the six enneads-第189章

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self。　There　are　problems　here　that　demand　investigation。　　　　　But　since　we　identified　the　amalgam　of　the　Existents　＇or　primary　genera＇　with　the　particular　intellect；　Intellect　as　such　being　found　identical　with　Being　or　Substance；　and　therefore　prior　to　all　the　Existents；　which　may　be　regarded　as　its　species　or　members；　we　may　infer　that　the　intellect；　considered　as　completely　unfolded；　is　a　subsequent。　　　　　Our　treatment　of　this　problem　may　serve　to　promote　our　investigation；　we　will　take　it　as　a　kind　of　example；　and　with　it　embark　upon　our　enquiry。　　　　　20。　We　may　thus　distinguish　two　phases　of　Intellect；　in　one　of　which　it　may　be　taken　as　having　no　contact　whatever　with　particulars　and　no　Act　upon　anything；　thus　it　is　kept　apart　from　being　a　particular　intellect。　In　the　same　way　science　is　prior　to　any　of　its　constituent　species；　and　the　specific　science　is　prior　to　any　of　its　component　parts：　being　none　of　its　particulars；　it　is　the　potentiality　of　all；　each　particular；　on　the　other　hand；　is　actually　itself；　but　potentially　the　sum　of　all　the　particulars：　and　as　with　the　specific　science；　so　with　science　as　a　whole。　The　specific　sciences　lie　in　potentiality　in　science　the　total；　even　in　their　specific　character　they　are　potentially　the　whole；　they　have　the　whole　predicated　of　them　and　not　merely　a　part　of　the　whole。　At　the　same　time；　science　must　exist　as　a　thing　in　itself；　unharmed　by　its　divisions。　　　　　So　with　Intellect。　Intellect　as　a　whole　must　be　thought　of　as　prior　to　the　intellects　actualized　as　individuals；　but　when　we　come　to　the　particular　intellects；　we　find　that　what　subsists　in　the　particulars　must　be　maintained　from　the　totality。　The　Intellect　subsisting　in　the　totality　is　a　provider　for　the　particular　intellects；　is　the　potentiality　of　them：　it　involves　them　as　members　of　its　universality；　while　they　in　turn　involve　the　universal　Intellect　in　their　particularity；　just　as　the　particular　science　involves　science　the　total。　　　　　The　great　Intellect；　we　maintain；　exists　in　itself　and　the　particular　intellects　in　themselves；　yet　the　particulars　are　embraced　in　the　whole；　and　the　whole　in　the　particulars。　The　particular　intellects　exist　by　themselves　and　in　another；　the　universal　by　itself　and　in　those。　All　the　particulars　exist　potentially　in　that　self…existent　universal；　which　actually　is　the　totality；　potentially　each　isolated　member：　on　the　other　hand；　each　particular　is　actually　what　it　is　＇its　individual　self＇；　potentially　the　totality。　In　so　far　as　what　is　predicated　of　them　is　their　essence；　they　are　actually　what　is　predicated　of　them；　but　where　the　predicate　is　a　genus；　they　are　that　only　potentially。　On　the　other　hand；　the　universal　in　so　far　as　it　is　a　genus　is　the　potentiality　of　all　its　subordinate　species；　though　none　of　them　in　actuality；　all　are　latent　in　it；　but　because　its　essential　nature　exists　in　actuality　before　the　existence　of　the　species；　it　does　not　submit　to　be　itself　particularized。　If　then　the　particulars　are　to　exist　in　actuality…　to　exist；　for　example；　as　species…　the　cause　must　lie　in　the　Act　radiating　from　the　universal。　　　　　21。　How　then　does　the　universal　Intellect　produce　the　particulars　while；　in　virtue　of　its　Reason…Principle；　remaining　a　unity？　In　other　words；　how　do　the　various　grades　of　Being；　as　we　call　them；　arise　from　the　four　primaries？　Here　is　this　great；　this　infinite　Intellect；　not　given　to　idle　utterance　but　to　sheer　intellection；　all…embracing；　integral；　no　part；　no　individual：　how；　we　ask；　can　it　possibly　be　the　source　of　all　this　plurality？　　　　　Number　at　all　events　it　possesses　in　the　objects　of　its　contemplation：　it　is　thus　one　and　many；　and　the　many　are　powers；　wonderful　powers；　not　weak　but；　being　pure；　supremely　great　and；　so　to　speak；　full　to　overflowing　powers　in　very　truth；　knowing　no　limit；　so　that　they　are　infinite；　infinity；　Magnitude…Absolute。　　　　　As　we　survey　this　Magnitude　with　the　beauty　of　Being　within　it　and　the　glory　and　light　around　it；　all　contained　in　Intellect；　we　see；　simultaneously；　Quality　already　in　bloom；　and　along　with　the　continuity　of　its　Act　we　catch　a　glimpse　of　Magnitude　at　Rest。　Then；　with　one；　two　and　three　in　Intellect；　Magnitude　appears　as　of　three　dimensions；　with　Quantity　entire。　Quantity　thus　given　and　Quality；　both　merging　into　one　and；　we　may　almost　say；　becoming　one；　there　is　at　once　shape。　Difference　slips　in　to　divide　both　Quantity　and　Quality；　and　so　we　have　variations　in　shape　and　differences　of　Quality。　Identity；　coming　in　with　Difference；　creates　equality；　Difference　meanwhile　introducing　into　Quantity　inequality；　whether　in　number　or　in　magnitude：　thus　are　produced　circles　and　squares；　and　irregular　figures；　with　number　like　and　unlike；　odd　and　even。　　　　　The　life　of　Intellect　is　intelligent；　and　its　activity　＇Act＇　has　no　failing…point：　hence　it　excludes　none　of　the　constituents　we　have　discovered　within　it；　each　one　of　which　we　now　see　as　an　intellectual　function；　and　all　of　them　possessed　by　virtue　of　its　distinctive　power　and　in　the　mode　appropriate　to　Intellect。　　　　　But　though　Intellect　possesses　them　all　by　way　of　thought；　this　is　not　discursive　thought：　nothing　it　lacks　that　is　capable　of　serving　as　Reason…Principle；　while　it　may　itself　be　regarded　as　one　great　and　perfect　Reason…Principle；　holding　all　the　Principles　as　one　and　proceeding　from　its　own　Primaries；　or　rather　having　eternally　proceeded；　so　that　〃proceeding〃　is　never　true　of　it。　It　is　a　universal　rule　that　whatever　reasoning　discovers　to　exist　in　Nature　is　to　be　found　in　Intellect　apart　from　all　ratiocination：　we　conclude　that　Being　has　so　created　Intellect　that　its　reasoning　is　after　a　mode　similar　to　that　of　the　Principles　which　produce　living　beings；　for　the　Reason…Principles；　prior　to　reasoning　though　they　are；　act　invariably　in　the　manner　which　the　most　careful　reasoning　would　adopt　in　order　to　attain　the　best　results。　　　　　What　conditions；　then；　are　we　to　think　of　as　existing　in　that　realm　which　is　prior　to　Nature　and　transcends　the　Principles　of　Nature？　In　a　sphere　in　which　Substance　is　not　distinct　from　Intellect；　and　neither　Being　nor　Intellect　is　of　alien　origin；　it　is　obvious　that　Being　is　best　served　by　the　domination　of　Intellect；　so　that　Being　is　what　Intellect　wills　and　is：　thus　alone　can　it　be　authentic　and　primary　Being；　for　if　Being　is　to　be　in　any　sense　derived；　its　derivation　must　be　from　Intellect。　　　　　Being；　thus；　exhibits　every　shape　and　every　quality；　it　is　not　seen　as　a　thing　determined　by　some　one　particular　quality；　there　could　not　be　one　only；　since　the　principle　of　Difference　is　there；　and　since　Identity　is　equally　there；　it　must　be　simultaneously　one　and　many。　And　so　Being　is；　such　it　always　was：　unity…with…plurality　appears　in　all　its　species；　as　witness　all　the　variations　of　magnitude；　shape　and　quality。　Clearly　nothing　may　legitimately　be　excluded　＇from　Being＇；　for　the　whole　must　be　complete　in　the　higher　sphere　which；　otherwise；　would　not　be　the　whole。　　　　　Life；　too；　burst　upon　Being；　or　rather　was　inseparably　bound　up　with　it；　and　thus　it　was　that　all　living　things　of　necessity　came　to　be。　Body　too　was　there；　since　Matter　and　Quality　were　present。　　　　　Everything　exists　forever；　unfailing；　involved　by　very　existence　in　eter