the six enneads-第62节

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light　comes　and　goes；　and　the　air　is　as　it　always　was。　　　　　That　a　thing　essentially　devoid　of　magnitude　should　come　to　a　certain　size　is　no　more　astonishing　than　that　a　thing　essentially　devoid　of　heat　should　become　warm：　Matter's　essential　existence　is　quite　separate　from　its　existing　in　bulk；　since；　of　course；　magnitude　is　an　immaterial　principle　as　pattern　is。　Besides；　if　we　are　not　to　reduce　Matter　to　nothing；　it　must　be　all　things　by　way　of　participation；　and　Magnitude　is　one　of　those　all　things。　　　　　In　bodies；　necessarily　compounds；　Magnitude　though　not　a　determined　Magnitude　must　be　present　as　one　of　the　constituents；　it　is　implied　in　the　very　notion　of　body；　but　Matter…　not　a　Body…　excludes　even　undetermined　Magnitude。　　　　　17。　Nor　can　we；　on　the　other　hand；　think　that　matter　is　simply　Absolute　Magnitude。　　　　　Magnitude　is　not；　like　Matter；　a　receptacle；　it　is　an　Ideal…Principle：　it　is　a　thing　standing　apart　to　itself；　not　some　definite　Mass。　The　fact　is　that　the　self…gathered　content　of　the　Intellectual　Principle　or　of　the　All…Soul；　desires　expansion　＇and　thereby　engenders　secondaries＇：　in　its　images…　aspiring　and　moving　towards　it　and　eagerly　imitating　its　act…　is　vested　a　similar　power　of　reproducing　their　states　in　their　own　derivatives。　The　Magnitude　latent　in　the　expansive　tendency　of　the　Image…making　phase　＇of　Intellect　or　All…Soul＇　runs　forth　into　the　Absolute　Magnitude　of　the　Universe；　this　in　turn　enlists　into　the　process　the　spurious　magnitude　of　Matter：　the　content　of　the　Supreme；　thus；　in　virtue　of　its　own　prior　extension　enables　Matter…　which　never　possesses　a　content…　to　exhibit　the　appearance　of　Magnitude。　It　must　be　understood　that　spurious　Magnitude　consists　in　the　fact　that　a　thing　＇Matter＇　not　possessing　actual　Magnitude　strains　towards　it　and　has　the　extension　of　that　straining。　All　that　is　Real　Being　gives　forth　a　reflection　of　itself　upon　all　else；　every　Reality；　therefore；　has　Magnitude　which　by　this　process　is　communicated　to　the　Universe。　　　　　The　Magnitude　inherent　in　each　Ideal…Principle…　that　of　a　horse　or　of　anything　else…　combines　with　Magnitude　the　Absolute　with　the　result　that；　irradiated　by　that　Absolute；　Matter　entire　takes　Magnitude　and　every　particle　of　it　becomes　a　mass；　in　this　way；　by　virtue　at　once　of　the　totality　of　Idea　with　its　inherent　magnitude　and　of　each　several　specific　Idea；　all　things　appear　under　mass；　Matter　takes　on　what　we　conceive　as　extension；　it　is　compelled　to　assume　a　relation　to　the　All　and；　gathered　under　this　Idea　and　under　Mass；　to　be　all　things…　in　the　degree　in　which　the　operating　power　can　lead　the　really　nothing　to　become　all。　　　　　By　the　conditions　of　Manifestation；　colour　rises　from　non…colour　＇=　from　the　colourless　prototype　of　colour　in　the　Ideal　Realm＇。　Quality；　known　by　the　one　name　with　its　parallel　in　the　sphere　of　Primals；　rises；　similarly；　from　non…quality：　in　precisely　the　same　mode；　the　Magnitude　appearing　upon　Matter　rises　from　non…Magnitude　or　from　that　Primal　which　is　known　to　us　by　the　same　name；　so　that　material　things　become　visible　through　standing　midway　between　bare　underlie　and　Pure　Idea。　All　is　perceptible　by　virtue　of　this　origin　in　the　Intellectual　Sphere　but　all　is　falsity　since　the　base　in　which　the　manifestation　takes　place　is　a　non…existent。　　　　　Particular　entities　thus　attain　their　Magnitude　through　being　drawn　out　by　the　power　of　the　Existents　which　mirror　themselves　and　make　space　for　themselves　in　them。　And　no　violence　is　required　to　draw　them　into　all　the　diversity　of　Shapes　and　Kinds　because　the　phenomenal　All　exists　by　Matter　＇by　Matter's　essential　all…receptivity＇　and　because　each　several　Idea；　moreover；　draws　Matter　its　own　way　by　the　power　stored　within　itself；　the　power　it　holds　from　the　Intellectual　Realm。　Matter　is　manifested　in　this　sphere　as　Mass　by　the　fact　that　it　mirrors　the　Absolute　Magnitude；　Magnitude　here　is　the　reflection　in　the　mirror。　The　Ideas　meet　all　of　necessity　in　Matter　＇the　Ultimate　of　the　emanatory　progress＇：　and　Matter；　both　as　one　total　thing　and　in　its　entire　scope；　must　submit　itself；　since　it　is　the　Material　of　the　entire　Here；　not　of　any　one　determined　thing：　what　is；　in　its　own　character；　no　determined　thing　may　become　determined　by　an　outside　force…　though；　in　becoming　thus　determined；　it　does　not　become　the　definite　thing　in　question；　for　thus　it　would　lose　its　own　characteristic　indetermination。　　　　　18。　The　Ideal　Principle　possessing　the　Intellection　＇=　Idea；　Noesis＇　of　Magnitude…　assuming　that　this　Intellection　is　of　such　power　as　not　merely　to　subsist　within　itself　but　to　be　urged　outward　as　it　were　by　the　intensity　of　its　life…　will　necessarily　realize　itself　in　a　Kind　＇=　Matter＇　not　having　its　being　in　the　Intellective　Principle；　not　previously　possessing　the　Idea　of　Magnitude　or　any　trace　of　that　Idea　or　any　other。　　　　　What　then　will　it　produce　＇in　this　Matter＇　by　virtue　of　that　power？　　　　　Not　horse　or　cow：　these　are　the　product　of　other　Ideas。　　　　　No：　this　Principle　comes　from　the　source　of　Magnitude　＇=　is　primal　〃Magnitude〃＇　and　therefore　Matter　can　have　no　extension；　in　which　to　harbour　the　Magnitude　of　the　Principle；　but　can　take　in　only　its　reflected　appearance。　　　　　To　the　thing　which　does　not　enjoy　Magnitude　in　the　sense　of　having　mass…extension　in　its　own　substance　and　parts；　the　only　possibility　is　that　it　present　some　partial　semblance　of　Magnitude；　such　as　being　continuous；　not　here　and　there　and　everywhere；　that　its　parts　be　related　within　it　and　ungapped。　An　adequate　reflection　of　a　great　mass　cannot　be　produced　in　a　small　space…　mere　size　prevents…　but　the　greater；　pursuing　the　hope　of　that　full　self…presentment；　makes　progress　towards　it　and　brings　about　a　nearer　approach　to　adequate　mirroring　in　the　parallel　from　which　it　can　never　withhold　its　radiation：　thus　it　confers　Magnitude　upon　that　＇=　Matter＇　which　has　none　and　cannot　even　muster　up　the　appearance　of　having　any；　and　the　visible　resultant　exhibits　the　Magnitude　of　mass。　　　　　Matter；　then；　wears　Magnitude　as　a　dress　thrown　about　it　by　its　association　with　that　Absolute　Magnitude　to　whose　movement　it　must　answer；　but　it　does　not；　for　that；　change　its　Kind；　if　the　Idea　which　has　clothed　it　were　to　withdraw；　it　would　once　again　be　what　it　permanently　is；　what　it　is　by　its　own　strength；　or　it　would　have　precisely　the　Magnitude　lent　to　it　by　any　other　form　that　happens　to　be　present　in　it。　　　　　The　＇Universal＇　Soul…　containing　the　Ideal　Principles　of　Real…Beings；　and　itself　an　Ideal　Principle…　includes　all　in　concentration　within　itself；　just　as　the　Ideal　Principle　of　each　particular　entity　is　complete　and　self…contained：　it；　therefore；　sees　these　principles　of　sensible　things　because　they　are　turned；　as　it　were；　towards　it　and　advancing　to　it：　but　it　cannot　harbour　them　in　their　plurality；　for　it　cannot　depart　from　its　Kind；　it　sees　them；　therefore；　stripped　of　Mass。　Matter；　on　the　contrary；　destitute　of　resisting　power　since　it　has　no　Act　of　its　own　and　is　a　mere　shadow；　can　but　accept　all　that　an　active　power　may　choose　to　send。　In　what　is　thus　sent；　from　the　Reason…Principle　in　the　Intellectual　Realm；　there　is　already　contained　a　degree　of　the　partial　object　that　is　to　be　formed：　in　the　image…making　impulse　within　the　Reason…Principle　there　is　already　a　step　＇towards　the　lower　manifestation＇　or　we　may　put　it　that　the　downward　movement　from　the　Reason…Principle　is　a　first　form　of　the　partial：　utter　absence　of　partition　would　mean　no　movement　but　＇sterile＇　repose。　Matter　cannot　be　the　home　of　all　things　in　concentration　as　the　Soul　is：　if　it　were　so；　it　would　belong　to　the　Intellective　Sphere。　It　must　be　all…recipient　but　not　in　that　partless　mode。　It　is　to　be　the　Place　of　all　things；　and　it　must　therefore　extend　universally；　offer　itself　to　all　things；　serve　to　all　interval：　thus　it　will　be　a　thing　unconfined　to　any　moment　＇of　space　or　time＇　but　laid　out　in　submission　to　all　that　is　to　be。　　　　　But　would　we　not　expect　that　some　one　particularized　form　should　occupy　Matter　＇at　once＇　and　so　exclude　such　others　as　are　not　able　to　enter　into　combination？　　　　　No：　for　there　is　no　first　Idea　except　the　Ideal　Principle　of　the　Universe…　and；　by　this　Idea；　Matter　is　＇the　seat　of＇　all　things　at　once　and　of　the　particular　thing　in　its　parts…　for　the　Matter　of　a　living　being　is　disparted　according　to　the　specific　parts　of　the　organism：　if　there　were　no　such　partition　nothing　would　exist　but　the　Reason…Principle。　　　　　19。　The　Ideal　Principles　entering　into　Matter　as　to　a　Mother　＇to　be　〃born　into　the　Universe〃＇　affect　it　neither　for　better　nor　for　worse。　　　　　Their　action　is　not　upon　Matter　but　upon　each　other；　these　powers　conflict　with　their　opponent　principles；　not　with　their　substrata…　which　it　would　be　foolish　to　confuse　with　the　entrant　forms…　Heat　＇the　Principle＇　annuls　Cold；　and　Blackness　annuls　Whiteness；　or；　the　opponents　blend　to　form　an　intermediate　quality。　Only　that　is　affected　which　enters　into　combinations：　being　affected　is　losing　something　of　self…identity。　　　　　In　beings　of　soul　and　body；　the　affection　occurs　in　the　body；　modified　according　to　the　qualities　and　powers　presiding　at　the　act　of　change：　in　all　such　dissolution　of　constituent　parts；　in　the　new　combinations；　in　all　variation　from　the　original　structure；　the　affect