The qualities come together into Matter； but in most cases they can have no action upon each other； certainly there can be none between those of unlike scope： what effect； for example； could fragrance have on sweetness or the colour…quality on the quality of form； any quality on another of some unrelated order？ The illustration of the mirror may well indicate to us that a given substratum may contain something quite distinct from itself… even something standing to it as a direct contrary… and yet remain entirely unaffected by what is thus present to it or merged into it。 A thing can be hurt only by something related to it； and similarly things are not changed or modified by any chance presence： modification comes by contrary acting upon contrary； things merely different leave each other as they were。 Such modification by a direct contrary can obviously not occur in an order of things to which there is no contrary： Matter； therefore ＇the mere absence of Reality＇ cannot be modified： any modification that takes place can occur only in some compound of Matter and reality； or； speaking generally； in some agglomeration of actual things。 The Matter itself… isolated； quite apart from all else； utterly simplex… must remain immune； untouched in the midst of all the interacting agencies； just as when people fight within their four walls； the house and the air in it remain without part in the turmoil。 We may take it； then； that while all the qualities and entities that appear upon Matter group to produce each the effect belonging to its nature； yet Matter itself remains immune； even more definitely immune than any of those qualities entering into it which； not being contraries； are not affected by each other。 10。 Further： If Matter were susceptible of modification； it must acquire something by the incoming of the new state； it will either adopt that state； or； at least； it will be in some way different from what it was。 Now upon this first incoming quality suppose a second to supervene； the recipient is no longer Matter but a modification of Matter： this second quality； perhaps； departs； but it has acted and therefore leaves something of itself after it； the substratum is still further altered。 This process proceeding； the substratum ends by becoming something quite different from Matter； it becomes a thing settled in many modes and many shapes； at once it is debarred from being the all…recipient； it will have closed the entry against many incomers。 In other words； the Matter is no longer there： Matter is destructible。 No： if there is to be a Matter at all； it must be always identically as it has been from the beginning： to speak of Matter as changing is to speak of it as not being Matter。 Another consideration： it is a general principle that a thing changing must remain within its constitutive Idea so that the alteration is only in the accidents and not in the essential thing； the changing object must retain this fundamental permanence； and the permanent substance cannot be the member of it which accepts modification。 Therefore there are only two possibilities： the first； that Matter itself changes and so ceases to be itself； the second that it never ceases to be itself and therefore never changes。 We may be answered that it does not change in its character as Matter： but no one could tell us in what other character it changes； and we have the admission that the Matter in itself is not subject to change。 Just as the Ideal Principles stand immutably in their essence… which consists precisely in their permanence… so； since the essence of Matter consists in its being Matter ＇the substratum to all material things＇ it must be permanent in this character； because it is Matter； it is immutable。 In the Intellectual realm we have the immutable Idea； here we have Matter； itself similarly immutable。 11。 I think； in fact； that Plato had this in mind where he justly speaks of the Images of Real Existents 〃entering and passing out〃： these particular words are not used idly： he wishes us to grasp the precise nature of the relation between Matter and the Ideas。 The difficulty on this point is not really that which presented itself to most of our predecessors… how the Ideas enter into Matter… it is rather the mode of their presence in it。 It is in fact strange at sight that Matter should remain itself intact； unaffected by Ideal…forms present within it； especially seeing that these are affected by each other。 It is surprising； too； that the entrant Forms should regularly expel preceding shapes and qualities； and that the modification ＇which cannot touch Matter＇ should affect what is a compound ＇of Idea with Matter＇ and this； again； not a haphazard but precisely where there is need of the incoming or outgoing of some certain Idea
