the six enneads-第34章
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t is a Reason…Principle and could not lodge in the indeterminate object without at once annulling the indeterminateness。 Matter； then； must be described as Indefinite of itself； by its natural opposition to Reason…Principle。 Reason is Reason and nothing else； just so Matter； opposed by its indeterminateness to Reason； is Indeterminateness and nothing else。 16。 Then Matter is simply Alienism ＇the Principle of Difference＇？ No： it is merely that part of Alienism which stands in contradiction with the Authentic Existents which are Reason…Principles。 So understood； this non…existent has a certain measure of existence； for it is identical with Privation； which also is a thing standing in opposition to the things that exist in Reason。 But must not Privation cease to have existence； when what has been lacking is present at last？ By no means： the recipient of a state or character is not a state but the Privation of the state； and that into which determination enters is neither a determined object nor determination itself； but simply the wholly or partly undetermined。 Still； must not the nature of this Undetermined be annulled by the entry of Determination； especially where this is no mere attribute？ No doubt to introduce quantitative determination into an undetermined object would annul the original state； but in the particular case； the introduction of determination only confirms the original state； bringing it into actuality； into full effect； as sowing brings out the natural quality of land or as a female organism impregnated by the male is not defeminized but becomes more decidedly of its sex； the thing becomes more emphatically itself。 But on this reasoning must not Matter owe its evil to having in some degree participated in good？ No： its evil is in its first lack： it was not a possessor （of some specific character）。 To lack one thing and to possess another； in something like equal proportions； is to hold a middle state of good and evil： but whatsoever possesses nothing and so is in destitution… and especially what is essentially destitution… must be evil in its own Kind。 For in Matter we have no mere absence of means or of strength； it is utter destitution… of sense； of virtue； of beauty； of pattern； of Ideal principle； of quality。 This is surely ugliness； utter disgracefulness； unredeemed evil。 The Matter in the Intellectual Realm is an Existent； for there is nothing previous to it except the Beyond…Existence； but what precedes the Matter of this sphere is Existence； by its alienism in regard to the beauty and good of Existence； Matter is therefore a non…existent。 FIFTH TRACTATE。
ON POTENTIALITY AND ACTUALITY。
1。 A distinction is made between things existing actually and things existing potentially； a certain Actuality； also； is spoken of as a really existent entity。 We must consider what content there is in these terms。 Can we distinguish between Actuality ＇an absolute； abstract Principle＇ and the state of being…in…act？ And if there is such an Actuality； is this itself in Act； or are the two quite distinct so that this actually existent thing need not be； itself； an Act？ It is indubitable that Potentiality exists in the Realm of Sense： but does the Intellectual Realm similarly include the potential or only the actual？ and if the potential exists there； does it remain merely potential for ever？ And； if so； is this resistance to actualization due to its being precluded ＇as a member of the Divine or Intellectual world＇ from time…processes？ First we must make clear what potentiality is。 We cannot think of potentiality as standing by itself； there can be no potentiality apart from something which a given thing may be or become。 Thus bronze is the potentiality of a statue： but if nothing could be made out of the bronze； nothing wrought upon it； if it could never be anything as a future to what it has been； if it rejected all change； it would be bronze and nothing else： its own character it holds already as a present thing； and that would be the full of its capacity： it would be destitute of potentiality。 Whatsoever has a potentiality must first have a character of its own； and its potentiality will consist in its having a reach beyond that character to some other。 Sometimes after it has turned its potentiality into actuality it will remain what it was； sometimes it will sink itself to the fullest extent in the new form and itself disappear： these two different modes are exemplified in （1） bronze as potentially a statue and （2） water ＇= primal…liquid＇ as potentially bronze or； again； air as potentially fire。 But if this be the significance of potentiality； may we describe it as a Power towards the thing that is to be？ Is the Bronze a power towards a statue？ Not in the sense of an effectively productive force： such a power could not be called a potentiality。 Of course Potentiality may be a power； as； for instance； when we are referring not merely to a thing which may be brought into actualization but to Actuality itself ＇the Principle or Abstract in which potentiality and the power of realizing potentiality may be thought of as identical＇： but it is better； as more conducive to clarity； to use 〃Potentiality〃 in regard to the process of Actualization and 〃Power〃 in regard to the Principle； Actuality。 Potentiality may be thought of as a Substratum to states and shapes… and forms which are to be received； which it welcomes by its nature and even strives for… sometimes in gain but sometimes； also； to loss； to the annulling of some distinctive manner of Being already actually achieved。 2。 Then the question rises whether Matter… potentially what it becomes by receiving shape… is actually something else or whether it has no actuality at all。 In general terms： When a potentiality has taken a definite form； does it retain its being？ Is the potentiality； itself； in actualization？ The alternative is that； when we speak of the 〃Actual Statue〃 and of the 〃Potential Statue；〃 the Actuality is not predicated of the same subject as the 〃Potentiality。〃 If we have really two different subjects； then the potential does not really become the actual： all that happens is that an actual entity takes the place of a potential。 The actualized entity is not the Matter ＇the Potentiality； merely＇ but a combination； including the Form…Idea upon the Matter。 This is certainly the case when a quite different thing results from the actualization…statue； for example； the combination； is distinctly different from the bronze； the base； where the resultant is something quite new； the Potentiality has clearly not； itself； become what is now actualized。 But take the case where a person with a capacity for education becomes in fact educated： is not potentiality； here； identical with actualization？ Is not the potentially wise Socrates the same man as the Socrates actually wise？ But is an ignorant man a being of knowledge because he is so potentially？ Is he； in virtue of his non…essential ignorance； potentially an instructed being？ It is not because of his accidental ignorance that he is a being of Knowledge： it is because； ignorant though he be by accident； his mind； apt to knowledge； is the potentiality through which he may become so。 Thus； in the case of the potentially instructed who have become so in fact； the potentiality is taken up into the actual； or； if we prefer to put it so； there is on the one side the potentiality while； on the other； there is the power in actual possession of the form。 If； then； the Potentiality is the Substratum while the thing in actualization… the Statue for example a combination； how are we to describe the form that has entered the bronze？ There will be nothing unsound in describing this shape； this Form which has brought the entity from potentiality to actuality； as the actualization； but of course as the actualization of the definite particular entity； not as Actuality the abstract： we must not confuse it with the other actualization； strictly so called； that which is contrasted with the power producing actualization。 The potential is led out into realization by something other than itself； p
