the six enneads-第83部分

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being　of　that　vestige　of　the　soul　actually　present　in　the　living　body：　if　there　is　truly　a　soul；　then；　as　a　thing　never　cut　off　from　its　total；　it　will　go　with　soul　as　soul　must：　if　it　is　rather　to　be　thought　of　as　belonging　to　the　body；　as　the　life　of　the　body；　we　have　the　same　question　that　rose　in　the　case　of　the　vestige　of　light；　we　must　examine　whether　life　can　exist　without　the　presence　of　soul；　except　of　course　in　the　sense　of　soul　living　above　and　acting　upon　the　remote　object。　　　　　30。　We　have　declared　acts　of　memory　unnecessary　to　the　stars；　but　we　allow　them　perceptions；　hearing　as　well　as　seeing；　for　we　said　that　prayers　to　them　were　heard…　our　supplications　to　the　sun；　and　those；　even；　of　certain　other　men　to　the　stars。　It　has　moreover　been　the　belief　that　in　answer　to　prayer　they　accomplish　many　human　wishes；　and　this　so　lightheartedly　that　they　become　not　merely　helpers　towards　good　but　even　accomplices　in　evil。　Since　this　matter　lies　in　our　way；　it　must　be　considered；　for　it　carries　with　it　grave　difficulties　that　very　much　trouble　those　who　cannot　think　of　divine　beings　as；　thus；　authors　or　auxiliaries　in　unseemliness　even　including　the　connections　of　loose　carnality。　　　　　In　view　of　all　this　it　is　especially　necessary　to　study　the　question　with　which　we　began；　that　of　memory　in　the　heavenly　bodies。　　　　　It　is　obvious　that；　if　they　act　on　our　prayers　and　if　this　action　is　not　immediate；　but　with　delay　and　after　long　periods　of　time；　they　remember　the　prayers　men　address　to　them。　This　is　something　that　our　former　argument　did　not　concede；　though　it　appeared　plausible　that；　for　their　better　service　of　mankind；　they　might　have　been　endowed　with　such　a　memory　as　we　ascribed　to　Demeter　and　Hestia…　or　to　the　latter　alone　if　only　the　earth　is　to　be　thought　of　as　beneficent　to　man。　　　　　We　have；　then；　to　attempt　to　show：　firstly；　how　acts　implying　memory　in　the　heavenly　bodies　are　to　be　reconciled　with　our　system　as　distinguished　from　those　others　which　allow　them　memory　as　a　matter　of　course；　secondly；　what　vindication　of　those　gods　of　the　heavenly　spheres　is　possible　in　the　matter　of　seemingly　anomalous　acts…　a　question　which　philosophy　cannot　ignore…　then　too；　since　the　charge　goes　so　far；　we　must　ask　whether　credence　is　to　be　given　to　those　who　hold　that　the　entire　heavenly　system　can　be　put　under　spell　by　man's　skill　and　audacity：　our　discussion　will　also　deal　with　the　spirit…beings　and　how　they　may　be　thought　to　minister　to　these　ends…　unless　indeed　the　part　played　by　the　Celestials　prove　to　be　settled　by　the　decision　upon　the　first　questions。　　　　　31。　Our　problem　embraces　all　act　and　all　experience　throughout　the　entire　kosmos…　whether　due　to　nature；　in　the　current　phrase；　or　effected　by　art。　The　natural　proceeds；　we　must　hold；　from　the　All　towards　its　members　and　from　the　members　to　the　All；　or　from　member　to　other　member：　the　artificial　either　remains；　as　it　began；　within　the　limit　of　the　art…　attaining　finality　in　the　artificial　product　alone…　or　is　the　expression　of　an　art　which　calls　to　its　aid　natural　forces　and　agencies；　and　so　sets　up　act　and　experience　within　the　sphere　of　the　natural。　　　　　When　I　speak　of　the　act　and　experience　of　the　All　I　mean　the　total　effect　of　the　entire　kosmic　circuit　upon　itself　and　upon　its　members：　for　by　its　motion　it　sets　up　certain　states　both　within　itself　and　upon　its　parts；　upon　the　bodies　that　move　within　it　and　upon　all　that　it　communicates　to　those　other　parts　of　it；　the　things　of　our　earth。　　　　　The　action　of　part　upon　part　is　manifest；　there　are　the　relations　and　operations　of　the　sun；　both　towards　the　other　spheres　and　towards　the　things　of　earth；　and　again　relations　among　elements　of　the　sun　itself；　of　other　heavenly　bodies；　of　earthly　things　and　of　things　in　the　other　stars；　demand　investigation。　　　　　As　for　the　arts：　Such　as　look　to　house　building　and　the　like　are　exhausted　when　that　object　is　achieved；　there　are　again　those…　medicine；　farming；　and　other　serviceable　pursuits…　which　deal　helpfully　with　natural　products；　seeking　to　bring　them　to　natural　efficiency；　and　there　is　a　class…　rhetoric；　music　and　every　other　method　of　swaying　mind　or　soul；　with　their　power　of　modifying　for　better　or　for　worse…　and　we　have　to　ascertain　what　these　arts　come　to　and　what　kind　of　power　lies　in　them。　　　　　On　all　these　points；　in　so　far　as　they　bear　on　our　present　purpose；　we　must　do　what　we　can　to　work　out　some　approximate　explanation。　　　　　It　is　abundantly　evident　that　the　Circuit　is　a　cause；　it　modifies；　firstly；　itself　and　its　own　content；　and　undoubtedly　also　it　tells　on　the　terrestrial；　not　merely　in　accordance　with　bodily　conditions　but　also　by　the　states　of　the　soul　it　sets　up；　and　each　of　its　members　has　an　operation　upon　the　terrestrial　and　in　general　upon　all　the　lower。　　　　　Whether　there　is　a　return　action　of　the　lower　upon　the　higher　need　not　trouble　us　now：　for　the　moment　we　are　to　seek；　as　far　as　discussion　can　exhibit　it；　the　method　by　which　action　takes　place；　and　we　do　not　challenge　the　opinions　universally　or　very　generally　entertained。　　　　　We　take　the　question　back　to　the　initial　act　of　causation。　It　cannot　be　admitted　that　either　heat　or　cold　and　the　like　what　are　known　as　the　primal　qualities　of　the　elements…　or　any　admixture　of　these　qualities；　should　be　the　first　causes　we　are　seeking；　equally　inacceptable；　that　while　the　sun's　action　is　all　by　heat；　there　is　another　member　of　the　Circuit　operating　wholly　by　cold…　incongruous　in　the　heavens　and　in　a　fiery　body…　nor　can　we　think　of　some　other　star　operating　by　liquid　fire。　　　　　Such　explanations　do　not　account　for　the　differences　of　things；　and　there　are　many　phenomena　which　cannot　be　referred　to　any　of　these　causes。　Suppose　we　allow　them　to　be　the　occasion　of　moral　differences…　determined；　thus；　by　bodily　composition　and　constitution　under　a　reigning　heat　or　cold…　does　that　give　us　a　reasonable　explanation　of　envy；　jealously；　acts　of　violence？　Or；　if　it　does；　what；　at　any　rate；　are　we　to　think　of　good　and　bad　fortune；　rich　men　and　poor；　gentle　blood；　treasure…trove？　　　　　An　immensity　of　such　examples　might　be　adduced；　all　leading　far　from　any　corporeal　quality　that　could　enter　the　body　and　soul　of　a　living　thing　from　the　elements：　and　it　is　equally　impossible　that　the　will　of　the　stars；　a　doom　from　the　All；　any　deliberation　among　them；　should　be　held　responsible　for　the　fate　of　each　and　all　of　their　inferiors。　It　is　not　to　be　thought　that　such　beings　engage　themselves　in　human　affairs　in　the　sense　of　making　men　thieves；　slave…dealers；　burglars；　temple…strippers；　or　debased　effeminates　practising　and　lending　themselves　to　disgusting　actions：　that　is　not　merely　unlike　gods；　it　is　unlike　mediocre　men；　it　is；　perhaps；　beneath　the　level　of　any　existing　being　where　there　is　not　the　least　personal　advantage　to　be　gained。　　　　　32。　If　we　can　trace　neither　to　material　agencies　＇blind　elements＇　nor　to　any　deliberate　intention　the　influences　from　without　which　reach　to　us　and　to　the　other　forms　of　life　and　to　the　terrestrial　in　general；　what　cause　satisfactory　to　reason　remains？　　　　　The　secret　is：　firstly；　that　this　All　is　one　universally　comprehensive　living　being；　encircling　all　the　living　beings　within　it；　and　having　a　soul；　one　soul；　which　extends　to　all　its　members　in　the　degree　of　participant　membership　held　by　each；　secondly；　that　every　separate　thing　is　an　integral　part　of　this　All　by　belonging　to　the　total　material　fabric…　unrestrictedly　a　part　by　bodily　membership；　while；　in　so　far　as　it　has　also　some　participation　in　the　All。　Soul；　it　possesses　in　that　degree　spiritual　membership　as　well；　perfect　where　participation　is　in　the　All…Soul　alone；　partial　where　there　is　also　a　union　with　a　lower　soul。　　　　　But；　with　all　this　gradation；　each　several　thing　is　affected　by　all　else　in　virtue　of　the　common　participation　in　the　All；　and　to　the　degree　of　its　own　participation。　　　　　This　One…All；　therefore；　is　a　sympathetic　total　and　stands　as　one　living　being；　the　far　is　near；　it　happens　as　in　one　animal　with　its　separate　parts：　talon；　horn；　finger；　and　any　other　member　are　not　continuous　and　yet　are　effectively　near；　intermediate　parts　feel　nothing；　but　at　a　distant　point　the　local　experience　is　known。　Correspondent　things　not　side　by　side　but　separated　by　others　placed　between；　the　sharing　of　experience　by　dint　of　like　condition…　this　is　enough　to　ensure　that　the　action　of　any　distant　member　be　transmitted　to　its　distant　fellow。　Where　all　is　a　living　thing　summing　to　a　unity　there　is　nothing　so　remote　in　point　of　place　as　not　to　be　near　by　virtue　of　a　nature　which　makes　of　the　one　living　being　a　sympathetic　organism。　　　　　Where　there　is　similarity　between　a　thing　affected　and　the　thing　affecting　it；　the　affection　is　not　alien；　where　the　affecting　cause　is　dissimilar　the　affection　is　alien　and　unpleasant。　　　　　Such　hurtful　action　of　member　upon　member　within　one　living　being　need　not　seem　surprising：　within　ourselves；　in　our　own　activities；　one　constituent　can　be　harmed　by　another；　bile　and　animal　spirit　seem　to　press　and　goad　other　members　of　the　human　total：　in　the　vegetal　realm　one　part　hurts　another　by　sucking　the　moisture　from　it。　And　in　the　All　there　is　something　analogous　to　bile　and　animal　spirit；　as　to　other　such　constituents。　For　visibly　it　is　not　merely　one　living　organism；　it　is　also　a　manifold。　In　virtue　of　the　unity　the　individual　is　preserved　by　the　All：　in　virtue　of　the　multiplicity　of　things　having　various　contacts；　difference　often　brings　about　mutual　hurt；　one　thing；　seeking　its　own　need；　is　detrimental　to　another；　what　is　at　once　related　and　different　is　seized　as　food；　each　thing；　following　its　own　natural　path；　wrenches　from　something　else　what　is　serviceable　to　itself；　and　destroys　or　checks　in　its　own　interest　whatever　is　becoming　a　menace　to　it：　each；　occupied　with　its　peculiar　function；　assists　no　doubt　anything　able　to　profit　by　that；　but　harms　or　destroys　what　is　too　weak　to　withstand　the　onslaught　of　its　action；　like　fire　withering　things　round　it　or　greater　animals　in　their　march　thrusting　aside　or　trampling　under　foot　the　smaller。　　　　　The　rise　of　all　these　forms　of　being　and　their　modification；　whether　to　their　loss　or　gain；　all　goes　to　the　fulfillment　of　the　natural　unhindered　life　of　that　one　living　being：　for　it　was