the six enneads-第75章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ess；　and　thus　it　leads　the　indwelling　soul…phase　to　corresponding　states…　churlish　and　angry　under　stress　of　environment…　so　that　being　wronged　itself；　it　tries；　as　we　may　put　it；　to　return　the　wrong　upon　its　surroundings；　and　bring　them　to　the　same　condition。　　　　　That　this　soul…vestige；　which　determines　the　movements　of　passion　is　of　one　essence　＇con…substantial＇　with　the　other　is　evident　from　the　consideration　that　those　of　us　less　avid　of　corporeal　pleasures；　especially　those　that　wholly　repudiate　the　body；　are　the　least　prone　to　anger　and　to　all　experiences　not　rising　from　reason。　　　　　That　this　vegetal　principle；　underlying　anger；　should　be　present　in　trees　and　yet　passion　be　lacking　in　them　cannot　surprise　us　since　they　are　not　subject　to　the　movements　of　blood　and　bile。　If　the　occasions　of　anger　presented　themselves　where　there　is　no　power　of　sensation　there　could　be　no　more　than　a　physical　ebullition　with　something　approaching　to　resentment　＇an　unconscious　reaction＇；　where　sensation　exists　there　is　at　once　something　more；　the　recognition　of　wrong　and　of　the　necessary　defence　carries　with　it　the　intentional　act。　　　　　But　the　division　of　the　unreasoning　phase　of　the　soul　into　a　desiring　faculty　and　a　passionate　faculty…　the　first　identical　with　the　vegetal　principle；　the　second　being　a　lower　phase　of　it　acting　upon　the　blood　or　bile　or　upon　the　entire　living　organism…　such　a　division　would　not　give　us　a　true　opposition；　for　the　two　would　stand　in　the　relation　of　earlier　phase　to　derivative。　　　　　This　difficulty　is　reasonably　met　by　considering　that　both　faculties　are　derivatives　and　making　the　division　apply　to　them　in　so　far　as　they　are　new　productions　from　a　common　source；　for　the　division　applies　to　movements　of　desire　as　such；　not　to　the　essence　from　which　they　rise。　　　　　That　essence　is　not；　of　its　own　nature；　desire；　it　is；　however；　the　force　which　by　consolidating　itself　with　the　active　manifestation　proceeding　from　it　makes　the　desire　a　completed　thing。　And　that　derivative　which　culminates　in　passion　may　not　unreasonably　be　thought　of　as　a　vestige…phase　lodged　about　the　heart；　since　the　heart　is　not　the　seat　of　the　soul；　but　merely　the　centre　to　that　portion　of　the　blood　which　is　concerned　in　the　movements　of　passion。　　　　　29。　But…　keeping　to　our　illustration；　by　which　the　body　is　warmed　by　soul　and　not　merely　illuminated　by　it…　how　is　it　that　when　the　higher　soul　withdraws　there　is　no　further　trace　of　the　vital　principle？　　　　　For　a　brief　space　there　is；　and；　precisely；　it　begins　to　fade　away　immediately　upon　the　withdrawal　of　the　other；　as　in　the　case　of　warmed　objects　when　the　fire　is　no　longer　near　them：　similarly　hair　and　nails　still　grow　on　the　dead；　animals　cut　to　pieces　wriggle　for　a　good　time　after；　these　are　signs　of　a　life　force　still　indwelling。　　　　　Besides；　simultaneous　withdrawal　would　not　prove　the　identity　of　the　higher　and　lower　phases：　when　the　sun　withdraws　there　goes　with　it　not　merely　the　light　emanating　from　it；　guided　by　it；　attached　to　it；　but　also　at　once　that　light　seen　upon　obliquely　situated　objects；　a　light　secondary　to　the　sun's　and　cast　upon　things　outside　of　its　path　＇reflected　light　showing　as　colour＇；　the　two　are　not　identical　and　yet　they　disappear　together。　　　　　But　is　this　simultaneous　withdrawal　or　frank　obliteration？　　　　　The　question　applies　equally　to　this　secondary　light　and　to　the　corporeal　life；　that　life　which　we　think　of　as　being　completely　sunk　into　body。　　　　　No　light　whatever　remains　in　the　objects　once　illuminated；　that　much　is　certain；　but　we　have　to　ask　whether　it　has　sunk　back　into　its　source　or　is　simply　no　longer　in　existence。　　　　　How　could　it　pass　out　of　being；　a　thing　that　once　has　been？　　　　　But　what　really　was　it？　We　must　remember　that　what　we　know　as　colour　belongs　to　bodies　by　the　fact　that　they　throw　off　light；　yet　when　corruptible　bodies　are　transformed　the　colour　disappears　and　we　no　more　ask　where　the　colour　of　a　burned…out　fire　is　than　where　its　shape　is。　　　　　Still：　the　shape　is　merely　a　configuration；　like　the　lie　of　the　hands　clenched　or　spread；　the　colour　is　no　such　accidental　but　is　more　like；　for　example；　sweetness：　when　a　material　substance　breaks　up；　the　sweetness　of　what　was　sweet　in　it；　and　the　fragrance　of　what　was　fragrant；　may　very　well　not　be　annihilated；　but　enter　into　some　other　substance；　passing　unobserved　there　because　the　new　habitat　is　not　such　that　the　entrant　qualities　now　offer　anything　solid　to　perception。　　　　　May　we　not　think　that；　similarly；　the　light　belonging　to　bodies　that　have　been　dissolved　remains　in　being　while　the　solid　total；　made　up　of　all　that　is　characteristic；　disappears？　　　　　It　might　be　said　that　the　seeing　is　merely　the　sequel　to　some　law　＇of　our　own　nature＇；　so　that　what　we　call　qualities　do　not　actually　exist　in　the　substances。　　　　　But　this　is　to　make　the　qualities　indestructible　and　not　dependent　upon　the　composition　of　the　body；　it　would　no　longer　be　the　Reason…Principles　within　the　sperm　that　produce；　for　instance；　the　colours　of　a　bird's　variegated　plumage；　these　principles　would　merely　blend　and　place　them；　or　if　they　produced　them　would　draw　also　on　the　full　store　of　colours　in　the　sky；　producing　in　the　sense；　mainly；　of　showing　in　the　formed　bodies　something　very　different　from　what　appears　in　the　heavens。　　　　　But　whatever　we　may　think　on　this　doubtful　point；　if；　as　long　as　the　bodies　remain　unaltered；　the　light　is　constant　and　unsevered；　then　it　would　seem　natural　that；　on　the　dissolution　of　the　body；　the　light…　both　that　in　immediate　contact　and　any　other　attached　to　that…　should　pass　away　at　the　same　moment；　unseen　in　the　going　as　in　the　coming。　　　　　But　in　the　case　of　the　soul　it　is　a　question　whether　the　secondary　phases　follow　their　priors…　the　derivatives　their　sources…　or　whether　every　phase　is　self…governing；　isolated　from　its　predecessors　and　able　to　stand　alone；　in　a　word；　whether　no　part　of　the　soul　is　sundered　from　the　total；　but　all　the　souls　are　simultaneously　one　soul　and　many；　and；　if　so；　by　what　mode；　this　question；　however；　is　treated　elsewhere。　　　　　Here　we　have　to　enquire　into　the　nature　and　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　ar