the six enneads-第148章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


each　of　the　powers　in　the　seed　is　a　Reason…Principle　one　and　complete　yet　including　all　the　parts　over　which　it　presides：　there　will　be　something　bodily；　the　liquid；　for　example；　carrying　mere　Matter；　but　the　principle　itself　is　Idea　and　nothing　else；　idea　identical　with　the　generative　idea　belonging　to　the　lower　soul；　image　of　a　higher。　This　power　is　sometimes　designated　as　Nature　in　the　seed…life；　its　origin　is　in　the　divine；　and；　outgoing　from　its　priors　as　light　from　fire；　it　converts　and　shapes　the　matter　of　things；　not　by　push　and　pull　and　the　lever　work　of　which　we　hear　so　much；　but　by　bestowal　of　the　Ideas。　　　　　7。　Knowledge　in　the　reasoning　soul　is　on　the　one　side　concerned　with　objects　of　sense；　though　indeed　this　can　scarcely　be　called　knowledge　and　is　better　indicated　as　opinion　or　surface…knowing；　it　is　of　later　origin　than　the　objects　since　it　is　a　reflection　from　them：　but　on　the　other　hand　there　is　the　knowledge　handling　the　intellectual　objects　and　this　is　the　authentic　knowledge；　it　enters　the　reasoning　soul　from　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　has　no　dealing　with　anything　in　sense。　Being　true　knowledge　it　actually　is　everything　of　which　it　takes　cognisance；　it　carries　as　its　own　content　the　intellectual　act　and　the　intellectual　object　since　it　carries　the　Intellectual…Principle　which　actually　is　the　primals　and　is　always　self…present　and　is　in　its　nature　an　Act；　never　by　any　want　forced　to　seek；　never　acquiring　or　traversing　the　remote…　for　all　such　experience　belongs　to　soul…　but　always　self…gathered；　the　very　Being　of　the　collective　total；　not　an　extern　creating　things　by　the　act　of　knowing　them。　　　　　Not　by　its　thinking　God　does　God　come　to　be；　not　by　its　thinking　Movement　does　Movement　arise。　Hence　it　is　an　error　to　call　the　Ideas　intellections　in　the　sense　that；　upon　an　intellectual　act　in　this　Principle；　one　such　Idea　or　another　is　made　to　exist　or　exists。　No：　the　object　of　this　intellection　must　exist　before　the　intellective　act　＇must　be　the　very　content　not　the　creation　of　the　Intellectual…Principle＇。　How　else　could　that　Principle　come　to　know　it：　certainly　not　＇as　an　external＇　by　luck　or　by　haphazard　search。　　　　　8。　If；　then；　the　Intellection　is　an　act　upon　the　inner　content　＇of　a　perfect　unity＇；　that　content　is　at　once　the　Idea　＇as　object：　eidos＇　and　the　Idea　itself　＇as　concept：　idea＇。　　　　　What；　then；　is　that　content？　　　　　An　Intellectual…Principle　and　an　Intellective　Essence；　no　concept　distinguishable　from　the　Intellectual…Principle；　each　actually　being　that　Principle。　The　Intellectual…Principle　entire　is　the　total　of　the　Ideas；　and　each　of　them　is　the　＇entire＇　Intellectual…Principle　in　a　special　form。　Thus　a　science　entire　is　the　total　of　the　relevant　considerations　each　of　which；　again；　is　a　member　of　the　entire　science；　a　member　not　distinct　in　space　yet　having　its　individual　efficacy　in　a　total。　　　　　This　Intellectual…Principle；　therefore；　is　a　unity　while　by　that　possession　of　itself　it　is；　tranquilly；　the　eternal　abundance。　　　　　If　the　Intellectual…Principle　were　envisaged　as　preceding　Being；　it　would　at　once　become　a　principle　whose　expression；　its　intellectual　Act；　achieves　and　engenders　the　Beings：　but；　since　we　are　compelled　to　think　of　existence　as　preceding　that　which　knows　it；　we　can　but　think　that　the　Beings　are　the　actual　content　of　the　knowing　principle　and　that　the　very　act；　the　intellection；　is　inherent　to　the　Beings；　as　fire　stands　equipped　from　the　beginning　with　fire…act；　in　this　conception；　the　Beings　contain　the　Intellectual…Principle　as　one　and　the　same　with　themselves；　as　their　own　activity。　Thus；　Being　is　itself　an　activity：　there　is　one　activity；　then；　in　both　or；　rather；　both　are　one　thing。　　　　　Being；　therefore；　and　the　Intellectual…Principle　are　one　Nature：　the　Beings；　and　the　Act　of　that　which　is；　and　the　Intellectual…Principle　thus　constituted；　all　are　one：　and　the　resultant　Intellections　are　the　Idea　of　Being　and　its　shape　and　its　act。　　　　　It　is　our　separating　habit　that　sets　the　one　order　before　the　other：　for　there　is　a　separating　intellect；　of　another　order　than　the　true；　distinct　from　the　intellect；　inseparable　and　unseparating；　which　is　Being　and　the　universe　of　things。　　　　　9。　What；　then；　is　the　content…　inevitably　separated　by　our　minds…　of　this　one　Intellectual…Principle？　For　there　is　no　resource　but　to　represent　the　items　in　accessible　form　just　as　we　study　the　various　articles　constituting　one　science。　　　　　This　universe　is　a　living　thing　capable　of　including　every　form　of　life；　but　its　Being　and　its　modes　are　derived　from　elsewhere；　that　source　is　traced　back　to　the　Intellectual…Principle：　it　follows　that　the　all…embracing　archetype　is　in　the　Intellectual…Principle；　which；　therefore；　must　be　an　intellectual　Kosmos；　that　indicated　by　Plato　in　the　phrase　〃The　living　existent。〃　　　　　Given　the　Reason…Principle　＇the　outgoing　divine　Idea＇　of　a　certain　living　thing　and　the　Matter　to　harbour　this　seed…principle；　the　living　thing　must　come　into　being：　in　the　same　way　once　there　exists…　an　intellective　Nature；　all　powerful；　and　with　nothing　to　check　it…　since　nothing　intervenes　between　it　and　that　which　is　of　a　nature　to　receive　it…　inevitably　the　higher　imprints　form　and　the　lower　accepts；　it。　The　recipient　holds　the　Idea　in　division；　here　man；　there　sun；　while　in　the　giver　all　remains　in　unity。　　　　　10。　All；　then；　that　is　present　in　the　sense　realm　as　Idea　comes　from　the　Supreme。　But　what　is　not　present　as　Idea；　does　not。　Thus　of　things　conflicting　with　nature；　none　is　There：　the　inartistic　is　not　contained　in　the　arts；　lameness　is　not　in　the　seed；　for　a　lame　leg　is　either　inborn　through　some　thwarting　of　the　Reason…principle　or　is　a　marring　of　the　achieved　form　by　accident。　To　that　Intellectual　Kosmos　belong　qualities；　accordant　with　Nature；　and　quantities；　number　and　mass；　origins　and　conditions；　all　actions　and　experiences　not　against　nature；　movement　and　repose；　both　the　universals　and　the　particulars：　but　There　time　is　replaced　by　eternity　and　space　by　its　intellectual　equivalent；　mutual　inclusiveness。　　　　　In　that　Intellectual　Kosmos；　where　all　is　one　total；　every　entity　that　can　be　singled　out　is　an　intellective　essence　and　a　participant　in　life：　thus；　identity　and　difference；　movement　and　rest　with　the　object　resting　or　moving；　essence　and　quality；　all　have　essential　existence。　For　every　real　being　must　be　in　actuality　not　merely　in　potentiality　and　therefore　the　nature　of　each　essence　is　inherent　in　it。　　　　　This　suggests　the　question　whether　the　Intellectual　Kosmos　contains　the　forms　only　of　the　things　of　sense　or　of　other　existents　as　well。　But　first　we　will　consider　how　it　stands　with　artistic　creations：　there　is　no　question　of　an　ideal　archetype　of　evil：　the　evil　of　this　world　is　begotten　of　need；　privation；　deficiency；　and　is　a　condition　peculiar　to　Matter　distressed　and　to　what　has　come　into　likeness　with　Matter。　　　　　11。　Now　as　to　the　arts　and　crafts　and　their　productions：　　　　　The　imitative　arts…　painting；　sculpture；　dancing；　pantomimic　gesturing…　are；　largely；　earth…based；　on　an　earthly　base；　they　follow　models　found　in　sense；　since　they　copy　forms　and　movements　and　reproduce　seen　symmetries；　they　cannot　therefore　be　referred　to　that　higher　sphere　except　indirectly；　through　the　Reason…Principle　in　humanity。　　　　　On　the　other　hand　any　skill　which；　beginning　with　the　observation　of　the　symmetry　of　living　things；　grows　to　the　symmetry　of　all　life；　will　be　a　portion　of　the　Power　There　which　observes　and　meditates　the　symmetry　reigning　among　all　beings　in　the　Intellectual　Kosmos。　Thus　all　music…　since　its　thought　is　upon　melody　and　rhythm…　must　be　the　earthly　representation　of　the　music　there　is　in　the　rhythm　of　the　Ideal　Realm。　　　　　The　crafts；　such　as　building　and　carpentry　which　give　us　Matter　in　wrought　forms；　may　be　said；　in　that　they　draw　on　pattern；　to　take　their　principles　from　that　realm　and　from　the　thinking　There：　but　in　that　they　bring　these　down　into　contact　with　the　sense…order；　they　are　not　wholly　in　the　Intellectual：　they　are　founded　in　man。　So　agriculture；　dealing　with　material　growths：　so　medicine　watching　over　physical　health；　so　the　art　which　aims　at　corporeal　strength　and　well…being：　power　and　well…being　mean　something　else　There；　the　fearlessness　and　s