the six enneads-第117部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　within…　only　one　has　become　manifest　without；　from　him　＇Zeus；　sovereign　over　the　visible　universe＇　the　youngest　born；　we　may　gather；　as　from　some　image；　the　greatness　of　the　Father　and　of　the　Brothers　that　remain　within　the　Father's　house。　　　　　Still　the　manifested　God　cannot　think　that　he　has　come　forth　in　vain　from　the　father；　for　through　him　another　universe　has　arisen；　beautiful　as　the　image　of　beauty；　and　it　could　not　be'　lawful　that　Beauty　and　Being　should　fail　of　a　beautiful　image。　　　　　This　second　Kosmos　at　every　point　copies　the　archetype：　it　has　life　and　being　in　copy；　and　has　beauty　as　springing　from　that　diviner　world。　In　its　character　of　image　it　holds；　too；　that　divine　perpetuity　without　which　it　would　only　at　times　be　truly　representative　and　sometimes　fail　like　a　construction　of　art；　for　every　image　whose　existence　lies　in　the　nature　of　things　must　stand　during　the　entire　existence　of　the　archetype。　　　　　Hence　it　is　false　to　put　an　end　to　the　visible　sphere　as　long　as　the　Intellectual　endures；　or　to　found　it　upon　a　decision　taken　by　its　maker　at　some　given　moment。　　　　　That　teaching　shirks　the　penetration　of　such　a　making　as　is　here　involved：　it　fails　to　see　that　as　long　as　the　Supreme　is　radiant　there　can　be　no　failing　of　its　sequel　but；　that　existing；　all　exists。　And…　since　the　necessity　of　conveying　our　meaning　compels　such　terms…　the　Supreme　has　existed　for　ever　and　for　ever　will　exist。　　　　　13。　The　God　fettered　＇as　in　the　Kronos　Myth＇　to　an　unchanging　identity　leaves　the　ordering　of　this　universe　to　his　son　（to　Zeus）；　for　it　could　not　be　in　his　character　to　neglect　his　rule　within　the　divine　sphere；　and；　as　though　sated　with　the　Authentic…Beauty；　seek　a　lordship　too　recent　and　too　poor　for　his　might。　Ignoring　this　lower　world；　Kronos　＇Intellectual…Principle＇　claims　for　his　own　father　＇Ouranoo；　the　Absolute；　or　One＇　with　all　the　upward…tending　between　them：　and　he　counts　all　that　tends　to　the　inferior；　beginning　from　his　son　＇Zeus；　the　All…Soul＇；　as　ranking　beneath　him。　Thus　he　holds　a　mid　position　determined　on　the　one　side　by　the　differentiation　implied　in　the　severance　from　the　very　highest　and；　on　the　other；　by　that　which　keeps　him　apart　from　the　link　between　himself　and　the　lower：　he　stands　between　a　greater　father　and　an　inferior　son。　But　since　that　father　is　too　lofty　to　be　thought　of　under　the　name　of　Beauty；　the　second　God　remains　the　primally　beautiful。　　　　　Soul　also　has　beauty；　but　is　less　beautiful　than　Intellect　as　being　its　image　and　therefore；　though　beautiful　in　nature；　taking　increase　of　beauty　by　looking　to　that　original。　Since　then　the　All…Soul…　to　use　the　more　familiar　term…　since　Aphrodite　herself　is　so　beautiful；　what　name　can　we　give　to　that　other？　If　Soul　is　so　lovely　in　its　own　right；　of　what　quality　must　that　prior　be？　And　since　its　being　is　derived；　what　must　that　power　be　from　which　the　Soul　takes　the　double　beauty；　the　borrowed　and　the　inherent？　　　　　We　ourselves　possess　beauty　when　we　are　true　to　our　own　being；　our　ugliness　is　in　going　over　to　another　order；　our　self…knowledge；　that　is　to　say；　is　our　beauty；　in　self…ignorance　we　are　ugly。　　　　　Thus　beauty　is　of　the　Divine　and　comes　Thence　only。　　　　　Do　these　considerations　suffice　to　a　clear　understanding　of　the　Intellectual　Sphere；　or　must　we　make　yet　another　attempt　by　another　road？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NINTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　THE　INTELLECTUAL…PRINCIPLE；　THE　IDEAS；　AND　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　AUTHENTIC　EXISTENCE。

　　　　1。　All　human　beings　from　birth　onward　live　to　the　realm　of　sense　more　than　to　the　Intellectual。　　　　　Forced　of　necessity　to　attend　first　to　the　material；　some　of　them　elect　to　abide　by　that　order　and；　their　life　throughout；　make　its　concerns　their　first　and　their　last；　the　sweet　and　the　bitter　of　sense　are　their　good　and　evil；　they　feel　they　have　done　all　if　they　live　along　pursuing　the　one　and　barring　the　doors　to　the　other。　And　those　of　them　that　pretend　to　reasoning　have　adopted　this　as　their　philosophy；　they　are　like　the　heavier　birds　which　have　incorporated　much　from　the　earth　and　are　so　weighted　down　that　they　cannot　fly　high　for　all　the　wings　Nature　has　given　them。　　　　　Others　do　indeed　lift　themselves　a　little　above　the　earth；　the　better　in　their　soul　urges　them　from　the　pleasant　to　the　nobler；　but　they　are　not　of　power　to　see　the　highest　and　so；　in　despair　of　any　surer　ground；　they　fall　back　in　virtue's　name；　upon　those　actions　and　options　of　the　lower　from　which　they　sought　to　escape。　　　　　But　there　is　a　third　order…　those　godlike　men　who；　in　their　mightier　power；　in　the　keenness　of　their　sight；　have　clear　vision　of　the　splendour　above　and　rise　to　it　from　among　the　cloud　and　fog　of　earth　and　hold　firmly　to　that　other　world；　looking　beyond　all　here；　delighted　in　the　place　of　reality；　their　native　land；　like　a　man　returning　after　long　wanderings　to　the　pleasant　ways　of　his　own　country。　　　　　2。　What　is　this　other　place　and　how　it　is　accessible？　　　　　It　is　to　be　reached　by　those　who；　born　with　the　nature　of　the　lover；　are　also　authentically　philosophic　by　inherent　temper；　in　pain　of　love　towards　beauty　but　not　held　by　material　loveliness；　taking　refuge　from　that　in　things　whose　beauty　is　of　the　soul…　such　things　as　virtue；　knowledge；　institutions；　law　and　custom…　and　thence；　rising　still　a　step；　reach　to　the　source　of　this　loveliness　of　the　Soul；　thence　to　whatever　be　above　that　again；　until　the　uttermost　is　reached。　The　First；　the　Principle　whose　beauty　is　self…springing：　this　attained；　there　is　an　end　to　the　pain　inassuageable　before。　　　　　But　how　is　the　ascent　to　be　begun？　Whence　comes　the　power？　In　what　thought　is　this　love　to　find　its　guide？　　　　　The　guiding　thought　is　this：　that　the　beauty　perceived　on　material　things　is　borrowed。　　　　　The　pattern　giving　beauty　to　the　corporeal　rests　upon　it　as　Idea　to　its　Matter　and　the　substrate　may　change　and　from　being　pleasant　become　distasteful；　a　sign；　in　all　reason；　that　the　beauty　comes　by　participation。　　　　　Now；　what　is　this　that　gives　grace　to　the　corporeal？　　　　　Two　causes　in　their　degree；　the　participation　in　beauty　and　the　power　of　Soul；　the　maker；　which　has　imprinted　that　form。　　　　　We　ask　then　is　soul；　of　itself；　a　thing　of　beauty：　we　find　it　is　not　since　differences　are　manifest；　one　Soul　wise　and　lovely；　another　foolish　and　ugly：　soul…beauty　is　constituted　by　wisdom。　　　　　The　question　thus　becomes；　〃What　principle　is　the　giver　of　wisdom　to　the　soul？　and　the　only　answer　is　〃The　Intellectual…Principle；〃　the　veritably　intellectual；　wise　without　intermission　and　therefore　beautiful　of　itself。　　　　　But　does　even　this　suffice　for　our　First？　　　　　No；　we　must　look　still　inward　beyond　the　Intellectual；　which；　from　our　point　of　approach；　stands　before　the　Supreme　Beginning；　in　whose　forecourt；　as　it　were；　it　announces　in　its　own　being　the　entire　content　of　the　Good；　that　prior　of　all；　locked　in　unity；　of　which　this　is　the　expression　already　touched　by　multiplicity。　　　　　3。　We　will　have　to　examine　this　Nature；　the　Intellectual；　which　our　reasoning　identifies　as　the　authentically　existent　and　the　veritable　essential：　but　first　we　must　take　another　path　and　make　certain　that　such　a　principle　does　necessarily　exist。　　　　　Perhaps　it　is　ridiculous　to　set　out　enquiring　whether　an　Intellectual…Principle　has　place　in　the　total　of　being：　but　there　may　be　some　to　hesitate　even　as　to　this　and　certainly　there　will　be　the　question　whether　it　is　as　we　describe　it；　whether　it　is　a　separate　existence；　whether　it　actually　is　the　real　beings；　whether　it　is　the　seat　of　the　Ideas；　to　this　we　now　address　ourselves。　　　　　All　that　we　see；　and　describe　as　having　existence；　we　know　to　be　compound；　hand…wrought　or　compacted　by　nature；　nothing　is　simplex。　Now　the　hand…wrought；　with　its　metal　or　stone　or　wood；　is　not　realized　out　of　these　materials　until　the　appropriate　craft　has　produced　statue；　house　or　bed；　by　imparting　the　particular　idea　from　its　own　content。　Similarly　with　natural　forms　of　being；　those　including　several　constituents；　compound　bodies　as　we　call　them；　may　be　analysed　into　the　materials　and　the　Idea　imposed　upon　the　total；　the　human　being；　for　example；　into　soul　and　body；　and　the　human　body　into　the　four　elements。　Finding　everything　to　be　a　compound　of　Matter　and　shaping　principle…　since　the　Matter　of　the　elements　is　of　itself　shapeless…　you　will　enquire　whence　this　forming　idea　comes；　and　you　will　ask　whether　in　the　soul　we　recognise　a　simplex　or　whether　this　also　has　constituents；　something　representing　Matter　and　something　else…　the　Intellectual…Principle　in　it…　representing　Idea；　the　one　corresponding　to　the　shape　actually　on　the　statue；　the　other　to　the　artist　giving　the　shape。　　　　　Applying　the　same　method　to　the　total　of　things；　here　too　we　discover　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　this　we　set　down　as　veritably　the　maker　and　creator　of　the　All。　The　underly　has　adopted；　we　see；　certain　shapes　by　which　it　becomes　fire；　water；　air；　earth；　and　these　shapes　have　been　imposed　upon　it　by　something　else。　This　other　is　Soul　which；　hovering　over　the　Four　＇the　elements＇；　imparts　the　pattern　of　the　Kosmos；　the　Ideas　for　which　it　has　itself　received　from　the　Intellectual…Principle　as　the　soul　or　mind　of　the　craftsman　draws　upon　his　craft　for　the　plan　of　his　work。　　　　　The　Intellectual…Principle　is　in　one　phase　the　Form　of　the　soul；　its　shape；　in　another　phase　it　is　the　giver　of　the　shape…　the　sculptor；　possessing　inherently　what　is　given…　imparting　to　soul　nearly　the　authentic　reality　while　what　body　receives　is　but　image　and　imitation。　　　　　4。　But；　soul　reached；　why　need　we　look　higher；　why　not　make　this　The　First？　　　　　A　main　reason　is　that　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　at　once　something　other　and　something　more　powerful　than　Soul　and　that　the　more　powerful　is　in　the　nature　of　things　the　prior。　For　it　is　certainly　not　true；　as　people　imagine；　that　the　soul；　brought　to　perfection；　produces　Intellect。　How　could　that　potentiality　come　to　actuality　unless　there　be；　first；　an　effective　principle　to　induce　the　actualization　which；　left　to　chance；　might　never　occur？　　　　　The　Firsts　must　be　supposed　to　exist　in　actuality；　looking　to　nothing　else；　self…complete。　Anything　incomplete　must　be　sequent　upon　these；　and　take　its　completion　from　the　principles　engendering　it　which；　like　fathers；　labour　in　the　improvement　o