the six enneads-第111章

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ds？　The　sound　of　bronze　against　bronze　is　different　from　that　of　bronze　against　some　other　substance：　and　so　on；　the　air　and　its　vibration　remain　the　one　thing；　yet　the　difference　in　sounds　is　much　more　than　a　matter　of　greater　or　less　intensity。　　　　　If　we　decide　that　sound　is　caused　by　a　percussion　upon　the　air；　then　obviously　nothing　turning　upon　the　distinctive　nature　of　air　is　in　question：　it　sounds　at　a　moment　in　which　it　is　simply　a　solid　body；　until　＇by　its　distinctive　character＇　it　is　sent　pulsing　outwards：　thus　air　in　itself　is　not　essential　to　the　production　of　sound；　all　is　done　by　clashing　solids　as　they　meet　and　that　percussion；　reaching　the　sense；　is　the　sound。　This　is　shown　also　by　the　sounds　formed　within　living　beings　not　in　air　but　by　the　friction　of　parts；　for　example；　the　grinding　of　teeth　and　the　crunching　of　bones　against　each　other　in　the　bending　of　the　body；　cases　in　which　the　air　does　not　intervene。　　　　　But　all　this　may　now　be　left　over；　we　are　brought　to　the　same　conclusion　as　in　the　case　of　sight；　the　phenomena　of　hearing　arise　similarly　in　a　certain　co…sensitiveness　inherent　in　a　living　whole。　　　　　6。　We　return；　then；　to　the　question　whether　there　could　be　light　if　there　were　no　air；　the　sun　illuminating　corporeal　surfaces　across　an　intermediate　void　which；　as　things　are；　takes　the　light　accidentally　by　the　mere　fact　of　being　in　the　path。　Supposing　air　to　be　the　cause　of　the　rest　of　things　being　thus　affected；　the　substantial　existence　of　light　is　due　to　the　air；　light　becomes　a　modification　of　the　air；　and　of　course　if　the　thing　to　be　modified　did　not　exist　neither　could　be　modification。　　　　　The　fact　is　that　primarily　light　is　no　appanage　of　air；　and　does　not　depend　upon　the　existence　of　air：　it　belongs　to　every　fiery　and　shining　body；　it　constitutes　even　the　gleaming　surface　of　certain　stones。　　　　　Now　if；　thus；　it　enters　into　other　substances　from　something　gleaming；　could　it　exist　in　the　absence　of　its　container？　　　　　There　is　a　distinction　to　be　made：　if　it　is　a　quality；　some　quality　of　some　substance；　then　light；　equally　with　other　qualities；　will　need　a　body　in　which　to　lodge：　if；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　an　activity　rising　from　something　else；　we　can　surely　conceive　it　existing；　though　there　be　no　neighbouring　body　but；　if　that　is　possible；　a　blank　void　which　it　will　overleap　and　so　appear　on　the　further　side：　it　is　powerful；　and　may　very　well　pass　over　unhelped。　If　it　were　of　a　nature　to　fall；　nothing　would　keep　it　up；　certainly　not　the　air　or　anything　that　takes　its　light；　there　is　no　reason　why　they　should　draw　the　light　from　its　source　and　speed　it　onwards。　　　　　Light　is　not　an　accidental　to　something　else；　requiring　therefore　to　be　lodged　in　a　base；　nor　is　it　a　modification；　demanding　a　base　in　which　the　modification　occurs：　if　this　were　so；　it　would　vanish　when　the　object　or　substance　disappeared；　but　it　does　not；　it　strikes　onward；　so；　too　＇requiring　neither　air　nor　object＇　it　would　always　have　its　movement。　　　　　But　movement；　where？　　　　　Is　space；　pure　and　simple；　all　that　is　necessary？　　　　　With　unchecked　motion　of　the　light　outward；　the　material　sun　will　be　losing　its　energy；　for　the　light　is　its　expression。　　　　　Perhaps；　and　＇from　this　untenable　consequence＇　we　may　gather　that　the　light　never　was　an　appanage　of　anything；　but　is　the　expressive　Act　proceeding　from　a　base　＇the　sun＇　but　not　seeking　to　enter　into　a　base；　though　having　some　operation　upon　any　base　that　may　be　present。　　　　　Life　is　also　an　Act；　the　Act　of　the　soul；　and　it　remains　so　when　anything…　the　human　body；　for　instance…　comes　in　its　path　to　be　affected　by　it；　and　it　is　equally　an　Act　though　there　be　nothing　for　it　to　modify：　surely　this　may　be　true　of　light；　one　of　the　Acts　of　whatever　luminary　source　there　be　＇i。e。；　light；　affecting　things；　may　be　quite　independent　of　them　and　require　no　medium；　air　or　other＇。　Certainly　light　is　not　brought　into　being　by　the　dark　thing；　air；　which　on　the　contrary　tends　to　gloom　it　over　with　some　touch　of　earth　so　that　it　is　no　longer　the　brilliant　reality：　as　reasonable　to　talk　of　some　substance　being　sweet　because　it　is　mixed　with　something　bitter。　　　　　If　we　are　told　that　light　is　a　mode　of　the　air；　we　answer　that　this　would　necessarily　imply　that　the　air　itself　is　changed　to　produce　the　new　mode；　in　other　words；　its　characteristic　darkness　must　change　into　non…darkness；　but　we　know　that　the　air　maintains　its　character；　in　no　wise　affected：　the　modification　of　a　thing　is　an　experience　within　that　thing　itself：　light　therefore　is　not　a　modification　of　the　air；　but　a　self…existent　in　whose　path　the　air　happens　to　be　present。　　　　　On　this　point　we　need　dwell　no　longer；　but　there　remains　still　a　question。　　　　　7。　Our　investigation　may　be　furthered　by　enquiring：　Whether　light　finally　perishes　or　simply　returns　to　its　source。　　　　　If　it　be　a　thing　requiring　to　be　caught　and　kept；　domiciled　within　a　recipient；　we　might　think　of　it　finally　passing　out　of　existence：　if　it　be　an　Act　not　flowing　out　and　away…　but　in　circuit；　with　more　of　it　within　than　is　in　outward　progress　from　the　luminary　of　which　it　is　the　Act…　then　it　will　not　cease　to　exist　as　long　as　that　centre　is　in　being。　And　as　the　luminary　moves；　the　light　will　reach　new　points…　not　in　virtue　of　any　change　of　course　in　or　out　or　around；　but　simply　because　the　act　of　the　luminary　exists　and　where　there　is　no　impediment　is　effective。　Even　if　the　distance　of　the　sun　from　us　were　far　greater　than　it　is；　the　light　would　be　continuous　all　that　further　way；　as　long　as　nothing　checked　or　blocked　it　in　the　interval。　　　　　We　distinguish　two　forms　of　activity；　one　is　gathered　within　the　luminary　and　is　comparable　to　the　life　of　the　shining　body；　this　is　the　vaster　and　is；　as　it　were；　the　foundation　or　wellspring　of　all　the　act；　the　other　lies　next　to　the　surface；　the　outer　image　of　the　inner　content；　a　secondary　activity　though　inseparable　from　the　former。　For　every　existent　has　an　Act　which　is　in　its　likeness：　as　long　as　the　one　exists；　so　does　the　other；　yet　while　the　original　is　stationary　the　activity　reaches　forth；　in　some　things　over　a　wide　range；　in　others　less　far。　There　are　weak　and　faint　activities；　and　there　are　some；　even；　that　do　not　appear；　but　there　are　also　things　whose　activities　are　great　and　far…going；　in　the　case　of　these　the　activity　must　be　thought　of　as　being　lodged；　both　in　the　active　and　powerful　source　and　in　the　point　at　which　it　settles。　This　may　be　observed　in　the　case　of　an　animal's　eyes　where　the　pupils　gleam：　they　have　a　light　which　shows　outside　the　orbs。　Again　there　are　living　things　which　have　an　inner　fire　that　in　darkness　shines　out　when　they　expand　themselves　and　ceases　to　ray　outward　when　they　contract：　the　fire　has　not　perished；　it　is　a　mere　matter　of　it　being　rayed　out　or　not。　　　　　But　has　the　light　gone　inward？　　　　　No：　it　is　simply　no　longer　on　the　outside　because　the　fire　＇of　which　it　is　the　activity＇　is　no　longer　outward　going　but　has　withdrawn　towards　the　centre。　　　　　But　surely　the　light　has　gone　inward　too？　　　　　No：　only　the　fire；　and　when　that　goes　inward　the　surface　consists　only　of　the　non…luminous　body；　the　fire　can　no　longer　act　towards　the　outer。　　　　　The　light；　then；　raying　from　bodies　is　an　outgoing　activity　of　a　luminous　body；　the　light　within　luminous　bodies…　understand；　such　as　are　primarily　luminous…　is　the　essential　being　embraced　under　the　idea　of　that　body。　When　such　a　body　is　brought　into　association　with　Matter；　its　activity　produces　colour：　when　there　is　no　such　association；　it　does　not　give　colour…　it　gives　merely　an　incipient　on　which　colour　might　be　formed…　for　it　belongs　to　another　being　＇primal　light＇　with　which　it　retains　its　link；　unable　to　desert　from　it；　or　from　its　＇inner＇　activity。　　　　　And　light　is　incorporeal　even　when　it　is　the　light　of　a　body；　there　is　therefore　no　question；　strictly　speaking；　of　its　withdrawal　or　of　its　being　present…　these　terms　do　not　apply　to　its　modes…　and　its　essential　existence　is　to　be　an　activity。　As　an　example：　the　image　upon　a　mirror　may　be　described　as　an　activity　exercised　by　the　reflected　object　upon　the　potential　recipient：　there　is　no　outgoing　from　the　object　＇or　ingoing　into　the　reflecting　body＇；　it　is　simply　that；　as　long　as　the　object　stands　there；　th