the six enneads-第2章
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ber； the instrument； the potential recipient of life。 Compare the passage where we read* that 〃it is absurd to suppose that the Soul weaves〃； equally absurd to think of it as desiring； grieving。 All this is rather in the province of something which we may call the Animate。
* 〃We read〃 translates 〃he says〃 of the text； and always indicates a reference to Plato； whose name does not appear in the translation except where it was written by Plotinus。 S。M。
5。 Now this Animate might be merely the body as having life： it might be the Couplement of Soul and body： it might be a third and different entity formed from both。 The Soul in turn… apart from the nature of the Animate… must be either impassive； merely causing Sense…Perception in its yoke…fellow； or sympathetic； and； if sympathetic； it may have identical experiences with its fellow or merely correspondent experiences： desire for example in the Animate may be something quite distinct from the accompanying movement or state in the desiring faculty。 The body； the live…body as we know it； we will consider later。 Let us take first the Couplement of body and Soul。 How could suffering； for example； be seated in this Couplement？ It may be suggested that some unwelcome state of the body produces a distress which reaches to a Sensitive…Faculty which in turn merges into Soul。 But this account still leaves the origin of the sensation unexplained。 Another suggestion might be that all is due to an opinion or judgement： some evil seems to have befallen the man or his belongings and this conviction sets up a state of trouble in the body and in the entire Animate。 But this account leaves still a question as to the source and seat of the judgement： does it belong to the Soul or to the Couplement？ Besides； the judgement that evil is present does not involve the feeling of grief： the judgement might very well arise and the grief by no means follow： one may think oneself slighted and yet not be angry； and the appetite is not necessarily excited by the thought of a pleasure。 We are； thus； no nearer than before to any warrant for assigning these affections to the Couplement。 Is it any explanation to say that desire is vested in a Faculty…of…desire and anger in the Irascible…Faculty and； collectively； that all tendency is seated in the Appetitive…Faculty？ Such a statement of the facts does not help towards making the affections common to the Couplement； they might still be seated either in the Soul alone or in the body alone。 On the one hand if the appetite is to be stirred； as in the carnal passion； there must be a heating of the blood and the bile； a well…defined state of the body； on the other hand； the impulse towards The Good cannot be a joint affection； but； like certain others too； it would belong necessarily to the Soul alone。 Reason； then； does not permit us to assign all the affections to the Couplement。 In the case of carnal desire； it will certainly be the Man that desires； and yet； on the other hand； there must be desire in the Desiring…Faculty as well。 How can this be？ Are we to suppose that； when the man originates the desire； the Desiring…Faculty moves to the order？ How could the Man have come to desire at all unless through a prior activity in the Desiring…Faculty？ Then it is the Desiring…Faculty that takes the lead？ Yet how； unless the body be first in the appropriate condition？ 6。 It may seem reasonable to lay down as a law that when any powers are contained by a recipient； every action or state expressive of them must be the action or state of that recipient； they themselves remaining unaffected as merely furnishing efficiency。 But if this were so； then； since the Animate is the recipient of the Causing…Principle ＇i。e。； the Soul＇ which brings life to the Couplement； this Cause must itself remain unaffected； all the experiences and expressive activities of the life being vested in the recipient； the Animate。 But this would mean that life itself belongs not to the Soul but to the Couplement； or at least the life of the Couplement would not be the life of the Soul； Sense…Perception would belong not to the Sensitive…Faculty but to the container of the faculty。 But if sensation is a movement traversing the body and culminating in Soul； how the soul lack sensation？ The very presence of the Sensitive…Faculty must assure sensation to the Soul。 Once again； where is Sense…Perception seated？ In the Couplement。 Yet how can the Couplement have sensation independently of action in the Sensitive…Faculty； the Soul left out of count and the Soul…Faculty？ 7。 The truth lies in the Consideration that the Couplement subsists by virtue of the Soul's presence。 This； however； is not to say that the Soul gives itself as it is in itself to form either the Couplement or the body。 No； from the organized body and something else； let us say a light； which the Soul gives forth from itself； it forms a distinct Principle； the Animate； and in this Principle are vested Sense…Perception and all the other experiences found to belong to the Animate。 But the 〃We〃？ How have We Sense…Perception？ By the fact that We are not separate from the Animate so constituted； even though certainly other and nobler elements go to make up the entire many…sided nature of Man。 The faculty of perception in the Soul cannot act by the immediate grasping of sensible objects； but only by the discerning of impressions printed upon the Animate by sensation： these impressions are already Intelligibles while the outer sensation is a mere phantom of the other ＇of that in the Soul＇ which is nearer to Authentic…Existence as being an impassive reading of Ideal…Forms。 And by means of these Ideal…Forms； by which the Soul wields single lordship over the Animate； we have Discursive…Reasoning； Sense…Knowledge and Intellection。 From this moment we have peculiarly the We： before this there was only the 〃Ours〃； but at this stage stands the WE ＇the authentic Human…Principle＇ loftily presiding over the Animate。 There is no reason why the entire compound entity should not be described as the Animate or Living…Being… mingled in a lower phase； but above that point the beginning of the veritable man； distinct from all that is kin to the lion； all that is of the order of the multiple brute。 And since The Man； so understood； is essentially the associate of the reasoning Soul； in our reasoning it is this 〃We〃 that reasons； in that the use and act of reason is a characteristic Act of the Soul。 8。 And towards the Intellectual…Principle what is our relation？ By this I mean； not that faculty in the soul which is one of the emanations from the Intellectual…Principle； but The Intellectual…Principle itself ＇Divine…Mind＇。 This also we possess as the summit of our being。 And we have It either as common to all or as our own immediate possession： or again we may possess It in both degrees； that is in common； since It is indivisible… one； everywhere and always Its entire self… and severally in that each personality possesses It entire in the First…Soul ＇i。e。 in the Intellectual as distinguished from the lower phase of the Soul＇。 Hence we possess the Ideal…Forms also after two modes： in the Soul； as it were unrolled and separate； in the Intellectual…Principle； concentrated； one。 And how do we possess the Divinity？ In that the Divinity is contained in the Intellectual…Principle and Authentic…Existence； and We come third in order after these two； for the We is constituted by a union of the supreme； the undivided Soul… we read… and that Soul which is divided among ＇living＇ bodies。 For； note； we inevitably think of the Soul； though one undivided in the All； as being present to bodies in division： in so far as any bodies are Animates； the Soul has given itself to each of the separate material masses； or rather it appears to be present in the bodies by the fact that it shines into them： it makes them living beings not by merging into body but by giving forth； without any change in itself； images or likenesses of itself like one face caught by many mirrors。 The first of these images is Sense…Perception seated in the Couplement； and from this downwards all the succe
