the six enneads-第66章

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ome　of　those　phases　to　be　＇capable　of　situation＇　in　place　but　others　not　so；　we　will　be　supposing　that　those　parts　to　which　we　deny　place　are　ineffective　in　us；　or；　in　other　words；　that　we　do　not　possess　our　entire　soul。　　　　　This　simply　shows　that　neither　the　soul　entire　nor　any　part　of　it　may　be　considered　to　be　within　the　body　as　in　a　space：　space　is　a　container；　a　container　of　body；　it　is　the　home　of　such　things　as　consist　of　isolated　parts；　things；　therefore；　in　which　at　no　point　is　there　an　entirety；　now；　the　soul　is　not　a　body　and　is　no　more　contained　than　containing。　　　　　Neither　is　it　in　body　as　in　some　vessel：　whether　as　vessel　or　as　place　of　location；　the　body　would　remain；　in　itself；　unensouled。　If　we　are　to　think　of　some　passing…over　from　the　soul…　that　self…gathered　thing…　to　the　containing　vessel；　then　soul　is　diminished　by　just　as　much　as　the　vessel　takes。　　　　　Space；　again；　in　the　strict　sense　is　unembodied；　and　is　not；　itself；　body；　why；　then；　should　it　need　soul？　　　　　Besides　＇if　the　soul　were　contained　as　in　space＇　contact　would　be　only　at　the　surface　of　the　body；　not　throughout　the　entire　mass。　　　　　Many　other　considerations　equally　refute　the　notion　that　the　soul　is　in　body　as　＇an　object＇　in　space；　for　example；　this　space　would　be　shifted　with　every　movement；　and　a　thing　itself　would　carry　its　own　space　about。　　　　　Of　course　if　by　space　we　understand　the　interval　separating　objects；　it　is　still　less　possible　that　the　soul　be　in　body　as　in　space：　such　a　separating　interval　must　be　a　void；　but　body　is　not　a　void；　the　void　must　be　that　in　which　body　is　placed；　body　＇not　soul＇　will　be　in　the　void。　　　　　Nor　can　it　be　in　the　body　as　in　some　substratum：　anything　in　a　substratum　is　a　condition　affecting　that…　a　colour；　a　form…　but　the　soul　is　a　separate　existence。　　　　　Nor　is　it　present　as　a　part　in　the　whole；　soul　is　no　part　of　body。　If　we　are　asked　to　think　of　soul　as　a　part　in　the　living　total　we　are　faced　with　the　old　difficulty：　How　it　is　in　that　whole。　It　is　certainly　not　there　as　the　wine　is　in　the　wine　jar；　or　as　the　jar　in　the　jar；　or　as　some　absolute　is　self…present。　　　　　Nor　can　the　presence　be　that　of　a　whole　in　its　part：　It　would　be　absurd　to　think　of　the　soul　as　a　total　of　which　the　body　should　represent　the　parts。　　　　　It　is　not　present　as　Form　is　in　Matter；　for　the　Form　as　in　Matter　is　inseparable　and；　further；　is　something　superimposed　upon　an　already　existent　thing；　soul；　on　the　contrary；　is　that　which　engenders　the　Form　residing　within　the　Matter　and　therefore　is　not　the　Form。　If　the　reference　is　not　to　the　Form　actually　present；　but　to　Form　as　a　thing　existing　apart　from　all　formed　objects；　it　is　hard　to　see　how　such　an　entity　has　found　its　way　into　body；　and　at　any　rate　this　makes　the　soul　separable。　　　　　How　comes　it　then　that　everyone　speaks　of　soul　as　being　in　body？　　　　　Because　the　soul　is　not　seen　and　the　body　is：　we　perceive　the　body；　and　by　its　movement　and　sensation　we　understand　that　it　is　ensouled；　and　we　say　that　it　possesses　a　soul；　to　speak　of　residence　is　a　natural　sequence。　If　the　soul　were　visible；　an　object　of　the　senses；　radiating　throughout　the　entire　life；　if　it　were　manifest　in　full　force　to　the　very　outermost　surface；　we　would　no　longer　speak　of　soul　as　in　body；　we　would　say　the　minor　was　within　the　major；　the　contained　within　the　container；　the　fleeting　within　the　perdurable。　　　　　21。　What　does　all　this　come　to？　What　answer　do　we　give　to　him　who；　with　no　opinion　of　his　own　to　assert；　asks　us　to　explain　this　presence？　And　what　do　we　say　to　the　question　whether　there　is　one　only　mode　of　presence　of　the　entire　soul　or　different　modes；　phase　and　phase？　　　　　Of　the　modes　currently　accepted　for　the　presence　of　one　thing　in　another；　none　really　meets　the　case　of　the　soul's　relation　to　the　body。　Thus　we　are　given　as　a　parallel　the　steersman　in　the　ship；　this　serves　adequately　to　indicate　that　the　soul　is　potentially　separable；　but　the　mode　of　presence；　which　is　what　we　are　seeking；　it　does　not　exhibit。　　　　　We　can　imagine　it　within　the　body　in　some　incidental　way…　for　example；　as　a　voyager　in　a　ship…　but　scarcely　as　the　steersman：　and；　of　course；　too；　the　steersman　is　not　omnipresent　to　the　ship　as　the　soul　is　to　the　body。　　　　　May　we；　perhaps；　compare　it　to　the　science　or　skill　that　acts　through　its　appropriate　instruments…　through　a　helm；　let　us　say；　which　should　happen　to　be　a　live　thing…　so　that　the　soul　effecting　the　movements　dictated　by　seamanship　is　an　indwelling　directive　force？　　　　　No：　the　comparison　breaks　down；　since　the　science　is　something　outside　of　helm　and　ship。　　　　　Is　it　any　help　to　adopt　the　illustration　of　the　steersman　taking　the　helm；　and　to　station　the　soul　within　the　body　as　the　steersman　may　be　thought　to　be　within　the　material　instrument　through　which　he　works？　Soul；　whenever　and　wherever　it　chooses　to　operate；　does　in　much　that　way　move　the　body。　　　　　No；　even　in　this　parallel　we　have　no　explanation　of　the　mode　of　presence　within　the　instrument；　we　cannot　be　satisfied　without　further　search；　a　closer　approach。　　　　　22。　May　we　think　that　the　mode　of　the　soul's　presence　to　body　is　that　of　the　presence　of　light　to　the　air？　　　　　This　certainly　is　presence　with　distinction：　the　light　penetrates　through　and　through；　but　nowhere　coalesces；　the　light　is　the　stable　thing；　the　air　flows　in　and　out；　when　the　air　passes　beyond　the　lit　area　it　is　dark；　under　the　light　it　is　lit：　we　have　a　true　parallel　to　what　we　have　been　saying　of　body　and　soul；　for　the　air　is　in　the　light　quite　as　much　as　the　light　in　the　air。　　　　　Plato　therefore　is　wise　when；　in　treating　of　the　All；　he　puts　the　body　in　its　soul；　and　not　its　soul　in　the　body；　and　says　that；　while　there　is　a　region　of　that　soul　which　contains　body；　there　is　another　region　to　which　body　does　not　enter…　certain　powers；　that　is；　with　which　body　has　no　concern。　And　what　is　true　of　the　All…Soul　is　true　of　the　others。　　　　　There　are；　therefore；　certain　soul…powers　whose　presence　to　body　must　be　denied。　　　　　The　phases　present　are　those　which　the　nature　of　body　demands：　they　are　present　without　being　resident…　either　in　any　parts　of　the　body　or　in　the　body　as　a　whole。　　　　　For　the　purposes　of　sensation　the　sensitive　phase　of　the　soul　is　present　to　the　entire　sensitive　being：　for　the　purposes　of　act；　differentiation　begins；　every　soul　phase　operates　at　a　point　peculiar　to　itself。　　　　　23。　I　explain：　A　living　body　is　illuminated　by　soul：　each　organ　and　member　participates　in　soul　after　some　manner　peculiar　to　itself；　the　organ　is　adapted　to　a　certain　function；　and　this　fitness　is　the　vehicle　of　the　soul…faculty　under　which　the　function　is　performed；　thus　the　seeing　faculty　acts　through　the　eyes；　the　hearing　faculty　through　the　ears；　the　tasting　faculty　through　the　tongue；　the　faculty　of　smelling　through　the　nostrils；　and　the　faculty　of　sentient　touch　is　present　throughout；　since　in　this　particular　form　of　perception　the　entire　body　is　an　instrument　in　the　soul's　service。　　　　　The　vehicles　of　touch　are　mainly　centred　in　the　nerves…　which　moreover　are　vehicles　of　the　faculty　by　which　the　movements　of　the　living　being　are　affected…　in　them　the　soul…faculty　concerned　makes　itself　present；　the　nerves　start　from　the　brain。　The　brain　therefore　has　been　considered　as　the　centre　and　seat　of　the　principle　which　determines　feeling　and　impulse　and　the　entire　act　of　the　organism　as　a　living　thing；　where　the　instruments　are　found　to　be　linked；　there　the　operating　faculty　is　assumed　to　be　situated。　But　it　would　be　wiser　to　say　only　that　there　is　situated　the　first　activity　of　the　operating　faculty：　the　power　to　be　exercised　by　the　operator…　in　keeping　with　the　particular　instrument…　must　be　considered　as　concentrated　at　the　point　at　which　the　instrument　is　to　be　first　applied；　or；　since　the　soul's　faculty　is　of　universal　scope　the　sounder　statement　is　that　the　point　of　origin　of　the　instrument　is　the　point　of　origin　of　the　act。　　　　　Now；　the　faculty　presiding　over　sensation　and　impulse　is　vested　in　the　sensitive　and　representative　soul；　it　draws　upon　the　Reason…Principle　immediately　above　itself；　downward；　it　is　in　contact　with　an　inferior　of　its　own：　on　this　analogy　the　uppermost　member　of　the　living　being　was　taken　by　the　ancients　to　be　obviously　its　seat；　they　lodged　it　in　the　brain；　or　not　exactly　in　the　brain　but　in　that　sensitive　part　which　is　the　medium　through　which　the　Reason…Principle　impinges　upon　the　brain。　They　saw　that　something　must　be　definitely　allocated　to　body…　at　the　point　most　receptive　of　the　act　of　reason…　while　something；　utterly　isolated　from　body　must　be　in　contact　with　that　superior　thing　which　is　a　form　of　soul　＇and　not　merely　of　the　vegetative　or　other　quasi…corporeal　forms　but＇　of　that　soul　apt　to　the　appropriation　of　the　perceptions　originating　in　the　Reason…Principle。　　　　　Such　a　linking　there　must　be；　since　in　perception　there　is　some　element　of　judging；　in　representation　something　intuitional；　and　since　impulse　and　appetite　derive　from　representation　and　reason。　The　reasoning　faculty；　therefore；　is　present　where　these　experiences　occur；　present　not　as　in　a　place　but　in　the　fact　that　what　is　there　draws　upon　it。　As　regards　perception　we　have　already　explained　in　what　sense　it　is　local。　　　　　But　every　living　being　includes　the　vegetal　principle；　that　principle　of　growth　and　nourishment　which　maintains　the　organism　by　means　of　the　blood；　this　nourishing　medium　is　contained　in　the　veins；　the　veins　and　blood　have　their　origin　in　the　liver：　from　observation　of　these　facts　the　power　concerned　was　assigned　a　place；　the　phase　of　the　soul　which　has　to　do　with　desire　was　allocated　to　the　liver。　Certainly　what　brings　to　birth　and　nourishes　and　gives　growth　must　have　the　desire　of　these　functions。　Blood…　subtle；　light；　swift；　pure…　is　the　vehicle　most　apt　to　animal　spirit：　the　heart；　then；　its　well…spring；　the　place　where　such　blood　is　sifted　into　being；　is　taken　as　the　fixed　centre　of　the　ebullition　of　the　passionate　nature。　　　　　24。　Now　comes　the　question　of　the　soul　leaving　the　body；　where　does　it　go？　　　　　It　cannot　remain　in　this　world　where　there　is　no　natural　recipient　for　it；　and　it　cannot　remain　attached　to　anything　not　of　a　character　to　hold　it：　it　can　be　held　here　when　only　it　is　less　than　wise；　containing　within　itself　something　of　that　which　lures　it。　　　　　If　it　does　contain　any　such　alien　element　it　gives　itself；　with　increasing　attachment；　to　the　sphere　to　which　that　element　naturally　belongs　and　tends。　　　　　The　space　open　to　the　soul's　resort　is　vast　and　diverse；　the　difference　will　come　by　the　double　force　of　the　individual　condition　and　of　the　justice　reigning　in　things。　No　one　can　ever　escape　the　suffering　entailed　by　ill　deeds　done：　the　divine　law　is　ineluctable；　carrying　bound　up；　as　one　with　it；　the　fore…ordained　execution　of　its　doom。　The　sufferer；　all　unaware；　is　swept　onward　towards　his　due；　hurried　always　by　the　restless　driving　of　his　errors；　until　at　last　wearied　out　by　that　against　which　he　struggled；　he　falls　into　his　fit　place　and；　by　self…chosen　movement；　is　brought　to　the　lot　he　never　chose。　And　the　law　decrees；　also；　the　intensity　and　the　duration　of　the　suffering　while　it　carries　with　it；　too；　the　lifting　of　chastisement　and　the　faculty　of　rising　from　those　places　of　pain…　all　by　power　of　the　harmony　that　maintains　the　universal　sc