the six enneads-第56章
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econdaries； tertiaries and every grade downward。 Forms of life； then； there must be that are not pure Soul but the dwindling of Souls enfeebled stage by stage of the process。 There is； of course； a Soul in the Reason…Principle constituting a living being； but it is another Soul ＇a lesser phase＇； not that ＇the Supreme Soul＇ from which the Reason…Principle itself derives； and this combined vehicle of life weakens as it proceeds towards matter； and what it engenders is still more deficient。 Consider how far the engendered stands from its origin and yet； what a marvel！ In sum nothing can secure to a thing of process the quality of the prior order； loftier than all that is product and amenable to no charge in regard to it： the wonder is； only； that it reaches and gives to the lower at all； and that the traces of its presence should be so noble。 And if its outgiving is greater than the lower can appropriate； the debt is the heavier； all the blame must fall upon the unreceptive creature； and Providence be the more exalted。 4。 If man were all of one piece… I mean； if he were nothing more than a made thing； acting and acted upon according to a fixed nature… he could be no more subject to reproach and punishment than the mere animals。 But as the scheme holds； man is singled out for condemnation when he does evil； and this with justice。 For he is no mere thing made to rigid plan； his nature contains a Principle apart and free。 This does not； however； stand outside of Providence or of the Reason of the All； the Over…World cannot be dependent upon the World of Sense。 The higher shines down upon the lower； and this illumination is Providence in its highest aspect： The Reason…Principle has two phases； one which creates the things of process and another which links them with the higher beings： these higher beings constitute the over…providence on which depends that lower providence which is the secondary Reason…Principle inseparably united with its primal： the two… the Major and Minor Providence… acting together produce the universal woof； the one all…comprehensive Providence。 Men possess； then； a distinctive Principle： but not all men turn to account all that is in their Nature； there are men that live by one Principle and men that live by another or； rather； by several others； the least noble。 For all these Principles are present even when not acting upon the man… though we cannot think of them as lying idle； everything performs its function。 〃But；〃 it will be said； 〃what reason can there be for their not acting upon the man once they are present； inaction must mean absence？〃 We maintain their presence always； nothing void of them。 But surely not where they exercise no action？ If they necessarily reside in all men； surely they must be operative in all… this Principle of free action； especially。 First of all； this free Principle is not an absolute possession of the animal Kinds and is not even an absolute possession to all men。 So this Principle is not the only effective force in all men？ There is no reason why it should not be。 There are men in whom it alone acts； giving its character to the life while all else is but Necessity ＇and therefore outside of blame＇。 For ＇in the case of an evil life＇ whether it is that the constitution of the man is such as to drive him down the troubled paths or whether ＇the fault is mental or spiritual in that＇ the desires have gained control； we are compelled to attribute the guilt to the substratum ＇something inferior to the highest principle in Man＇。 We would be naturally inclined to say that this substratum ＇the responsible source of evil＇ must be Matter and not； as our argument implies； the Reason…Principle； it would appear that not the Reason…Principle but Matter were the dominant； crude Matter at the extreme and then Matter as shaped in the realized man： but we must remember that to this free Principle in man ＇which is a phase of the All Soul＇ the Substratum ＇the direct inferior to be moulded＇ is ＇not Matter but＇ the Reason…Principle itself with whatever that produces and moulds to its own form； so that neither crude Matter nor Matter organized in our human total is sovereign within us。 The quality now manifested may be probably referred to the conduct of a former life； we may suppose that previous actions have made the Reason…Principle now governing within us inferior in radiance to that which ruled before； the Soul which later will shine out again is for the present at a feebler power。 And any Reason…Principle may be said to include within itself the Reason…Principle of Matter which therefore it is able to elaborate to its own purposes； either finding it consonant with itself or bestowing upon it the quality which makes it so。 The Reason…Principle of an ox does not occur except in connection with the Matter appropriate to the ox…Kind。 It must be by such a process that the transmigration； of which we read takes place； the Soul must lose its nature； the Reason…Principle be transformed； thus there comes the ox…soul which once was Man。 The degradation； then； is just。 Still； how did the inferior Principle ever come into being； and how does the higher fall to it？ Once more… not all things are Firsts； there are Secondaries and Tertiaries； of a nature inferior to that of their Priors； and a slight tilt is enough to determine the departure from the straight course。 Further； the linking of any one being with any other amounts to a blending such as to produce a distinct entity； a compound of the two； it is not that the greater and prior suffers any diminution of its own nature； the lesser and secondary is such from its very beginning； it is in its own nature the lesser thing it becomes； and if it suffers the consequences； such suffering is merited： all our reasonings on these questions must take account of previous living as the source from which the present takes its rise。 5。 There is； then a Providence； which permeates the Kosmos from first to last； not everywhere equal； as in a numerical distribution； but proportioned； differing； according to the grades of place… just as in some one animal； linked from first to last； each member has its own function； the nobler organ the higher activity while others successively concern the lower degrees of the life； each part acting of itself； and experiencing what belongs to its own nature and what comes from its relation with every other。 Strike； and what is designed for utterance gives forth the appropriate volume of sound while other parts take the blow in silence but react in their own especial movement； the total of all the utterance and action and receptivity constitutes what we may call the personal voice； life and history of the living form。 The parts； distinct in Kind； have distinct functions： the feet have their work and the eyes theirs； the understanding serves to one end； the Intellectual Principle to another。 But all sums to a unity； a comprehensive Providence。 From the inferior grade downwards is Fate： the upper is Providence alone： for in the Intellectual Kosmos all is Reason…Principle or its Priors…Divine Mind and unmingled Soul…and immediately upon these follows Providence which rises from Divine Mind； is the content of the Unmingled Soul； and； through this Soul； is communicated to the Sphere of living things。 This Reason…Principle comes as a thing of unequal parts； and therefore its creations are unequal； as； for example； the several members of one Living Being。 But after this allotment of rank and function； all act consonant with the will of the gods keeps the sequence and is included under the providential government； for the Reason…Principle of providence is god…serving。 All such right…doing； then； is linked to Providence； but it is not therefore performed by it： men or other agents； living or lifeless； are causes of certain things happening； and any good that may result is taken up again by Providence。 In the total； then； the right rules and what has happened amiss is transformed and corrected。 Thus； to take an example from a single body； the Providence of a living organism implies its health； let it be gashed or otherwise wounded； and that Reason…Principle which governs it sets to
