the six enneads-第87节

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　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。　The　ordering　soul　remains　august；　a　circle；　as　we　may　figure　it；　in　complete　adaptation　to　its　centre；　widening　outward；　but　fast　upon　it　still；　an　outspreading　without　interval。　　　　　The　total　scheme　may　be　summarized　in　the　illustration　of　The　Good　as　a　centre；　the　Intellectual…Principle　as　an　unmoving　circle；　the　Soul　as　a　circle　in　motion；　its　moving　being　its　aspiration：　the　Intellectual…Principle　possesses　and　has　ever　embraced　that　which　is　beyond　being；　the　soul　must　seek　it　still：　the　sphere　of　the　universe；　by　its　possession　of　the　soul　thus　aspirant；　is　moved　to　the　aspiration　which　falls　within　its　own　nature；　this　is　no　more　than　such　power　as　body　may　have；　the　mode　of　pursuit　possible　where　the　object　pursued　is　debarred　from　entrance；　it　is　the　motion　of　coiling　about；　with　ceaseless　return　upon　the　same　path…　in　other　words；　it　is　circuit。　　　　　17。　But　how　comes　it　that　the　intuitions　and　the　Reason…Principles　of　the　soul　are　not　in　the　same　timeless　fashion　within　ourselves；　but　that　here　the　later　of　order　is　converted　into　a　later　of　time…　bringing　in　all　these　doubts？　　　　　Is　it　because　in　us　the　governing　and　the　answering　principles　are　many　and　there　is　no　sovereign　unity？　　　　　That　condition；　and；　further；　the　fact　that　our　mental　acts　fall　into　a　series　according　to　the　succession　of　our　needs；　being　not　self…determined　but　guided　by　the　variations　of　the　external：　thus　the　will　changes　to　meet　every　incident　as　each　fresh　need　arises　and　as　the　external　impinges　in　its　successive　things　and　events。　　　　　A　variety　of　governing　principles　must　mean　variety　in　the　images　formed　upon　the　representative　faculty；　images　not　issuing　from　one　internal　centre；　but；　by　difference　of　origin　and　of　acting…　point；　strange　to　each　other；　and　so　bringing　compulsion　to　bear　upon　the　movements　and　efficiencies　of　the　self。　　　　　When　the　desiring　faculty　is　stirred；　there　is　a　presentment　of　the　object…　a　sort　of　sensation；　in　announcement　and　in　picture；　of　the　experience…　calling　us　to　follow　and　to　attain：　th