the six enneads-第4章

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echo　from　elsewhere：　that　is　to　say；　as　the　uttered　thought　is　an　image　of　the　soul…thought；　so　the　soul…thought　images　a　thought　above　itself　and　is　the　interpreter　of　the　higher　sphere。　　　　　Virtue；　in　the　same　way；　is　a　thing　of　the　Soul：　it　does　not　belong　to　the　Intellectual…Principle　or　to　the　Transcendence。　　　　　4。　We　come；　so；　to　the　question　whether　Purification　is　the　whole　of　this　human　quality；　virtue；　or　merely　the　forerunner　upon　which　virtue　follows？　Does　virtue　imply　the　achieved　state　of　purification　or　does　the　mere　process　suffice　to　it；　Virtue　being　something　of　less　perfection　than　the　accomplished　pureness　which　is　almost　the　Term？　　　　　To　have　been　purified　is　to　have　cleansed　away　everything　alien：　but　Goodness　is　something　more。　　　　　If　before　the　impurity　entered　there　was　Goodness；　the　Goodness　suffices；　but　even　so；　not　the　act　of　cleansing　but　the　cleansed　thing　that　emerges　will　be　The　Good。　And　it　remains　to　establish　what　this　emergent　is。　　　　　It　can　scarcely　prove　to　be　The　Good：　The　Absolute　Good　cannot　be　thought　to　have　taken　up　its　abode　with　Evil。　We　can　think　of　it　only　as　something　of　the　nature　of　good　but　paying　a　double　allegiance　and　unable　to　rest　in　the　Authentic　Good。　　　　　The　Soul's　true　Good　is　in　devotion　to　the　Intellectual…Principle；　its　kin；　evil　to　the　Soul　lies　in　frequenting　strangers。　There　is　no　other　way　for　it　than　to　purify　itself　and　so　enter　into　relation　with　its　own；　the　new　phase　begins　by　a　new　orientation。　　　　　After　the　Purification；　then；　there　is　still　this　orientation　to　be　made？　No：　by　the　purification　the　true　alignment　stands　accomplished。　　　　　The　Soul's　virtue；　then；　is　this　alignment？　No：　it　is　what　the　alignment　brings　about　within。　　　　　And　this　is。。。？　　　　　That　it　sees；　that；　like　sight　affected　by　the　thing　seen；　the　soul　admits　the　imprint；　graven　upon　it　and　working　within　it；　of　the　vision　it　has　come　to。　　　　　But　was　not　the　Soul　possessed　of　all　this　always；　or　had　it　forgotten？　　　　　What　it　now　sees；　it　certainly　always　possessed；　but　as　lying　away　in　the　dark；　not　as　acting　within　it：　to　dispel　the　darkness；　and　thus　come　to　knowledge　of　its　inner　content；　it　must　thrust　towards　the　light。　　　　　Besides；　it　possessed　not　the　originals　but　images；　pictures；　and　these　it　must　bring　into　closer　accord　with　the　verities　they　represent。　And；　further；　if　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　said　to　be　a　possession　of　the　Soul；　this　is　only　in　the　sense　that　It　is　not　alien　and　that　the　link　becomes　very　close　when　the　Soul's　sight　is　turned　towards　It：　otherwise；　ever…present　though　It　be；　It　remains　foreign；　just　as　our　knowledge；　if　it　does　not　determine　action；　is　dead　to　us。　　　　　5。　So　we　come　to　the　scope　of　the　purification：　that　understood；　the　nature　of　Likeness　becomes　clear。　Likeness　to　what　Principle？　Identity　with　what　God？　　　　　The　question　is　substantially　this：　how　far　does　purification　dispel　the　two　orders　of　passion…　anger；　desire　and　the　like；　with　grief　and　its　kin…　and　in　what　degree　the　disengagement　from　the　body　is　possible。　　　　　Disengagement　means　simply　that　the　soul　withdraws　to　its　own　place。　　　　　It　will　hold　itself　above　all　passions　and　affections。　Necessary　pleasures　and　all　the　activity　of　the　senses　it　will　employ　only　for　medicament　and　assuagement　lest　its　work　be　impeded。　Pain　it　may　combat；　but；　failing　the　cure；　it　will　bear　meekly　and　ease　it　by　refusing　assent　to　it。　All　passionate　action　it　will　check：　the　suppression　will　be　complete　if　that　be　possible；　but　at　worst　the　Soul　will　never　itself　take　fire　but　will　keep　the　involuntary　and　uncontrolled　outside　its　precincts　and　rare　and　weak　at　that。　The　Soul　has　nothing　to　dread；　though　no　doubt　the　involuntary　has　some　power　here　too：　fear　therefore　must　cease；　except　so　far　as　it　is　purely　monitory。　What　desire　there　may　be　can　never　be　for　the　vile；　even　the　food　and　drink　necessary　for　restoration　will　lie　outside　of　the　Soul's　attention；　and　not　less　the　sexual　appetite：　or　if　such　desire　there　must　be；　it　will　turn　upon　the　actual　needs　of　the　nature　and　be　entirely　under　control；　or　if　any　uncontrolled　motion　takes　place；　it　will　reach　no　further　than　the　imagination；　be　no　more　than　a　fleeting　fancy。　　　　　The　Soul　itself　will　be　inviolately　free　and　will　be　working　to　set　the　irrational　part　of　the　nature　above　all　attack；　or　if　that　may　not　be；　then　at　least　to　preserve　it　from　violent　assault；　so　that　any　wound　it　takes　may　be　slight　and　be　healed　at　once　by　virtue　of　the　Soul's　presence；　just　as　a　man　living　next　door　to　a　Sage　would　profit　by　the　neighbourhood；　either　in　becoming　wise　and　good　himself　or；　for　sheer　shame；　never　venturing　any　act　which　the　nobler　mind　would　disapprove。　　　　　There　will　be　no　battling　in　the　Soul：　the　mere　intervention　of　Reason　is　enough：　the　lower　nature　will　stand　in　such　awe　of　Reason　that　for　any　slightest　movement　it　has　made　it　will　grieve；　and　censure　its　own　weakness；　in　not　having　kept　low　and　still　in　the　presence　of　its　lord。　　　　　6。　In　all　this　there　is　no　sin…　there　is　only　matter　of　discipline…　but　our　concern　is　not　merely　to　be　sinless　but　to　be　God。　　　　　As　long　as　there　is　any　such　involuntary　action；　the　nature　is　twofold；　God　and　Demi…God；　or　rather　God　in　association　with　a　nature　of　a　lower　power：　when　all　the　involuntary　is　suppressed；　there　is　God　unmingled；　a　Divine　Being　of　those　that　follow　upon　The　First。　　　　　For；　at　this　height；　the　man　is　the　very　being　that　came　from　the　Supreme。　The　primal　excellence　restored；　the　essential　man　is　There：　entering　this　sphere；　he　has　associated　himself　with　the　reasoning　phase　of　his　nature　and　this　he　will　lead　up　into　likeness　with　his　highest　self；　as　far　as　earthly　mind　is　capable；　so　that　if　possible　it　shall　never　be　inclined　to；　and　at　the　least　never　adopt；　any　course　displeasing　to　its　overlord。　　　　　What　form；　then；　does　virtue　take　in　one　so　lofty？　　　　　It　appears　as　Wisdom；　which　consists　in　the　contemplation　of　all　that　exists　in　the　Intellectual…Principle；　and　as　the　immediate　presence　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　itself。　　　　　And　each　of　these　has　two　modes　or　aspects：　there　is　Wisdom　as　it　is　in　the　Intellectual…Principle　and　as　in　the　Soul；　and　there　is　the　Intellectual…Principle　as　it　is　present　to　itself　and　as　it　is　present　to　the　Soul：　this　gives　what　in　the　Soul　is　Virtue；　in　the　Supreme　not　Virtue。　　　　　In　the　Supreme；　then；　what　is　it？　　　　　Its　proper　Act　and　Its　Essence。　　　　　That　Act　and　Essence　of　the　Supreme；　manifested　in　a　new　form；　constitute　the　virtue　of　this　sphere。　For　the　Supreme　is　not　self…existent　justice；　or　the　Absolute　of　any　defined　virtue：　it　is；　so　to　speak；　an　exemplar；　the　source　of　what　in　the　soul　becomes　virtue：　for　virtue　is　dependent；　seated　in　something　not　itself；　the　Supreme　is　self…standing；　independent。　　　　　But　taking　Rectitude　to　be　the　due　ordering　of　faculty；　does　it　not　always　imply　the　existence　of　diverse　parts？　　　　　No：　There　is　a　Rectitude　of　Diversity　appropriate　to　what　has　parts；　but　there　is　another；　not　less　Rectitude　than　the　former　though　it　resides　in　a　Unity。　And　the　authentic　Absolute…Rectitude　is　the　Act　of　a　Unity　upon　itself；　of　a　Unity　in　which　there　is　no　this　and　that　and　the　other。　　　　　On　this　principle；　the　supreme　Rectitude　of　the　Soul　is　that　it　direct　its　Act　towards　the　Intellectual…Principle：　its　Restraint　（Sophrosyne）　is　its　inward　bending　towards　the　Intellectual…Principle；　its　Fortitude　is　its　being　impassive　in　the　likeness　of　That　towards　which　its　gaze　is　set；　Whose　nature　comports　an　impassivity　which　the　Soul　acquires　by　virtue　and　must　acquire　if　it　is　not　to　be　at　the　mercy　of　every　state　arising　in　its　less　noble　companion。　　　　　7。　The　virtues　in　the　Soul　run　in　a　sequence　correspondent　to　that　existing　in　the　over…world；　that　is　among　their　exemplars　in　the　Intellectual…Principle。　　　　　In　the　Supreme；　Intellection　constitutes　Knowledge　and　Wisdom；　self…concentration　is　Sophrosyne；　Its　proper　Act　is　Its　Dutifulness；　Its　Immateriality；　by　which　It　remains　inviolate　within　Itself　is　the　equivalent　of　Fortitude。　　　　　In　the　Soul；　the　direction　of　vision　towards　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　Wisdom　and　Prudence；　soul…virtues　not　appropriate　to　the　Supreme　where　Thinker　and　Thought　are　identical。　All　the　other　virtues　have　similar　correspondences。　　　　　And　if　the　term　of　purification　is　the　production　of　a　pure　being；　then　the　purification　of　the　Soul　must　produce　all　the　virtues；　if　any　are　lacking；　then　not　one　of　them　is　perfect。　　　　　And　to　possess　the　greater　is　potentially　to　possess　the　minor；　though　the　minor　need　not　carry　the　greater　with　them。　　　　　Thus　we　have　indicated　the　dominant　note　in　the　life　of　the　Sage；　but　whether　his　possession　of　the　minor　virtues　be　actual　as　well　as　potential；　whether　even　the　greater　are　in　Act　in　him　or　yield　to　qualities　higher　still；　must　be　decided　afresh　in　each　several　case。　　　　　Take；　for　example；　Contemplative…Wisdom。　If　other　guides　of　conduct　must　be　called　in　to　meet　a　given　need；　can　this　virtue　hold　its　ground　even　in　mere　potentiality？　　　　　And　what　happens　when　the　virtues　in　their　very　nature　differ　in　scope　and　province？　Where；　for　example；　Sophrosyne　would　allow　certain　acts　or　emotions　under　due　restraint　and　another　virtue　would　cut　them　off　altogether？　And　is　it　not　clear　that　all　may　have　to　yield；　once　Contemplative…Wisdom　comes　into　action？　　　　　The　solution　is　in　understanding　the　virtues　and　what　each　has　to　give：　thus　the　man　will　learn　to　work　with　this　or　that　as　every　several　need　demands。　And　as　he　reaches　to　loftier　principles　and　other　standards　these　in　turn　will　define　his　conduct：　for　example；　Restraint　in　its　earlier　form　will　no　longer　satisfy　him；　he　will　work　for　the　final　Disengagement；　he　will　live；　no　longer；　the　human　life　of　the　good　man…　such　as　Civic　Virtue　commends…　but；　leaving　this　beneath　him；　will　take　up　instead　another　life；　that　of　the　Gods。　　　　　For　it　is　to　the　Gods；　not　to　the　Good；　that　our　Likeness　must　look：　to　model　ourselves　upon　good　men　is　to　produce　an　image　of　an　image：　we　have　to　fix　our　gaze　above　the　image　and　attain　Likeness　to　the　Supreme　Exemplar。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THIRD　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　DIALECTIC　＇THE　UPWARD　WAY＇。

　　　　1。　What　art　is　there；　what　method；　what　discipline　to　bring　us　there　where　we　must　go？　　　　　The　Term　at　which　we　must　arrive　we　may　take　as　agreed：　we　have　established　elsewhere；　by　many　considerations；　that　our　journey　is　to　the　Good；　to　the　Primal…Principle；　and；　indeed；　the　very　reasoning　which　discovered　the　Term　was　itself　something　like　an　initiation。　　　　　But　what　order　of　beings　will　attain　the　Term？　　　　　Surely；　as　we　read；　those　that　have　already　seen　all　or　most　things；　those　who　at　their　first　birth　have　entered　into　the　life…germ　from　which　is　to　spring　a　metaphysician；　a　musician　or　a　born　lover；　the　metaphysician　taking　to　the　path　by　instinct；　the　musician　and　the　nature　peculiarly　susceptible　to　love　needing　outside　guidance。　　　　　But　how　lies　the　course？　Is　it　alike　for　all；　or　is　there　a　distinct　method　for　each　class　of　temperament？　　　　　For　all　there　are　two　stages　of　the　path；　as　they　are　making　upwards　or　have　already　gained　the　upper　sphere。　　　　　The　first　degree　is　the　conversion　from　the　lower　life；　the　second…　held　by　those　that　have　already　m