the six enneads-第41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！


　mixture；　the　Kosmos；　we　cannot　require　all　that　is　implied　in　the　excellence　of　the　unmingled；　it　is　folly　to　ask　for　Firsts　in　the　Secondary；　and　since　this　Universe　contains　body；　we　must　allow　for　some　bodily　influence　upon　the　total　and　be　thankful　if　the　mingled　existent　lack　nothing　of　what　its　nature　allowed　it　to　receive　from　the　Divine　Reason。　　　　　Thus；　supposing　we　were　enquiring　for　the　finest　type　of　the　human　being　as　known　here；　we　would　certainly　not　demand　that　he　prove　identical　with　Man　as　in　the　Divine　Intellect；　we　would　think　it　enough　in　the　Creator　to　have　so　brought　this　thing　of　flesh　and　nerve　and　bone　under　Reason　as　to　give　grace　to　these　corporeal　elements　and　to　have　made　it　possible　for　Reason　to　have　contact　with　Matter。　　　　　Our　progress　towards　the　object　of　our　investigation　must　begin　from　this　principle　of　gradation　which　will　open　to　us　the　wonder　of　the　Providence　and　of　the　power　by　which　our　universe　holds　its　being。　　　　　We　begin　with　evil　acts　entirely　dependent　upon　the　Souls　which　perpetrate　them…　the　harm；　for　example；　which　perverted　Souls　do　to　the　good　and　to　each　other。　Unless　the　foreplanning　power　alone　is　to　be　charged　with　the　vice　in　such　Souls；　we　have　no　ground　of　accusation；　no　claim　to　redress：　the　blame　lies　on　the　Soul　exercising　its　choice。　Even　a　Soul；　we　have　seen；　must　have　its　individual　movement；　it　is　not　abstract　Spirit；　the　first　step　towards　animal　life　has　been　taken　and　the　conduct　will　naturally　be　in　keeping　with　that　character。　　　　　It　is　not　because　the　world　existed　that　Souls　are　here：　before　the　world　was；　they　had　it　in　them　to　be　of　the　world；　to　concern　themselves　with　it；　to　presuppose　it；　to　administer　it：　it　was　in　their　nature　to　produce　it…　by　whatever　method；　whether　by　giving　forth　some　emanation　while　they　themselves　remained　above；　or　by　an　actual　descent；　or　in　both　ways　together；　some　presiding　from　above；　others　descending；　some　for　we　are　not　at　the　moment　concerned　about　the　mode　of　creation　but　are　simply　urging　that；　however　the　world　was　produced；　no　blame　falls　on　Providence　for　what　exists　within　it。　　　　　There　remains　the　other　phase　of　the　question…　the　distribution　of　evil　to　the　opposite　classes　of　men：　the　good　go　bare　while　the　wicked　are　rich：　all　that　human　need　demands；　the　least　deserving　have　in　abundance；　it　is　they　that　rule；　peoples　and　states　are　at　their　disposal。　Would　not　all　this　imply　that　the　divine　power　does　not　reach　to　earth？　　　　　That　it　does　is　sufficiently　established　by　the　fact　that　Reason　rules　in　the　lower　things：　animals　and　plants　have　their　share　in　Reason；　Soul　and　Life。　　　　　Perhaps；　then；　it　reaches　to　earth　but　is　not　master　over　all？　　　　　We　answer　that　the　universe　is　one　living　organism：　as　well　maintain　that　while　human　head　and　face　are　the　work　of　nature　and　of　the　ruling　reason…principle；　the　rest　of　the　frame　is　due　to　other　agencies…　accident　or　sheer　necessity…　and　owes　its　inferiority　to　this　origin；　or　to　the　incompetence　of　unaided　Nature。　And　even　granting　that　those　less　noble　members　are　not　in　themselves　admirable　it　would　still　be　neither　pious　nor　even　reverent　to　censure　the　entire　structure。　　　　　8。　Thus　we　come　to　our　enquiry　as　to　the　degree　of　excellence　found　in　things　of　this　Sphere；　and　how　far　they　belong　to　an　ordered　system　or　in　what　degree　they　are；　at　least；　not　evil。　　　　　Now　in　every　living　being　the　upper　parts…　head；　face…　are　the　most　beautiful；　the　mid　and　lower　members　inferior。　In　the　Universe　the　middle　and　lower　members　are　human　beings；　above　them；　the　Heavens　and　the　Gods　that　dwell　there；　these　Gods　with　the　entire　circling　expanse　of　the　heavens　constitute　the　greater　part　of　the　Kosmos：　the　earth　is　but　a　central　point；　and　may　be　considered　as　simply　one　among　the　stars。　Yet　human　wrong…doing　is　made　a　matter　of　wonder；　we　are　evidently　asked　to　take　humanity　as　the　choice　member　of　the　Universe；　nothing　wiser　existent！　　　　　But　humanity；　in　reality；　is　poised　midway　between　gods　and　beasts；　and　inclines　now　to　the　one　order；　now　to　the　other；　some　men　grow　like　to　the　divine；　others　to　the　brute；　the　greater　number　stand　neutral。　But　those　that　are　corrupted　to　the　point　of　approximating　to　irrational　animals　and　wild　beasts　pull　the　mid…folk　about　and　inflict　wrong　upon　them；　the　victims　are　no　doubt　better　than　the　wrongdoers；　but　are　at　the　mercy　of　their　inferiors　in　the　field　in　which　they　themselves　are　inferior；　where；　that　is；　they　cannot　be　classed　among　the　good　since　they　have　not　trained　themselves　in　self…defence。　　　　　A　gang　of　lads；　morally　neglected；　and　in　that　respect　inferior　to　the　intermediate　class；　but　in　good　physical　training；　attack　and　throw　another　set；　trained　neither　physically　nor　morally；　and　make　off　with　their　food　and　their　dainty　clothes。　What　more　is　called　for　than　a　laugh？　　　　　And　surely　even　the　lawgiver　would　be　right　in　allowing　the　second　group　to　suffer　this　treatment；　the　penalty　of　their　sloth　and　self…indulgence：　the　gymnasium　lies　there　before　them；　and　they；　in　laziness　and　luxury　and　listlessness；　have　allowed　themselves　to　fall　like　fat…loaded　sheep；　a　prey　to　the　wolves。　　　　　But　the　evil…doers　also　have　their　punishment：　first　they　pay　in　that　very　wolfishness；　in　the　disaster　to　their　human　quality：　and　next　there　is　laid　up　for　them　the　due　of　their　Kind：　living　ill　here；　they　will　not　get　off　by　death；　on　every　precedent　through　all　the　line　there　waits　its　sequent；　reasonable　and　natural…　worse　to　the　bad；　better　to　the　good。　　　　　This　at　once　brings　us　outside　the　gymnasium　with　its　fun　for　boys；　they　must　grow　up；　both　kinds；　amid　their　childishness　and　both　one　day　stand　girt　and　armed。　Then　there　is　a　finer　spectacle　than　is　ever　seen　by　those　that　train　in　the　ring。　But　at　this　stage　some　have　not　armed　themselves…　and　the　duly　armed　win　the　day。　　　　　Not　even　a　God　would　have　the　right　to　deal　a　blow　for　the　unwarlike：　the　law　decrees　that　to　come　safe　out　of　battle　is　for　fighting　men；　not　for　those　that　pray。　The　harvest　comes　home　not　for　praying　but　for　tilling；　healthy　days　are　not　for　those　that　neglect　their　health：　we　have　no　right　to　complain　of　the　ignoble　getting　the　richer　harvest　if　they　are　the　only　workers　in　the　fields；　or　the　best。　　　　　Again：　it　is　childish；　while　we　carry　on　all　the　affairs　of　our　life　to　our　own　taste　and　not　as　the　Gods　would　have　us；　to　expect　them　to　keep　all　well　for　us　in　spite　of　a　life　that　is　lived　without　regard　to　the　conditions　which　the　Gods　have　prescribed　for　our　well…being。　Yet　death　would　be　better　for　us　than　to　go　on　living　lives　condemned　by　the　laws　of　the　Universe。　If　things　took　the　contrary　course；　if　all　the　modes　of　folly　and　wickedness　brought　no　trouble　in　life…　then　indeed　we　might　complain　of　the　indifference　of　a　Providence　leaving　the　victory　to　evil。　　　　　Bad　men　rule　by　the　feebleness　of　the　ruled：　and　this　is　just；　the　triumph　of　weaklings　would　not　be　just。　　　　　9。　It　would　not　be　just；　because　Providence　cannot　be　a　something　reducing　us　to　nothingness：　to　think　of　Providence　as　everything；　with　no　other　thing　in　existence；　is　to　annihilate　the　Universe；　such　a　providence　could　have　no　field　of　action；　nothing　would　exist　except　the　Divine。　As　things　are；　the　Divine；　of　course；　exists；　but　has　reached　forth　to　something　other…　not　to　reduce　that　to　nothingness　but　to　preside　over　it；　thus　in　the　case　of　Man；　for　instance；　the　Divine　presides　as　the　Providence；　preserving　the　character　of　human　nature；　that　is　the　character　of　a　being　under　the　providential　law；　which；　again；　implies　subjection　to　what　that　law　may　enjoin。　　　　　And　that　law　enjoins　that　those　who　have　made　themselves　good　shall　know　the　best　of　life；　here　and　later；　the　bad　the　reverse。　But　the　law　does　not　warrant　the　wicked　in　expecting　that　their　prayers　should　bring　others　to　sacrifice　themselves　for　their　sakes；　or　that　the　gods　should　lay　aside　the　divine　life　in　order　to　direct　their　daily　concerns；　or　that　good　men；　who　have　chosen　a　path　nobler　than　all　earthly　rule；　should　become　their　rulers。　The　perverse　have　never　made　a　single　effort　to　bring　the　good　into　authority；　nor　do　they　take　any　steps　to　improve　themselves；　they　are　all　spite　against　anyone　that　becomes　good　of　his　own　motion；　though　if　good　men　were　placed　in　authority　the　total　of　goodness　would　be　increased。　　　　　In　sum：　Man　has　come　into　existence；　a　living　being　but　not　a　member　of　the　noblest　order；　he　occupies　by　choice　an　intermediate　rank；　still；　in　that　place　in　which　he　exists；　Providence　does　not　allow　him　to　be　reduced　to　nothing；　on　the　contrary　he　is　ever　being　led　upwards　by　all　those　varied　devices　which　the　Divine　employs　in　its　labour　to　increase　the　dominance　of　moral　value。　The　human　race；　therefore；　is　not　deprived　by　Providence　of　its　rational　being；　it　retains　its　share；　though　necessarily　limited；　in　wisdom；　intelligence；　executive　power　and　right　doing；　the　right　doing；　at　least；　of　individuals　to　each　other…　and　even　in　wronging　others　people　think　they　are　doing　right　and　only　paying　what　is　due。　　　　　Man　is；　therefore；　a　noble　creation；　as　perfect　as　the　scheme　allows；　a　part；　no　doubt；　in　the　fabric　of　the　All；　he　yet　holds　a　lot　higher　than　that　of　all　the　other　living　things　of　earth。　　　　　Now；　no　one　of　any　intelligence　complains　of　these　others；　man's　inferiors；　which　serve　to　the　adornment　of　the　world；　it　would　be　feeble　indeed　to　complain　of　animals　biting　man；　as　if　we　were　to　pass　our　days　asleep。　No：　the　animal；　too；　exists　of　necessity；　and　is　serviceable　in　many　ways；　some　obvious　and　many　progressively　discovered…　so　that　not　one　lives　without　profit　to　itself　and　even　to　humanity。　It　is　ridiculous；　also；　to　complain　that　many　of　them　are　dangerous…　there　are　dangerous　men　abroad　as　well…　and　if　they　distrust　us；　and　in　their　distrust　attack；　is　that　anything　to　wonder　at？　　　　　10。　But：　if　the　evil　in　men　is　involuntary；　if　their　own　will　has　not　made　them　what　they　are；　how　can　we　either　blame　wrong…doers　or　even　reproach　their　victims　with　suffering　through　their　own　fault？　　　　　If　there　is　a　Necessity；　bringing　about　human　wickedness　either　by　force　of　the　celestial　movement　or　by　a　rigorous　sequence　set　up　by　the　First　Cause；　is　not　the　evil　a　thin　rooted　in