the six enneads-第25节

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t　of　horses　between　the　shafts　but　before　their　driver　sets　the　course；　they　are　set　right　by　the　whip。　In　the　Living…Being　possessed　of　Reason；　the　nature…principle　includes　the　driver；　where　the　driver　is　intelligent；　it　takes　in　the　main　a　straight　path　to　a　set　end。　But　both　classes　are　members　of　the　All　and　co…operate　towards　the　general　purpose。　　　　　The　greater　and　most　valuable　among　them　have　an　important　operation　over　a　wide　range：　their　contribution　towards　the　life　of　the　whole　consists　in　acting；　not　in　being　acted　upon；　others；　but　feebly　equipped　for　action；　are　almost　wholly　passive；　there　is　an　intermediate　order　whose　members　contain　within　themselves　a　principle　of　productivity　and　activity　and　make　themselves　very　effective　in　many　spheres　or　ways　and　yet　serve　also　by　their　passivity。　　　　　Thus　the　All　stands　as　one　all…complete　Life；　whose　members；　to　the　measure　in　which　each　contains　within　itself　the　Highest；　effect　all　that　is　high　and　noble：　and　the　entire　scheme　must　be　subordinate　to　its　Dirigeant　as　an　army　to　its　general；　〃following　upon　Zeus〃…　it　has　been　said…　〃as　he　proceeds　towards　the　Intelligible　Kind。〃　　　　　Secondary　in　the　All　are　those　of　its　parts　which　possess　a　less　exalted　nature　just　as　in　us　the　members　rank　lower　than　the　Soul；　and　so　all　through；　there　is　a　general　analogy　between　the　things　of　the　All　and　our　own　members…　none　of　quite　equal　rank。　　　　　All　living　things；　then…　all　in　the　heavens　and　all　elsewhere…　fall　under　the　general　Reason…Principle　of　the　All…　they　have　been　made　parts　with　a　view　to　the　whole：　not　one　of　these　parts；　however　exalted；　has　power　to　effect　any　alteration　of　these　Reason…Principles　or　of　things　shaped　by　them　and　to　them；　some　modification　one　part　may　work　upon　another；　whether　for　better　or　for　worse；　but　there　is　no　power　that　can　wrest　anything　outside　of　its　distinct　nature。　　　　　The　part　effecting　such　a　modification　for　the　worse　may　act　in　several　ways。　　　　　It　may　set　up　some　weakness　restricted　to　the　material　frame。　Or　it　may　carry　the　weakness　through　to　the　sympathetic　Soul　which　by　the　medium　of　the　material　frame；　become　a　power　to　debasement；　has　been　delivered　over；　though　never　in　its　essence；　to　the　inferior　order　of　being。　Or；　in　the　case　of　a　material　frame　ill…organized；　it　may　check　all　such　action　＇of　the　Soul＇　upon　the　material　frame　as　demands　a　certain　collaboration　in　the　part　acted　upon：　thus　a　lyre　may　be　so　ill…strung　as　to　be　incapable　of　the　melodic　exactitude　necessary　to　musical　effect。　　　　　14。　What　of　poverty　and　riches；　glory　and　power？　　　　　In　the　case　of　inherited　fortune；　the　stars　merely　announce　a　rich　man；　exactly　as　they　announce　the　high　social　standing　of　the　child　born　to　a　distinguished　house。　　　　　Wealth　may　be　due　to　personal　activity：　in　this　case　if　the　body　has　contributed；　part　of　the　effect　is　due　to　whatever　has　contributed　towards　the　physical　powers；　first　the　parents　and　then；　if　place　has　had　its　influence；　sky　and　earth；　if　the　body　has　borne　no　part　of　the　burden；　then　the　success；　and　all　the　splendid　accompaniments　added　by　the　Recompensers；　must　be　attributed　to　virtue　exclusively。　If　fortune　has　come　by　gift　from　the　good；　then　the　source　of　the　wealth　is；　again；　virtue：　if　by　gift　from　the　evil；　but　to　a　meritorious　recipient；　then　the　credit　must　be　given　to　the　action　of　the　best　in　them：　if　the　recipient　is　himself　unprincipled；　the　wealth　must　be　attributed　primarily　to　the　very　wickedness　and　to　whatsoever　is　responsible　for　the　wickedness；　while　the　givers　bear　an　equal　share　in　the　wrong。　　　　　When　the　success　is　due　to　labour；　tillage　for　example；　it　must　be　put　down　to　the　tiller；　with　all　his　environment　as　contributory。　In　the　case　of　treasure…trove；　something　from　the　All　has　entered　into　action；　and　if　this　be　so；　it　will　be　foreshown…　since　all　things　make　a　chain；　so　that　we　can　speak　of　things　universally。　Money　is　lost：　if　by　robbery；　the　blame　lies　with　the　robber　and　the　native　principle　guiding　him：　if　by　shipwreck；　the　cause　is　the　chain　of　events。　As　for　good　fame；　it　is　either　deserved　and　then　is　due　to　the　services　done　and　to　the　merit　of　those　appraising　them；　or　it　is　undeserved；　and　then　must　be　attributed　to　the　injustice　of　those　making　the　award。　And　the　same　principle　holds　is　regards　power…　for　this　also　may　be　rightly　or　unrightly　placed…　it　depends　either　upon　the　merit　of　the　dispensers　of　place　or　upon　the　man　himself　who　has　effected　his　purpose　by　the　organization　of　supporters　or　in　many　other　possible　ways。　Marriages；　similarly；　are　brought　about　either　by　choice　or　by　chance　interplay　of　circumstance。　And　births　are　determined　by　marriages：　the　child　is　moulded　true　to　type　when　all　goes　well；　otherwise　it　is　marred　by　some　inner　detriment；　something　due　to　the　mother　personally　or　to　an　environment　unfavourable　to　that　particular　conception。　　　　　15。　According　to　Plato；　lots　and　choice　play　a　part　＇in　the　determination　of　human　conditions＇　before　the　Spindle　of　Necessity　is　turned；　that　once　done；　only　the　Spindle…destiny　is　valid；　it　fixes　the　chosen　conditions　irretrievably　since　the　elected　guardian…spirit　becomes　accessory　to　their　accomplishment。　　　　　But　what　is　the　significance　of　the　Lots？　　　　　By　the　Lots　we　are　to　understand　birth　into　the　conditions　actually　existent　in　the　All　at　the　particular　moment　of　each　entry　into　body；　birth　into　such　and　such　a　physical　frame；　from　such　and　such　parents；　in　this　or　that　place；　and　generally　all　that　in　our　phraseology　is　the　External。　　　　　For　Particulars　and　Universals　alike　it　is　established　that　to　the　first　of　those　known　as　the　Fates；　to　Clotho　the　Spinner；　must　be　due　the　unity　and　as　it　were　interweaving　of　all　that　exists：　Lachesis　presides　over　the　Lots：　to　Atropos　must　necessarily　belong　the　conduct　of　mundane　events。　　　　　Of　men；　some　enter　into　life　as　fragments　of　the　All；　bound　to　that　which　is　external　to　themselves：　they　are　victims　of　a　sort　of　fascination；　and　are　hardly；　or　not　at　all；　themselves：　but　others　mastering　all　this…　straining；　so　to　speak；　by　the　head　towards　the　Higher；　to　what　is　outside　even　the　Soul…　preserve　still　the　nobility　and　the　ancient　privilege　of　the　Soul's　essential　being。　　　　　For　certainly　we　cannot　think　of　the　Soul　as　a　thing　whose　nature　is　just　a　sum　of　impressions　from　outside…　as　if　it；　alone；　of　all　that　exists；　had　no　native　character。　　　　　No：　much　more　than　all　else；　the　Soul；　possessing　the　Idea　which　belongs　to　a　Principle；　must　have　as　its　native　wealth　many　powers　serving　to　the　activities　of　its　Kind。　It　is　an　Essential…Existent　and　with　this　Existence　must　go　desire　and　act　and　the　tendency　towards　some　good。　　　　　While　body　and　soul　stand　one　combined　thing；　there　is　a　joint　nature；　a　definite　entity　having　definite　functions　and　employments；　but　as　soon　as　any　Soul　is　detached；　its　employments　are　kept　apart；　its　very　own：　it　ceases　to　take　the　body's　concerns　to　itself：　it　has　vision　now：　body　and　soul　stand　widely　apart。　　　　　16。　The　question　arises　what　phase　of　the　Soul　enters　into　the　union　for　the　period　of　embodiment　and　what　phase　remains　distinct；　what　is　separable　and　what　necessarily　interlinked；　and　in　general　what　the　Living…Being　is。　　　　　On　all　this　there　has　been　a　conflict　of　teaching：　the　matter　must　be　examined　later　on　from　quite　other　considerations　than　occupy　us　here。　For　the　present　let　us　explain　in　what　sense　we　have　described　the　All　as　the　expressed　idea　of　the　Governing　Soul。　　　　　One　theory　might　be　that　the　Soul　creates　the　particular　entities　in　succession…　man　followed　by　horse　and　other　animals　domestic　or　wild：　fire　and　earth；　though；　first　of　all…　that　it　watches　these　creations　acting　upon　each　other　whether　to　help　or　to　harm；　observes；　and　no　more；　the　tangled　web　formed　of　all　these　strands；　and　their　unfailing　sequences；　and　that　it　makes　no　concern　of　the　result　beyond　securing　the　reproduction　of　the　primal　living…beings；　leaving　them　for　the　rest　to　act　upon　each　other　according　to　their　definite　natures。　　　　　Another　view　makes　the　soul　answerable　for　all　that　thus　comes　about；　since　its　first　creations　have　set　up　the　entire　enchainment。　　　　　No　doubt　the　Reason…Principle　＇conveyed　by　the　Soul＇　covers　all　the　action　and　experience　of　this　realm：　nothing　happens；　even　here；　by　any　form　of　haphazard；　all　follows　a　necessary　order。　　　　　Is　everything；　then；　to　be　attributed　to　the　act　of　the　Reason…Principles？　　　　　To　their　existence；　no　doubt；　but　not　to　their　effective　action；　they　exist　and　they　know；　or　better；　the　Soul；　which　contains　the　engendering　Reason…Principle；　knows　the　results　of　all　it　has　brought　to　pass。　For　whensoever　similar　factors　meet　and　act　in　relation　to　each　other；　similar　consequences　must　inevitably　ensue：　the　Soul　adopting　or　foreplanning　the　given　conditions　accomplishes　the　due　outcome　and　links　all　into　a　total。　　　　　All；　then；　is　antecedent　and　resultant；　each　sequent　becoming　in　turn　an　antecedent　once　it　has　taken　its　place　among　things。　And　perhaps　this　is　a　cause　of　progressive　deterioration：　men；　for　instance；　are　not　as　they　were　of　old；　by　dint　of　interval　and　of　the　inevitable　law；　the　Reason…Principles　have　ceded　something　to　the　characteristics　of　the　Matter。　　　　　But