the six enneads-第101章

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As　an　instrument　by　which　something　is　to　receive　knowledge；　it　cannot　be　identical　with　either　the　knower　or　the　known：　but　it　must　be　apt　to　likeness　with　both…　akin　to　the　external　object　by　its　power　of　being　affected；　and　to　the　internal；　the　knower；　by　the　fact　that　the　modification　it　takes　becomes　an　idea。　　　　　If　this　theory　of　ours　is　sound；　bodily　organs　are　necessary　to　sense…perception；　as　is　further　indicated　by　the　reflection　that　the　soul　entirely　freed　of　body　can　apprehend　nothing　in　the　order　of　sense。　　　　　The　organ　must　be　either　the　body　entire　or　some　member　set　apart　for　a　particular　function；　thus　touch　for　one；　vision　for　another。　The　tools　of　craftsmanship　will　be　seen　to　be　intermediaries　between　the　judging　worker　and　the　judged　object；　disclosing　to　the　experimenter　the　particular　character　of　the　matter　under　investigation：　thus　a　ruler；　representing　at　once　the　straightness　which　is　in　the　mind　and　the　straightness　of　a　plank；　is　used　as　an　intermediary　by　which　the　operator　proves　his　work。　　　　　Some　questions　of　detail　remain　for　consideration　elsewhere：　Is　it　necessary　that　the　object　upon　which　judgement　or　perception　is　to　take　place　should　be　in　contact　with　the　organ　of　perception；　or　can　the　process　occur　across　space　upon　an　object　at　a　distance？　Thus；　is　the　heat　of　a　fire　really　at　a　distance　from　the　flesh　it　warms；　the　intermediate　space　remaining　unmodified；　is　it　possible　to　see　colour　over　a　sheer　blank　intervening　between　the　colour　and　the　eye；　the　organ　of　vision　reaching　to　its　object　by　its　own　power？　　　　　For　the　moment　we　have　one　certainty；　that　perception　of　things　of　sense　belongs　to　the　embodied　soul　and　takes　place　through　the　body。　　　　　24。　The　next　question　is　whether　perception　is　concerned　only　with　need。　　　　　The　soul；　isolated；　has　no　sense…perception；　sensations　go　with　the　body；　sensation　itself　therefore　must　occur　by　means　of　the　body　to　which　the　sensations　are　due；　it　must　be　something　brought　about　by　association　with　the　body。　　　　　Thus　either　sensation　occurs　in　a　soul　compelled　to　follow　upon　bodily　states…　since　every　graver　bodily　experience　reaches　at　last　to　soul…　or　sensation　is　a　device　by　which　a　cause　is　dealt　with　before　it　becomes　so　great　as　actually　to　injure　us　or　even　before　it　has　begun　to　make　contact。　　　　　At　this；　sense…impressions　would　aim　at　utility。　They　may　serve　also　to　knowledge；　but　that　could　be　service　only　to　some　being　not　living　in　knowledge　but　stupefied　as　the　result　of　a　disaster；　and　the　victim　of　a　Lethe　calling　for　constant　reminding：　they　would　be　useless　to　any　being　free　from　either　need　or　forgetfulness。　This　This　reflection　enlarges　the　enquiry：　it　is　no　longer　a　question　of　earth　alone；　but　of　the　whole　star…system；　all　the　heavens；　the　kosmos　entire。　For　it　would　follow　that；　in　the　sphere　of　things　not　exempt　from　modification；　sense…perception　would　occur　in　every　part　having　relation　to　any　other　part：　in　a　whole；　however…　having　relation　only　to　itself；　immune；　universally　self…directed　and　self…possessing…　what　perception　could　there　be？　　　　　Granted　that　the　percipient　must　act　through　an　organ　and　that　this　organ　must　be　different　from　the　object　perceived；　then　the　universe；　as　an　All；　can　have　＇no　sensation　since　it　has＇　no　organ　distinct　from　object：　it　can　have　self…awareness；　as　we　have；　but　sense…perception；　the　constant　attendant　of　another　order；　it　cannot　have。　　　　　Our　own　apprehension　of　any　bodily　condition　apart　from　the　normal　is　the　sense　of　something　intruding　from　without：　but　besides　this；　we　have　the　apprehension　of　one　member　by　another；　why　then　should　not　the　All；　by　means　of　what　is　stationary　in　it；　perceive　that　region　of　itself　which　is　in　movement；　that　is　to　say　the　earth　and　the　earth's　content？　　　　　Things　of　earth　are　certainly　affected　by　what　passes　in　other　regions　of　the　All；　what；　then；　need　prevent　the　All　from　having；　in　some　appropriate　way；　the　perception　of　those　changes？　In　addition　to　that　self…contemplating　vision　vested　in　its　stationary　part；　may　it　not　have　a　seeing　power　like　that　of　an　eye　able　to　announce　to　the　All…Soul　what　has　passed　before　it？　Even　granted　that　it　is　entirely　unaffected　by　its　lower；　why；　still；　should　it　not　see　like　an　eye；　ensouled　as　it　is；　all　lightsome？　　　　　Still：　〃eyes　were　not　necessary　to　it；〃　we　read。　If　this　meant　simply　that　nothing　is　left　to　be　seen　outside　of　the　All；　still　there　is　the　inner　content；　and　there　can　be　nothing　to　prevent　it　seeing　what　constitutes　itself：　if　the　meaning　is　that　such　self…vision　could　serve　to　no　use；　we　may　think　that　it　has　vision　not　as　a　main　intention　for　vision's　sake　but　as　a　necessary　concomitant　of　its　characteristic　nature；　it　is　difficult　to　conceive　why　such　a　body　should　be　incapable　of　seeing。　　　　　25。　But　the　organ　is　not　the　only　requisite　to　vision　or　to　perception　of　any　kind：　there　must　be　a　state　of　the　soul　inclining　it　towards　the　sphere　of　sense。　　　　　Now　it　is　the　soul's　character　to　be　ever　in　the　Intellectual　sphere；　and　even　though　it　were　apt　to　sense…perception；　this　could　not　accompany　that　intention　towards　the　highest；　to　ourselves　when　absorbed　in　the　Intellectual；　vision　and　the　other　acts　of　sense　are　in　abeyance　for　the　time；　and；　in　general；　any　special　attention　blurs　every　other。　The　desire　of　apprehension　from　part　to　part…　a　subject　examining　itself…　is　merely　curiosity　even　in　beings　of　our　own　standing；　and；　unless　for　some　definite　purpose；　is　waste　of　energy：　and　the　desire　to　apprehend　something　external…　for　the　sake　of　a　pleasant　sight…　is　the　sign　of　suffering　or　deficiency。　　　　　Smelling；　tasting　flavours　＇and　such　animal　perceptions＇　may　perhaps　be　described　as　mere　accessories；　distractions　of　the　soul；　while　seeing　and　hearing　would　belong　to　the　sun　and　the　other　heavenly　bodies　as　incidentals　to　their　being。　This　would　not　be　unreasonable　if　seeing　and　hearing　are　means　by　which　they　apply　themselves　to　their　function。　　　　　But　if　they　so　apply　themselves；　they　must　have　memory；　it　is　impossible　that　they　should　have　no　remembrance　if　they　are　to　be　benefactors；　their　service　could　not　exist　without　memory。　　　　　26。　Their　knowledge　of　our　prayers　is　due　to　what　we　may　call　an　enlinking；　a　determined　relation　of　things　fitted　into　a　system；　so；　too；　the　fulfillment　of　the　petitions；　in　the　art　of　magic　all　looks　to　this　enlinkment：　prayer　and　its　answer；　magic　and　its　success；　depend　upon　the　sympathy　of　enchained　forces。　　　　　This　seems　to　oblige　us　to　accord　sense…perception　to　the　earth。　　　　　But　what　perception？　　　　　Why　not；　to　begin　with；　that　of　contact…feeling；　the　apprehension　of　part　by　part；　the　apprehension　of　fire　by　the　rest　of　the　entire　mass　in　a　sensation　transmitted　upwards　to　the　earth's　leading　principle？　A　corporeal　mass　＇such　as　that　of　the　earth＇　may　be　sluggish　but　is　not　utterly　inert。　Such　perceptions；　of　course；　would　not　be　of　trifles；　but　of　the　graver　movement　of　things。　　　　　But　why　even　of　them？　　　　　Because　those　gravest　movements　could　not　possibly　remain　unknown　where　there　is　an　immanent　soul。　　　　　And　there　is　nothing　against　the　idea　that　sensation　in　the　earth　exists　for　the　sake　of　the　human　interests　furthered　by　the　earth。　They　would　be　served　by　means　of　the　sympathy　that　has　been　mentioned；　petitioners　would　be　heard　and　their　prayers　met；　though　in　a　way　not　ours。　And　the　earth；　both　in　its　own　interest　and　in　that　of　beings　distinct　from　itself；　might　have　the　experiences　of　the　other　senses　also…　for　example；　smell　and　taste　where；　perhaps；　the　scent　of　juices　or　sap　might　enter　into　its　care　for　animal　life；　as　in　the　constructing　or　restoring　of　their　bodily　part。　　　　　But　we　need　not　demand　for　earth　the　organs　by　which　we；　ourselves；　act：　not　even　all　the　animals　have　these；　some；　without　ears　perceive　sound。　　　　　For　sight　it　would　not　need　eyes…　though　if　light　is　indispensable　how　can　it　see？　　　　　That　the　earth　contains　the　principle　of　growth　must　be　admitted；　it　is　difficult　not　to　allow　in　consequence　that；　since　this　vegetal　principle　is　a　member　of　spirit；　the　earth　is　primarily　of　the　spiritual　order；　and　how　can　we　doubt　that　in　a　spirit　all　is　lucid？　This　becomes　all　the　more　evident　when　we　reflect　that