the six enneads-第158部分

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Once　more；　then；　what　constitutes　the　goodness　of　Life？　　　　　The　Life　of　The　Good；　or　rather　not　its　Life　but　that　given　forth　from　it。　　　　　But　if　in　that　higher　Life　there　must　be　something　from　That；　something　which　is　the　Authentic　Life；　we　must　admit　that　since　nothing　worthless　can　come　Thence　Life　in　itself　is　good；　so　too　we　must　admit；　in　the　case　of　Authentic　Intellectual…Principle；　that　its　Life　because　good　derives　from　that　First；　thus　it　becomes　clear　that　every　Idea　is　good　and　informed　by　the　Good。　The　Ideas　must　have　something　of　good；　whether　as　a　common　property　or　as　a　distinct　attribution　or　as　held　in　some　distinct　measure。　　　　　Thus　it　is　established　that　the　particular　Idea　contains　in　its　essence　something　of　good　and　thereby　becomes　a　good　thing；　for　Life　we　found　to　be　good　not　in　the　bare　being　but　in　its　derivation　from　the　Authentic；　the　Supreme　whence　it　sprung：　and　the　same　is　true　of　Intellectual…Principle：　we　are　forced　therefore　admit　a　certain　identity。　　　　　When；　with　all　their　differences；　things　may　be　affirmed　to　have　a　measure　of　identity；　the　matter　of　the　identity　may　very　well　be　established　in　their　very　essence　and　yet　be　mentally　abstracted；　thus　life　in　man　or　horse　yields　the　notion　of　animal；　from　water　or　fire　we　may　get　that　of　warmth；　the　first　case　is　a　definition　of　Kind；　the　other　two　cite　qualities；　primary　and　secondary　respectively。　Both　or　one　part　of　Intellect；　then；　would　be　called　by　the　one　term　good。　　　　　Is　The　Good；　then；　inherent　in　the　Ideas　essentially？　Each　of　them　is　good　but　the　goodness　is　not　that　of　the　Unity…Good。　How；　then；　is　it　present？　　　　　By　the　mode　of　parts。　　　　　But　The　Good　is　without　parts？　　　　　No　doubt　The　Good　is　a　unity；　but　here　it　has　become　particularized。　The　First　Activity　is　good　and　anything　determined　in　accord　with　it　is　good　as　also　is　any　resultant。　There　is　the　good　that　is　good　by　origin　in　The　First；　the　good　that　is　in　an　ordered　system　derived　from　that　earlier；　and　the　good　that　is　in　the　actualization　＇in　the　thing　participant＇。　Derived；　then；　not　identical…　like　the　speech　and　walk　and　other　characteristics　of　one　man；　each　playing　its　due　part。　　　　　Here；　it　is　obvious；　goodness　depends　upon　order；　rhythm；　but　what　equivalent　exists　There？　　　　　We　might　answer　that　in　the　case　of　the　sense…order；　too；　the　good　is　imposed　since　the　ordering　is　of　things　different　from　the　Orderer　but　that　There　the　very　things　are　good。　　　　　But　why　are　they　thus　good　in　themselves？　We　cannot　be　content　with　the　conviction　of　their　goodness　on　the　ground　of　their　origin　in　that　realm：　we　do　not　deny　that　things　deriving　Thence　are　good；　but　our　subject　demands　that　we　discover　the　mode　by　which　they　come　to　possess　that　goodness。　　　　　19。　Are　we　to　rest　all　on　pursuit　and　on　the　soul？　Is　it　enough　to　put　faith　in　the　soul's　choice　and　call　that　good　which　the　soul　pursues；　never　asking　ourselves　the　motive　of　its　choice？　We　marshal　demonstration　as　to　the　nature　of　everything　else；　is　the　good　to　be　dismissed　as　choice？　　　　　Several　absurdities　would　be　entailed。　The　good　becomes　a　mere　attribute　of　things；　objects　of　pursuit　are　many　and　different　so　that　mere　choice　gives　no　assurance　that　the　thing　chosen　is　the　best；　in　fact；　we　cannot　know　the　best　until　we　know　the　good。　　　　　Are　we　to　determine　the　good　by　the　respective　values　of　things？　　　　　This　is　to　make　Idea　and　Reason…Principle　the　test：　all　very　well；　but　arrived　at　these；　what　explanation　have　we　to　give　as　to　why　Idea　and　Reason…Principle　themselves　are　good？　In　the　lower；　we　recognise　goodness…　in　its　less　perfect　form…　by　comparison　with　what　is　poorer　still；　we　are　without　a　standard　There　where　no　evil　exists；　the　Bests　holding　the　field　alone。　Reason　demands　to　know　what　constitutes　goodness；　those　principles　are　good　in　their　own　nature　and　we　are　left　in　perplexity　because　cause　and　fact　are　identical：　and　even　though　we　should　state　a　cause；　the　doubt　still　remains　until　our　reason　claims　its　rights　There。　But　we　need　not　abandon　the　search；　another　path　may　lead　to　the　light。　　　　　20。　Since　we　are　not　entitled　to　make　desire　the　test　by　which　to　decide　on　the　nature　and　quality　of　the　good；　we　may　perhaps　have　recourse　to　judgement。　　　　　We　would　apply　the　opposition　of　things…　order；　disorder；　symmetry；　irregularity；　health；　illness；　form；　shapelessness；　real…being；　decay：　in　a　word　continuity　against　dissolution。　The　first　in　each　pair；　no　one　could　doubt；　belong　to　the　concept　of　good　and　therefore　whatever　tends　to　produce　them　must　be　ranged　on　the　good　side。　　　　　Thus　virtue　and　Intellectual…Principle　and　life　and　soul…　reasoning　soul；　at　least…　belong　to　the　idea　of　good　and　so　therefore　does　all　that　a　reasoned　life　aims　at。　　　　　Why　not　halt；　then…　it　will　be　asked…　at　Intellectual…Principle　and　make　that　The　Good？　Soul　and　life　are　traces　of　Intellectual…Principle；　that　principle　is　the　Term　of　Soul　which　on　judgement　sets　itself　towards　Intellectual…Principle；　pronouncing　right　preferable　to　wrong　and　virtue　in　every　form　to　vice；　and　thus　ranking　by　its　choosing。　　　　　The　soul　aiming　only　at　that　Principle　would　need　a　further　lessoning；　it　must　be　taught　that　Intellectual…Principle　is　not　the　ultimate；　that　not　all　things　look　to　that　while　all　do　look　to　the　good。　Not　all　that　is　outside　of　Intellectual…Principle　seeks　to　attain　it；　what　has　attained　it　does　not　halt　there　but　looks　still　towards　good。　Besides；　Intellectual…Principle　is　sought　upon　motives　of　reasoning；　the　good　before　all　reason。　And　in　any　striving　towards　life　and　continuity　of　existence　and　activity；　the　object　is　aimed　at　not　as　Intellectual…Principle　but　as　good；　as　rising　from　good　and　leading　to　it：　life　itself　is　desirable　only　in　view　of　good。　　　　　21。　Now　what　in　all　these　objects　of　desire　is　the　fundamental　making　them　good？　　　　　We　must　be　bold：　　　　　Intellectual…Principle　and　that　life　are　of　the　order　of　good　and　hold　their　desirability；　even　they；　in　virtue　of　belonging　to　that　order；　they　have　their　goodness；　I　mean；　because　Life　is　an　Activity　in　The　Good；…　Or　rather；　streaming　from　The　Good…　while　Intellectual…Principle　is　an　Activity　already　defined　Therein；　both　are　of　radiant　beauty　and；　because　they　come　Thence　and　lead　Thither；　they　are　sought　after　by　the　soul…sought；　that　is；　as　things　congenial　though　not　veritably　good　while　yet；　as　belonging　to　that　order　not　to　be　rejected；　the　related；　if　not　good；　is　shunned　in　spite　of　that　relationship；　and　even　remote　and　ignobler　things　may　at　times　prove　attractive。　　　　　The　intense　love　called　forth　by　Life　and　Intellectual…Principle　is　due　not　to　what　they　are　but　to　the　consideration　of　their　nature　as　something　apart；　received　from　above　themselves。　　　　　Material　forms；　containing　light　incorporated　in　them；　need　still　a　light　apart　from　them　that　their　own　light　may　be　manifest；　just　so　the　Beings　of　that　sphere；　all　lightsome；　need　another　and　a　lordlier　light　or　even　they　would　not　be　visible　to　themselves　and　beyond。　　　　　22。　That　light　known；　then　indeed　we　are　stirred　towards　those　Beings　in　longing　and　rejoicing　over　the　radiance　about　them；　just　as　earthly　love　is　not　for　the　material　form　but　for　the　Beauty　manifested　upon　it。　Every　one　of　those　Beings　exists　for　itself　but　becomes　an　object　of　desire　by　the　colour　cast　upon　it　from　The　Good；　source　of　those　graces　and　of　the　love　they　evoke。　The　soul　taking　that　outflow　from　the　divine　is　stirred；　seized　with　a　Bacchic　passion；　goaded　by　these　goads；　it　becomes　Love。　Before　that；　even　Intellectual…Principle　with　all　its　loveliness　did　not　stir　the　soul；　for　that　beauty　is　dead　until　it　take　the　light　of　The　Good；　and　the　soul　lies　supine；　cold　to　all；　unquickened　even　to　Intellectual…Principle　there　before　it。　But　when　there　enters　into　it　a　glow　from　the　divine；　it　gathers　strength；　awakens；　spreads　true　wings；　and　however　urged　by　its　nearer　environing；　speeds　its　buoyant　way　elsewhere；　to　something　greater　to　its　memory：　so　long　as　there　exists　anything　loftier　than　the　near；　its　very　nature　bears　it　upwards；　lifted　by　the　giver　of　that　love。　Beyond　Intellectual…Principle　it　passes　but　beyond　The　Good　it　cannot；　for　nothing　stands　above　That。　Let　it　remain　in　Intellectual…Principle　and　it　sees　the　lovely　and　august；　but　it　is　not　there　possessed　of　all　it　sought；　the　face　it　sees　is　beautiful　no　doubt　but　not　of　power　to　hold　its　gaze　because　lacking　in　the　radiant　grace　which　is　the　bloom　upon　beauty。　　　　　Even　here　we　have　to　recognise　that　beauty　is　that　which　irradiates　symmetry　rather　than　symmetry　itself　and　is　that　which　truly　calls　out　our　love。　　　　　Why　else　is　there　more　of　the　glory　of　beauty　upon　the　living　and　only　some　faint　trace　of　it　upon　the　dead；　though　the　face　yet　retains　all　its　fulness　and　symmetry？　Why　are　the　most　living　portraits　the　most　beautiful；　even　though　the　others　happen　to　be　more　symmetric？　Why　is　the　living　ugly　more　attractive　than　the　sculptured　handsome？　It　is　that　the　one　is　more　nearly　what　we　are　looking　for；　and　this　because　there　is　soul　there；　because　there　is　more　of　the　Idea　of　The　Good；　because　there　is　some　glow　of　the　light　of　The　Good　and　this　illumination　awakens　and　lifts　the　soul　and　all　that　goes　with　it　so　that　the　whole　man　is　won　over　to　goodness；　and　in　the　fullest　measure　stirred　to　life。　　　　　23。　That　which　soul　must　quest；　that　which　sheds　its　light　upon　Intellectual…Principle；　leaving　its　mark　wherever　it　falls；　surely　we　need　not　wonder　that　it　be　of　power　to　draw　to　itself；　calling　back　from　every　wandering　to　rest　before　it。　From　it　came　all；　and　so　there　is　nothing　mightier；　all　is　feeble　before　it。　Of　all　things　the　best；　must　it　not　be　The　Good？　If　by　The　Good　we　mean　the　principle　most　wholly　self…sufficing；　utterly　without　need　of　any　other；　what　can　it　be　but　this？　Before　all　the　rest；　it　was　what　it　was；　when　evil　had　yet　no　place　in　things。　　　　　If　evil　is　a　Later；　there　found　where　there　is　no　trace　of　This…　among　the　very　ultimates；　so　that　on　the　downward　side　evil　has　no　beyond…　then　to　This　evil　stands　full　contrary　with　no　linking　intermediate：　This　therefore　is　The　Good：　either　good　there　is　none；　or　if　there　must　be；　This　and　no　other　is　it。　　　　　And　to　deny　the　good　would　be　to　deny　evil　also；　there　can　t