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the six enneads-第122部分
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o the Reason…Principles; and at the same time maintain that relations are Reason…Principles and participate in Ideal…Forms; we are bound to seek their causes in that higher sphere。 Doubleness; it is clear; is the cause of a thing being double; and from it is derived halfness。 Some correlatives owe their designations to the same Form; others to opposite Forms; it is thus that two objects are simultaneously double and half of each other; and one great and the other small。 It may happen that both correlatives exist in one object…likeness and unlikeness; and; in general; identity and difference; so that the same thing will be at once like and unlike; identical and different。 The question arises here whether sharing in the same Form could make one man depraved and another more depraved。 In the case of total depravity; clearly the two are made equal by the absence of a Form。 Where there is a difference of degree; the one has participated in a Form which has failed to predominate; the other in a Form which has failed still more: or; if we choose the negative aspect; we may think of them both as failing to participate in a Form which naturally belonged to them。 Sensation may be regarded as a Form of double origin 'determined both by the sense…organ and by the sensible object'; and similarly with knowledge。 Habit is an Act directed upon something had 'some experience produced by habit' and binding it as it were with the subject having 'experiencing'; as the Act of production binds producer and product。 Measurement is an Act of the measurer upon the measured object: it too is therefore a kind of Reason…Principle。 Now if the condition of being related is regarded as a Form having a generic unity; Relation must be allowed to be a single genus owing its reality to a Reason…Principle involved in all instances。 If however the Reason…Principles 'governing the correlatives' stand opposed and have the differences to which we have referred; there may perhaps not be a single genus; but this will not prevent all relatives being expressed in terms of a certain likeness and falling under a single category。 But even if the cases of which we have spoken can be subsumed under a single head; it is nevertheless impossible to include in a single genus all that goes with them in the one common category: for the category includes negations and derivatives… not only; for example; double but also its negative; the resultant doubleness and the act of doubling。 But we cannot include in one genus both the thing and its negative… double and not…double; relative and not…relative… any more than in dealing with the genus animal we can insert in it the nonanimal。 Moreover; doubleness and doubling have only the relation to double that whiteness has to white; they cannot be classed as identical with it。 10。 As regards Quality; the source of what we call a 〃quale;〃 we must in the first place consider what nature it possesses in accordance with which it produces the 〃qualia;〃 and whether; remaining one and the same in virtue of that common ground; it has also differences whereby it produces the variety of species。 If there is no common ground and the term Quality involves many connotations; there cannot be a single genus of Quality。 What then will be the common ground in habit; disposition; passive quality; figure; shape? In light; thick and lean? If we hold this common ground to be a power adapting itself to the forms of habits; dispositions and physical capacities; a power which gives the possessor whatever capacities he has; we have no plausible explanation of incapacities。 Besides; how are figure and the shape of a given thing to be regarded as a power? Moreover; at this; Being will have no power qua Being but only when Quality has been added to it; and the activities of those substances which are activities in the highest degree; will be traceable to Quality; although they are autonomous and owe their essential character to powers wholly their own! Perhaps; however; qualities are conditioned by powers which are posterior to the substances as such 'and so do not interfere with their essential activities'。 Boxing; for example; is not a power of man qua man; reasoning is: therefore reasoning; on this hypothesis; is not quality but a natural possession of the mature human being; it therefore is called a quality only by analogy。 Thus; Quality is a power which adds the property of being qualia to substances already existent。 The differences distinguishing substances from each other are called qualities only by analogy; they are; more strictly; Acts and Reason…Principles; or parts of Reason…Principles; and though they may appear merely to qualify the substance; they in fact indicate its essence。 Qualities in the true sense… those; that is; which determine qualia… being in accordance with our definition powers; will in virtue of this common ground be a kind of Reason…Principle; they will also be in a sense Forms; that is; excellences and imperfections whether of soul or of body。 But how can they all be powers? Beauty or health of soul or body; very well: but surely not ugliness; disease; weakness; incapacity。 In a word; is powerlessness a power? It may be urged that these are qualities in so far as qualia are also named after them: but may not the qualia be so called by analogy; and not in the strict sense of the single principle? Not only may the term be understood in the four ways 'of Aristotle'; but each of the four may have at least a twofold significance。 In the first place; Quality is not merely a question of action and passion; involving a simple distinction between the potentially active 'quality' and the passive: health; disposition and habit; disease; strength and weakness are also classed as qualities。 It follows that the common ground is not power; but something we have still to seek。 Again; not all qualities can be regarded as Reason…Principles: chronic disease cannot be a Reason…Principle。 Perhaps; however; we must speak in such cases of privations; restricting the term 〃Quantities〃 to Ideal…Forms and powers。 Thus we shall have; not a single genus; but reference only to the unity of a category。 Knowledge will be regarded as a Form and a power; ignorance as a privation and powerlessness。 On the other hand; powerlessness and disease are a kind of Form; disease and vice have many powers though looking to evil。 But how can a mere failure be a power? Doubtless the truth is that every quality performs its own function independently of a standard; for in no case could it produce an effect outside of its power。 Even beauty would seem to have a power of its own。 Does this apply to triangularity? Perhaps; after all; it is not a power we must consider; but a disposition。 Thus; qualities will be determined by the forms and characteristics of the object qualified: their common element; then; will be Form and ideal type; imposed upon Substance and posterior to it。 But then; how do we account for the powers? We may doubtless remark that even the natural boxer is so by being constituted in a particular way; similarly; with the man unable to box: to generalize; the quality is a characteristic non…essential。 Whatever is seen to apply alike to Being and to non…Being; as do heat and whiteness and colours generally; is either different from Being… is; for example; an Act of Being… or else is some secondary of Being; derived from it; contained in it; its image and likeness。 But if Quality is determined by formation and characteristic and Reason…Principle; how explain the various cases of powerlessness and deformity? Doubtless we must think of Principles imperfectly present; as in the case of deformity。 And disease… how does that imply a Reason…Principle? Here; no doubt; we must think of a principle disturbed; the Principle of health。 But it is not necessary that all qualities involve a Reason…Principle; it suffices that over and above the various kinds of disposition there exist a common element distinct from Substance; and it is what comes after the substance that constitutes Quality in an object。 But triangularity is a quality of that in which it is present; it is however no longer triangularity as such; but the triangularity present in that definite object and modified in proportion to its success in shaping that object。 11。 But if these considerations are sound; why has Quality more than one species? What is the ground for distinguishing between habit and disposition; seeing that no differentia of Quality is involved in permanence and non…permanence? A disposition of any kind is sufficient to constitute a quality; permanence is a mere external addition。 It might however be urged that dispositions are but incomplete 〃forms〃… if the term may pass… habits being complete ones。 But incomplete; they are not qualities; if already qualities; the permanence is an external addition。 How do physical powers form a distinct species? If they are classed as qualities in virtue of being powers; power; we have seen; is not a necessary concomitant of qualities。 If; however; we hold that the natural boxer owes his quality to a particular disposition; power is something added and does not contribute to the quality; since power is found in habits also。 Another point: why is natural ability to be distinguished from that acquired by learning? Surely; if both are qualities; they cannot be differentiae of Quality: gained by practice or given in nature; it is the same ability; the differentia will be external to Quality; it cannot be deduced from the Ideal Form of boxing。 Whether some qualities as distinguished from others are derived from experience is immaterial; the source of the quality makes no difference… none; I mean; pointing to variations and differences of Quality。 A further question would seem to be involved: If certain qualities are derived from experience but here is a discrepancy in the manner and source of the experience; how are they to be included in the same species? And again; if some create the experience; others are created by it; the term Quality as applied to both classes will be equivocal。 And what part is played by the individual form? If it constitutes the individual's sp
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