the six enneads-第71章

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for　reasoning；　for　calculation；　what　place　for　memory；　where　wisdom　and　knowledge　are　eternal；　unfailingly　present；　effective；　dominant；　administering　in　an　identical　process？　　　　　The　fact　that　the　product　contains　diversity　and　difference　does　not　warrant　the　notion　that　the　producer　must　be　subject　to　corresponding　variations。　On　the　contrary；　the　more　varied　the　product；　the　more　certain　the　unchanging　identity　of　the　producer：　even　in　the　single　animal　the　events　produced　by　Nature　are　many　and　not　simultaneous；　there　are　the　periods；　the　developments　at　fixed　epochs…　horns；　beard；　maturing　breasts；　the　acme　of　life；　procreation…　but　the　principles　which　initially　determined　the　nature　of　the　being　are　not　thereby　annulled；　there　is　process　of　growth；　but　no　diversity　in　the　initial　principle。　The　identity　underlying　all　the　multiplicity　is　confirmed　by　the　fact　that　the　principle　constituting　the　parent　is　exhibited　unchanged；　undiminished；　in　the　offspring。　We　have　reason；　then；　for　thinking　that　one　and　the　same　wisdom　envelops　both；　and　that　this　is　the　unalterable　wisdom　of　the　kosmos　taken　as　a　whole；　it　is　manifold；　diverse　and　yet　simplex；　presiding　over　the　most　comprehensive　of　living　beings；　and　in　no　wise　altered　within　itself　by　this　multiplicity；　but　stably　one　Reason…Principle；　the　concentrated　totality　of　things：　if　it　were　not　thus　all　things；　it　would　be　a　wisdom　of　the　later　and　partial；　not　the　wisdom　of　the　Supreme。　　　　　12。　It　may　be　urged　that　all　the　multiplicity　and　development　are　the　work　of　Nature；　but　that；　since　there　is　wisdom　within　the　All；　there　must　be　also；　by　the　side　of　such　natural　operation；　acts　of　reasoning　and　of　memory。　　　　　But　this　is　simply　a　human　error　which　assumes　wisdom　to　be　what　in　fact　is　unwisdom；　taking　the　search　for　wisdom　to　be　wisdom　itself。　For　what　can　reasoning　be　but　a　struggle；　the　effort　to　discover　the　wise　course；　to　attain　the　principle　which　is　true　and　derives　from　real…being？　To　reason　is　like　playing　the　cithara　for　the　sake　of　achieving　the　art；　like　practising　with　a　view　to　mastery；　like　any　learning　that　aims　at　knowing。　What　reasoners　seek；　the　wise　hold：　wisdom；　in　a　word；　is　a　condition　in　a　being　that　possesses　repose。　Think　what　happens　when　one　has　accomplished　the　reasoning　process：　as　soon　as　we　have　discovered　the　right　course；　we　cease　to　reason：　we　rest　because　we　have　come　to　wisdom。　If　then　we　are　to　range　the　leading　principle　of　the　All　among　learners；　we　must　allow　it　reasonings；　perplexities　and　those　acts　of　memory　which　link　the　past　with　the　present　and　the　future：　if　it　is　to　be　considered　as　a　knower；　then　the　wisdom　within　it　consists　in　a　rest　possessing　the　object　＇absolved；　therefore；　from　search　and　from　remembrance＇。　　　　　Again；　if　the　leading　principle　of　the　universe　knows　the　future　as　it　must…　then　obviously　it　will　know　by　what　means　that　future　is　to　come　about；　given　this　knowledge；　what　further　need　is　there　of　its　reasoning　towards　it；　or　confronting　past　with　present？　And；　of　course；　this　knowledge　of　things　to　come…　admitting　it　to　exist…　is　not　like　that　of　the　diviners；　it　is　that　of　the　actual　causing　principles　holding　the　certainty　that　the　thing　will　exist；　the　certainty　inherent　in　the　all…disposers；　above　perplexity　and　hesitancy；　the　notion　is　constituent　and　therefore　unvarying。　The　knowledge　of　future　things　is；　in　a　word；　identical　with　that　of　the　present；　it　is　a　knowledge　in　repose　and　thus　a　knowledge　transcending　the　processes　of　cogitation。　　　　　If　the　leading　principle　of　the　universe　does　not　know　the　future　which　it　is　of　itself　to　produce；　it　cannot　produce　with　knowledge　or　to　purpose；　it　will　produce　just　what　happens　to　come；　that　is　to　say　by　haphazard。　As　this　cannot　be；　it　must　create　by　some　stable　principle；　its　creations；　therefore；　will　be　shaped　in　the　model　stored　up　in　itself；　there　can　be　no　varying；　for；　if　there　were；　there　could　also　be　failure。　　　　　The　produced　universe　will　contain　difference；　but　its　diversities　spring　not　from　its　own　action　but　from　its　obedience　to　superior　principles　which；　again；　spring　from　the　creating　power；　so　that　all　is　guided　by　Reason…Principles　in　their　series；　thus　the　creating　power　is　in　no　sense　subjected　to　experimenting；　to　perplexity；　to　that　preoccupation　which　to　some　minds　makes　the　administration　of　the　All　seem　a　task　of　difficulty。　Preoccupation　would　obviously　imply　the　undertaking　of　alien　tasks；　some　business…　that　would　mean…　not　completely　within　the　powers；　but　where　the　power　is　sovereign　and　sole；　it　need　take　thought　of　nothing　but　itself　and　its　own　will；　which　means　its　own　wisdom；　since　in　such　a　being　the　will　is　wisdom。　Here；　then；　creating　makes　no　demand；　since　the　wisdom　that　goes　to　it　is　not　sought　elsewhere；　but　is　the　creator's　very　self；　drawing　on　nothing　outside…　not；　therefore；　on　reasoning　or　on　memory；　which　are　handlings　of　the　external。　　　　　13。　But　what　is　the　difference　between　the　Wisdom　thus　conducting　the　universe　and　the　principle　known　as　Nature？　　　　　This　Wisdom　is　a　first　＇within　the　All…Soul＇　while　Nature　is　a　last：　for　Nature　is　an　image　of　that　Wisdom；　and；　as　a　last　in　the　soul；　possesses　only　the　last　of　the　Reason…Principle：　we　may　imagine　a　thick　waxen　seal；　in　which　the　imprint　has　penetrated　to　the　very　uttermost　film　so　as　to　show　on　both　sides；　sharp　cut　on　the　upper　surface；　faint　on　the　under。　Nature；　thus；　does　not　know；　it　merely　produces：　what　it　holds　it　passes；　automatically；　to　its　next；　and　this　transmission　to　the　corporeal　and　material　constitutes　its　making　power：　it　acts　as　a　thing　warmed；　communicating　to　what　lies　in　next　contact　to　it　the　principle　of　which　it　is　the　vehicle　so　as　to　make　that　also　warm　in　some　less　degree。　　　　　Nature；　being　thus　a　mere　communicator；　does　not　possess　even　the　imaging　act。　There　is　＇within　the　Soul＇　intellection；　superior　to　imagination；　and　there　is　imagination　standing　midway　between　that　intellection　and　the　impression　of　which　alone　Nature　is　capable。　For　Nature　has　no　perception　or　consciousness　of　anything；　imagination　＇the　imaging　faculty＇　has　consciousness　of　the　external；　for　it　enables　that　which　entertains　the　image　to　have　knowledge　of　the　experience　encountered；　while　Nature's　function　is　to　engender…　of　itself　though　in　an　act　derived　from　the　active　principle　＇of　the　soul＇。　　　　　Thus　the　Intellectual…Principle　possesses：　the　Soul　of　the　All　eternally　receives　from　it；　this　is　the　soul's　life；　its　consciousness　is　its　intellection　of　what　is　thus　eternally　present　to　it；　what　proceeds　from　it　into　Matter　and　is　manifested　there　is　Nature；　with　which…　or　even　a　little　before　it…　the　series　of　real　being　comes　to　an　end；　for　all　in　this　order　are　the　ultimates　of　the　intellectual　order　and　the　beginnings　of　the　imitative。　　　　　There　is　also　the　decided　difference　that　Nature　operates　toward　soul；　and　receives　from　it：　soul；　near　to　Nature　but　superior；　operates　towards　Nature　but　without　receiving　in　turn；　and　there　is　the　still　higher　phase　＇the　purely　Intellectual＇　with　no　action　whatever　upon　body　or　upon　Matter。　　　　　14。　Of　the　corporeal　thus　brought　into　being　by　Nature　the　elemental　materials　of　things　are　its　very　produce；　but　how　do　animal　and　vegetable　forms　stand　to　it？　　　　　Are　we　to　think　of　them　as　containers　of　Nature　present　within　them？　　　　　Light　goes　away　and　the　air　contains　no　trace　of　it；　for　light　and　air　remain　each　itself；　never　coalescing：　is　this　the　relation　of　Nature　to　the　formed　object？　　　　　It　is　rather　that　existing　between　fire　and　the　object　it　has　warmed：　the　fire　withdrawn；　there　remains　a　certain　warmth；　distinct　from　that　in　the　fire；　a　property；　so　to　speak；　of　the　object　warmed。　For　the　shape　which　Nature　imparts　to　what　it　has　moulded　must　be　recognized　as　a　form　quite　distinct　from　Nature　itself；　though　it　remains　a　question　to　be　examined　whether　besides　this　＇specific＇　form　there　is　also　an　intermediary；　a　link　connecting　it　with　Nature；　the　general　principle。　　　　　The　difference　between　Nature　and　the　Wisdom　described　as　dwelling　in　the　All　has　been　sufficiently　dealt　with。　　　　　15。　But　there　is　a　difficulty　affecting　this　entire　settlement：　Eternity　is　characteristic　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　time　of　the　soul…　for　we　hold　that　time　has　its　substantial　being　in　the　activity　of　the　soul；　and　springs　from　soul…　and；　since　time　is　a　thing　of　division　and　comports　a　past；　it　would　seem　that　the　activity　producing　it　must　also　be　a　thing　of　division；　and　that　its　attention　to　that　past　must　imply　that　even　the　All…Soul　has　memory？　We　repeat；　identity　belongs　to　the　eternal；　time　must　be　the　medium　of　diversity；　otherwise　there　is　nothing　to　distinguish　them；　especially　since　we　deny　that　the　activities　of　the　soul　can　themselves　experience　change。　　　　　Can　we　escape　by　the　theory　that；　while　human　souls…　receptive　of　change；　even　to　the　change　of　imperfection　and　lack…　are　in　time；　yet　the　Soul　of　the　All；　as　the　author　of　time；　is　itself　timeless？　But　if　it　is　not　in　time；　what　causes　it　to　engender　time　rather　than　eternity？　　　　　The　answer　must　be　that　the　realm　it　engenders　is　not　that　of　eternal　things　but　a　realm　of　things　enveloped　in　time：　it　is　just　as　the　souls　＇under；　or　included　in；　the　All…Soul＇　are　not　in　time；　but　some　of　their　experiences　and　productions　are。　For　a　soul　is　eternal；　and　is　before　time；　and　what　is　in　time　is　of　a　lower　order　than　time　itself：　time　is　folded　around　what　is　in　time　exactly　as…　we　read…　it　is　folded　about　what　is　in　place　and　in　number。　　　　　16。　But　if　in　the　soul　thing　follows　thing；　if　there　is　earlier　and　later　in　its　productions；　if　it　engenders　or　creates　in　time；　then　it　must　be　looking　towards　the　future；　and　if　towards　the　future；　then　towards　the　past　as　well？　　　　　No：　prior　and　past　are　in　the　things　its　produces；　in　itself　nothing　is　past；　all；　as　we　have　said；　is　one　simultaneous　grouping　of　Reason…Principles。　In　the　engendered；　dissimilarity　is　not　compatible　with　unity；　though　in　the　Reason…Principles　supporting　the　engendered　such　unity　of　dissimilars　does　occur…　hand　and　foot　are　in　unity　in　the　Reason…Principle　＇of　man＇；　but　apart　in　the　realm　of　sense。　Of　course；　even　in　that　ideal　realm　there　is　apartness；　but　in　a　characteristic　mode；　just　as　in　a　mode；　there　is　priority。　　　　　Now；　apartness　may　be　explained　as　simply　differentiation：　but　how　account　for　priority　unless　on　the　assumption　of　some　ordering　principle　arranging　from　above；　and　in　that　disposal　necessarily　affirming　a　serial　order？　　　　　There　must　be　such　a　principle；　or　all　would　exist　simultaneously；　but　the　indicated　conclusion　does　not　follow　unless　order　and　ordering　principle　are　distinct；　if　the　ordering　principle　is　Primal　Order；　there　is　no　such　affirmation　of　series；　there　is　simply　making；　the　making　of　this　thing　after　that　thing。　The　affirmation　would　imply　that　the　ordering　principle　looks　away　towards　Order　and　therefore　is　not；　itself；　Order。　　　　　But　how　are　Order　and　this　orderer　one　and　the　same？　　　　　Because　the　ordering　principle　is　no　conjoint　of　matter　and　idea　but　is　soul；　pure　idea；　the　power　and　energy　second　only　to　the　Intellectual…Principle：　and　because　the　succession　is　a　fact　of　the　things　themselves；　inhibited　as　they　are　from　this　comprehensive　unity。　Th