the six enneads-第82章
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st be another Being and Life。 In a word； intellection is vested in the activities themselves： since； then； the activities of self…intellection are intellective…forms； We； the Authentic We； are the Intelligibles and self…intellection conveys the Image of the Intellectual Sphere。 （D） The Primal is a potentiality of Movement and of Repose… and so is above and beyond both… its next subsequent has rest and movement about the Primal。 Now this subsequent is the Intellectual…Principle… so characterized by having intellection of something not identical with itself whereas the Primal is without intellection。 A knowing principle has duality ＇that entailed by being the knower of something） and； moreover； it knows itself as deficient since its virtue consists in this knowing and not in its own bare Being。 （E） In the case of everything which has developed from possibility to actuality the actual is that which remains self…identical for its entire duration… and this it is which makes perfection possible even in things of the corporeal order； as for instance in fire but the actual of this kind cannot be everlasting since ＇by the fact of their having once existed only in potentiality＇ Matter has its place in them。 In anything； on the contrary； not composite ＇= never touched by Matter or potentiality＇ and possessing actuality； that actual existence is eternal。。。 There is； however； the case； also in which a thing； itself existing in actuality； stands as potentiality to some other form of Being。 （F）。。。 But the First is not to be envisaged as made up from Gods of a transcendent order： no； the Authentic Existents constitute the Intellectual…Principle with Which motion and rest begin。 The Primal touches nothing； but is the centre round which those other Beings lie in repose and in movement。 For Movement is aiming； and the Primal aims at nothing； what could the Summit aspire to？ Has It； even； no Intellection of Itself？ It possesses Itself and therefore is said in general terms to know itself。。。 But intellection does not mean self…ownership； it means turning the gaze towards the Primal： now the act of intellection is itself the Primal Act； and there is therefore no place for any earlier one。 The Being projecting this Act transcends the Act so that Intellection is secondary to the Being in which it resides。 Intellection is not the transcendently venerable thing… neither Intellection in general nor even the Intellection of The Good。 Apart from and over any Intellection stands The Good itself。 The Good therefore needs no consciousness。 What sort of consciousness can be conceived in it？ Consciousness of the Good as existent or non…existent？ If of existent Good； that Good exists before and without any such consciousness： if the act of consciousness produces that Good； then The Good was not previously in existence… and； at once； the very consciousness falls to the ground since it is； no longer consciousness of The Good。 But would not all this mean that the First does not even live？ The First cannot be said to live since it is the source of Life。 All that has self…consciousness and self…intellection is derivative； it observes itself in order； by that activity； to become master of its Being： and if it study itself this can mean only that ignorance inheres in it and that it is of its own nature lacking and to be made perfect by Intellection。 All thinking and knowing must； here； be eliminated： the addition introduces deprivation and deficiency。 THE FOURTH ENNEAD。
FIRST TRACTATE。
ON THE ESSENCE OF THE SOUL （1）。
1。 In the Intellectual Kosmos dwells Authentic Essence； with the Intellectual…Principle ＇Divine Mind＇ as the noblest of its content； but containing also souls； since every soul in this lower sphere has come thence： that is the world of unembodied spirits while to our world belong those that have entered body and undergone bodily division。 There the Intellectual…Principle is a concentrated all… nothing of it distinguished or divided… and in that kosmos of unity all souls are concentrated also； with no spatial discrimination。 But there is a difference： The Intellectual…Principle is for ever repugnant to distinction and to partition。 Soul； there without distinction and partition； has yet a nature lending itself to divisional existence： its division is secession； entry into body。 In view of this seceding and the ensuing partition we may legitimately speak of it as a partible thing。 But if so； how can it still be described as indivisible？ In that the secession is not of the soul entire； something of it holds its ground； that in it which recoils from separate existence。 The entity； therefore； described as 〃consisting of the undivided soul and of the soul divided among bodies；〃 contains a soul which is at once above and below； attached to the Supreme and yet reaching down to this sphere； like a radius from a centre。 Thus it is that； entering this realm； it possesses still the vision inherent to that superior phase in virtue of which it unchangingly maintains its integral nature。 Even here it is not exclusively the partible soul： it is still the impartible as well： what in it knows partition is parted without partibility； undivided as giving itself to the entire body； a whole to a whole； it is divided as being effective in every part。 SECOND TRACTATE。
ON THE ESSENCE OF THE SOUL （2）。
1。 In our attempt to elucidate the Essence of the soul； we show it to be neither a material fabric nor； among immaterial things； a harmony。 The theory that it is some final development； some entelechy； we pass by； holding this to be neither true as presented nor practically definitive。 No doubt we make a very positive statement about it when we declare it to belong to the Intellectual Kind； to be of the divine order； but a deeper penetration of its nature is demanded。 In that allocation we were distinguishing things as they fall under the Intellectual or the sensible； and we placed the soul in the former class； now； taking its membership of the Intellectual for granted； we must investigate by another path the more specific characteristics of its nature。 There are； we hold； things primarily apt to partition； tending by sheer nature towards separate existence： they are things in which no part is identical either with another part or with the whole； while； also their part is necessarily less than the total and whole： these are magnitudes of the realm of sense； masses； each of which has a station of its own so that none can be identically present in entirety at more than one point at one time。 But to that order is opposed Essence ＇Real…Being＇； this is in no degree susceptible of partition； it is unparted and impartible； interval is foreign to it； cannot enter into our idea of it： it has no need of place and is not； in diffusion or as an entirety； situated within any other being： it is poised over all beings at once； and this is not in the sense of using them as a base but in their being neither capable nor desirous of existing independently of it； it is an essence eternally unvaried： it is common to all that follows upon it： it is like the circle's centre to which all the radii are attached while leaving it unbrokenly in possession of itself； the starting point of their course and of their essential being； the ground in which they all participate： thus the indivisible is the principle of these divided existences and in their very outgoing they remain enduringly in contact with that stationary essence。 So far we have the primarily indivisible… supreme among the Intellectual and Authentically Existent… and we have its contrary； the Kind definitely divisible in things of sense； but there is also another Kind； of earlier rank than the sensible yet near to it and resident within it… an order； not； like body； primarily a thing of part； but becoming so upon incorporation。 The bodies are separate； and the ideal form which enters them is correspondingly sundered while； still； it is present as one whole in each of its severed parts； since amid that multiplicity in which complet
