the six enneads-第47章

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ch　principles　does　not　compel　us　to　admit　universal　compulsion　or　any　kind　of　〃fate。〃　　　　　Suppose　the　atoms　to　exist：　　　　　These　atoms　are　to　move；　one　downwards…　admitting　a　down　and　an　up…　another　slant…wise；　all　at　haphazard；　in　a　confused　conflict。　Nothing　here　is　orderly；　order　has　not　come　into　being；　though　the　outcome；　this　Universe；　when　it　achieves　existence；　is　all　order；　and　thus　prediction　and　divination　are　utterly　impossible；　whether　by　the　laws　of　the　science…　what　science　can　operate　where　there　is　no　order？…　or　by　divine　possession　and　inspiration；　which　no　less　require　that　the　future　be　something　regulated。　　　　　Material　entities　exposed　to　all　this　onslaught　may　very　well　be　under　compulsion　to　yield　to　whatsoever　the　atoms　may　bring：　but　would　anyone　pretend　that　the　acts　and　states　of　a　soul　or　mind　could　be　explained　by　any　atomic　movements？　How　can　we　imagine　that　the　onslaught　of　an　atom；　striking　downwards　or　dashing　in　from　any　direction；　could　force　the　soul　to　definite　and　necessary　reasonings　or　impulses　or　into　any　reasonings；　impulses　or　thoughts　at　all；　necessary　or　otherwise？　And　what　of　the　soul's　resistance　to　bodily　states？　What　movement　of　atoms　could　compel　one　man　to　be　a　geometrician；　set　another　studying　arithmetic　or　astronomy；　lead　a　third　to　the　philosophic　life？　In　a　word；　if　we　must　go；　like　soulless　bodies；　wherever　bodies　push　and　drive　us；　there　is　an　end　to　our　personal　act　and　to　our　very　existence　as　living　beings。　　　　　The　School　that　erects　other　material　forces　into　universal　causes　is　met　by　the　same　reasoning：　we　say　that　while　these　can　warm　us　and　chill　us；　and　destroy　weaker　forms　of　existence；　they　can　be　causes　of　nothing　that　is　done　in　the　sphere　of　mind　or　soul：　all　this　must　be　traceable　to　quite　another　kind　of　Principle。　　　　　4。　Another　theory：　　　　　The　Universe　is　permeated　by　one　Soul；　Cause　of　all　things　and　events；　every　separate　phenomenon　as　a　member　of　a　whole　moves　in　its　place　with　the　general　movement；　all　the　various　causes　spring　into　action　from　one　source：　therefore；　it　is　argued；　the　entire　descending　claim　of　causes　and　all　their　interaction　must　follow　inevitably　and　so　constitute　a　universal　determination。　A　plant　rises　from　a　root；　and　we　are　asked　on　that　account　to　reason　that　not　only　the　interconnection　linking　the　root　to　all　the　members　and　every　member　to　every　other　but　the　entire　activity　and　experience　of　the　plant；　as　well；　must　be　one　organized　overruling；　a　〃destiny〃　of　the　plant。　　　　　But　such　an　extremity　of　determination；　a　destiny　so　all…pervasive；　does　away　with　the　very　destiny　that　is　affirmed：　it　shatters　the　sequence　and　co…operation　of　causes。　　　　　It　would　be　unreasonable　to　attribute　to　destiny　the　movement　of　our　limbs　dictated　by　the　mind　and　will：　this　is　no　case　of　something　outside　bestowing　motion　while　another　thing　accepts　it　and　is　thus　set　into　action；　the　mind　itself　is　the　prime　mover。　　　　　Similarly　in　the　case　of　the　universal　system；　if　all　that　performs　act　and　is　subject　to　experience　constitutes　one　substance；　if　one　thing　does　not　really　produce　another　thing　under　causes　leading　back　continuously　one　to　another；　then　it　is　not　a　truth　that　all　happens　by　causes；　there　is　nothing　but　a　rigid　unity。　We　are　no　〃We〃：　nothing　is　our　act；　our　thought　is　not　ours；　our　decisions　are　the　reasoning　of　something　outside　ourselves；　we　are　no　more　agents　than　our　feet　are　kickers　when　we　use　them　to　kick　with。　　　　　No；　each　several　thing　must　be　a　separate　thing；　there　must　be　acts　and　thoughts　that　are　our　own；　the　good　and　evil　done　by　each　human　being　must　be　his　own；　and　it　is　quite　certain　that　we　must　not　lay　any　vileness　to　the　charge　of　the　All。　　　　　5。　But　perhaps　the　explanation　of　every　particular　act　or　event　is　rather　that　they　are　determined　by　the　spheric　movement…　the　Phora…　and　by　the　changing　position　of　the　heavenly　bodies　as　these　stand　at　setting　or　rising　or　in　mid…course　and　in　various　aspects　with　each　other。　　　　　Augury；　it　is　urged；　is　able　from　these　indications　to　foretell　what　is　to　happen　not　merely　to　the　universe　as　a　whole；　but　even　to　individuals；　and　this　not　merely　as　regards　external　conditions　of　fortune　but　even　as　to　the　events　of　the　mind。　We　observe；　too；　how　growth　or　check　in　other　orders　of　beings…　animals　and　Plants…　is　determined　by　their　sympathetic　relations　with　the　heavenly　bodies　and　how　widely　they　are　influenced　by　them；　how；　for　example；　the　various　countries　show　a　different　produce　according　to　their　situation　on　the　earth　and　especially　their　lie　towards　the　sun。　And　the　effect　of　place　is　not　limited　to　plants　and　animals；　it　rules　human　beings　too；　determining　their　appearance；　their　height　and　colour；　their　mentality　and　their　desires；　their　pursuits　and　their　moral　habit。　Thus　the　universal　circuit　would　seem　to　be　the　monarch　of　the　All。　　　　　Now　a　first　answer　to　this　theory　is　that　its　advocates　have　merely　devised　another　shift　to　immolate　to　the　heavenly　bodies　all　that　is　ours；　our　acts　of　will　and　our　states；　all　the　evil　in　us；　our　entire　personality；　nothing　is　allowed　to　us；　we　are　left　to　be　stones　set　rolling；　not　men；　not　beings　whose　nature　implies　a　task。　　　　　But　we　must　be　allowed　our　own…　with　the　understanding　that　to　what　is　primarily　ours；　our　personal　holding；　there　is　added　some　influx　from　the　All…　the　distinction　must　be　made　between　our　individual　act　and　what　is　thrust　upon　us：　we　are　not　to　be　immolated　to　the　stars。　　　　　Place　and　climate；　no　doubt；　produce　constitutions　warmer　or　colder；　and　the　parents　tell　on　the　offspring；　as　is　seen　in　the　resemblance　between　them；　very　general　in　personal　appearance　and　noted　also　in　some　of　the　unreflecting　states　of　the　mind。　　　　　None　the　less；　in　spite　of　physical　resemblance　and　similar　environment；　we　observe　the　greatest　difference　in　temperament　and　in　ideas：　this　side　of　the　human　being；　then；　derives　from　some　quite　other　Principle　＇than　any　external　causation　or　destiny＇。　A　further　confirmation　is　found　in　the　efforts　we　make　to　correct　both　bodily　constitution　and　mental　aspirations。　　　　　If　the　stars　are　held　to　be　causing　principles　on　the　ground　of　the　possibility　of　foretelling　individual　fate　or　fortune　from　observation　of　their　positions；　then　the　birds　and　all　the　other　things　which　the　soothsayer　observes　for　divination　must　equally　be　taken　as　causing　what　they　indicate。　　　　　Some　further　considerations　will　help　to　clarify　this　matter：　　　　　The　heavens　are　observed　at　the　moment　of　a　birth　and　the　individual　fate　is　thence　predicted　in　the　idea　that　the　stars　are　no　mere　indications；　but　active　causes；　of　the　future　events。　Sometimes　the　Astrologers　tell　of　noble　birth；　〃the　child　is　born　of　highly　placed　parents〃；　yet　how　is　it　possible　to　make　out　the　stars　to　be　causes　of　a　condition　which　existed　in　the　father　and　mother　previously　to　that　star　pattern　on　which　the　prediction　is　based？　　　　　And　consider　still　further：　　　　　They　are　really　announcing　the　fortunes　of　parents　from　the　birth　of　children；　the　character　and　career　of　children　are　included　in　the　predictions　as　to　the　parents…　they　predict　for　the　yet　unborn！…　in　the　lot　of　one　brother　they　are　foretelling　the　death　of　another；　a　girl's　fate　includes　that　of　a　future　husband；　a　boy's　that　of　a　wife。　　　　　Now；　can　we　think　that　the　star…grouping　over　any　particular　birth　can　be　the　cause　of　what　stands　already　announced　in　the　facts　about　the　parents？　Either　the　previous　star…groupings　were　the　determinants　of　the　child's　future　career　or；　if　they　were　not；　then　neither　is　the　immediate　grouping。　And　notice　further　that　physical　likeness　to　the　parents…　the　Astrologers　hold…　is　of　purely　domestic　origin：　this　implies　that　ugliness　and　beauty　are　so　caused　and　not　by　astral　movements。　　　　　Again；　there　must　at　one　and　the　same　time　be　a　widespread　coming　to　birth…　men；　and　the　most　varied　forms　of　animal　life　at　the　same　moment…　and　these　should　all　be　under　the　one　destiny　since　the　one　pattern　rules　at　the　moment；　how　explain　that　identical　star…groupings　give　here　the　human　form；　there　the　animal？　　　　　6。　But　in　fact　everything　follows　its　own　Kind；　the　birth　is　a　horse　because　it　comes　from　the　Horse　Kind；　a　man　by　springi