the six enneads-第61章

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y　dreadful　in　this　transformation　of　living　beings　one　into　another？　　　　　Surely　it　is　much　better　so　than　if　they　had　never　existed：　that　way　would　mean　the　bleak　quenching　of　life；　precluded　from　passing　outside　itself；　as　the　plan　holds；　life　is　poured　copiously　throughout　a　Universe；　engendering　the　universal　things　and　weaving　variety　into　their　being；　never　at　rest　from　producing　an　endless　sequence　of　comeliness　and　shapeliness；　a　living　pastime。　　　　　Men　directing　their　weapons　against　each　other…　under　doom　of　death　yet　neatly　lined　up　to　fight　as　in　the　pyrrhic　sword…dances　of　their　sport…　this　is　enough　to　tell　us　that　all　human　intentions　are　but　play；　that　death　is　nothing　terrible；　that　to　die　in　a　war　or　in　a　fight　is　but　to　taste　a　little　beforehand　what　old　age　has　in　store；　to　go　away　earlier　and　come　back　the　sooner。　So　for　misfortunes　that　may　accompany　life；　the　loss　of　property；　for　instance；　the　loser　will　see　that　there　was　a　time　when　it　was　not　his；　that　its　possession　is　but　a　mock　boon　to　the　robbers；　who　will　in　their　turn　lose　it　to　others；　and　even　that　to　retain　property　is　a　greater　loss　than　to　forfeit　it。　　　　　Murders；　death　in　all　its　guises；　the　reduction　and　sacking　of　cities；　all　must　be　to　us　just　such　a　spectacle　as　the　changing　scenes　of　a　play；　all　is　but　the　varied　incident　of　a　plot；　costume　on　and　off；　acted　grief　and　lament。　For　on　earth；　in　all　the　succession　of　life；　it　is　not　the　Soul　within　but　the　Shadow　outside　of　the　authentic　man；　that　grieves　and　complains　and　acts　out　the　plot　on　this　world　stage　which　men　have　dotted　with　stages　of　their　own　constructing。　All　this　is　the　doing　of　man　knowing　no　more　than　to　live　the　lower　and　outer　life；　and　never　perceiving　that；　in　his　weeping　and　in　his　graver　doings　alike；　he　is　but　at　play；　to　handle　austere　matters　austerely　is　reserved　for　the　thoughtful：　the　other　kind　of　man　is　himself　a　futility。　Those　incapable　of　thinking　gravely　read　gravity　into　frivolities　which　correspond　to　their　own　frivolous　Nature。　Anyone　that　joins　in　their　trifling　and　so　comes　to　look　on　life　with　their　eyes　must　understand　that　by　lending　himself　to　such　idleness　he　has　laid　aside　his　own　character。　If　Socrates　himself　takes　part　in　the　trifling；　he　trifles　in　the　outer　Socrates。　　　　　We　must　remember；　too；　that　we　cannot　take　tears　and　laments　as　proof　that　anything　is　wrong；　children　cry　and　whimper　where　there　is　nothing　amiss。　　　　　16。　But　if　all　this　is　true；　what　room　is　left　for　evil？　Where　are　we　to　place　wrong…doing　and　sin？　　　　　How　explain　that　in　a　world　organized　in　good；　the　efficient　agents　＇human　beings＇　behave　unjustly；　commit　sin？　And　how　comes　misery　if　neither　sin　nor　injustice　exists？　　　　　Again；　if　all　our　action　is　determined　by　a　natural　process；　how　can　the　distinction　be　maintained　between　behaviour　in　accordance　with　nature　and　behaviour　in　conflict　with　it？　　　　　And　what　becomes　of　blasphemy　against　the　divine？　The　blasphemer　is　made　what　he　is：　a　dramatist　has　written　a　part　insulting　and　maligning　himself　and　given　it　to　an　actor　to　play。　　　　　These　considerations　oblige　us　to　state　the　Logos　＇the　Reason…Principle　of　the　Universe＇　once　again；　and　more　clearly；　and　to　justify　its　nature。　　　　　This　Reason…Principle；　then…　let　us　dare　the　definition　in　the　hope　of　conveying　the　truth…　this　Logos　is　not　the　Intellectual　Principle　unmingled；　not　the　Absolute　Divine　Intellect；　nor　does　it　descend　from　the　pure　Soul　alone；　it　is　a　dependent　of　that　Soul　while；　in　a　sense；　it　is　a　radiation　from　both　those　divine　Hypostases；　the　Intellectual　Principle　and　the　Soul…　the　Soul　as　conditioned　by　the　Intellectual　Principle　engender　this　Logos　which　is　a　Life　holding　restfully　a　certain　measure　of　Reason。　　　　　Now　all　life；　even　the　least　valuable；　is　an　activity；　and　not　a　blind　activity　like　that　of　flame；　even　where　there　is　not　sensation　the　activity　of　life　is　no　mere　haphazard　play　of　Movement：　any　object　in　which　life　is　present；　and　object　which　participates　in　Life；　is　at　once　enreasoned　in　the　sense　that　the　activity　peculiar　to　life　is　formative；　shaping　as　it　moves。　　　　　Life；　then；　aims　at　pattern　as　does　the　pantomimic　dancer　with　his　set　movements；　the　mime；　in　himself；　represents　life；　and；　besides；　his　movements　proceed　in　obedience　to　a　pattern　designed　to　symbolize　life。　　　　　Thus　far　to　give　us　some　idea　of　the　nature　of　Life　in　general。　　　　　But　this　Reason…Principle　which　emanates　from　the　complete　unity；　divine　Mind；　and　the　complete　unity　Life　＇=　Soul＇…　is　neither　a　uniate　complete　Life　nor　a　uniate　complete　divine　Mind；　nor　does　it　give　itself　whole　and　all…including　to　its　subject。　＇By　an　imperfect　communication＇　it　sets　up　a　conflict　of　part　against　part：　it　produces　imperfect　things　and　so　engenders　and　maintains　war　and　attack；　and　thus　its　unity　can　be　that　only　of　a　sum…total　not　of　a　thing　undivided。　At　war　with　itself　in　the　parts　which　it　now　exhibits；　it　has　the　unity；　or　harmony；　of　a　drama　torn　with　struggle。　The　drama；　of　course；　brings　the　conflicting　elements　to　one　final　harmony；　weaving　the　entire　story　of　the　clashing　characters　into　one　thing；　while　in　the　Logos　the　conflict　of　the　divergent　elements　rises　within　the　one　element；　the　Reason…Principle：　the　comparison　therefore　is　rather　with　a　harmony　emerging　directly　from　the　conflicting　elements　themselves；　and　the　question　becomes　what　introduces　clashing　elements　among　these　Reason…Principles。　　　　　Now　in　the　case　of　music；　tones　high　and　low　are　the　product　of　Reason…Principles　which；　by　the　fact　that　they　are　Principles　of　harmony；　meet　in　the　unit　of　Harmony；　the　absolute　Harmony；　a　more　comprehensive　Principle；　greater　than　they　and　including　them　as　its　parts。　Similarly　in　the　Universe　at　large　we　find　contraries…　white　and　black；　hot　and　cold；　winged　and　wingless；　footed　and　footless；　reasoning　and　unreasoning…　but　all　these　elements　are　members　of　one　living　body；　their　sum…total；　the　Universe　is　a　self…accordant　entity；　its　members　everywhere　clashing　but　the　total　being　the　manifestation　of　a　Reason…Principle。　That　one　Reason…Principle；　then；　must　be　the　unification　of　conflicting　Reason…Principles　whose　very　opposition　is　the　support　of　its　coherence　and；　almost；　of　its　Being。　　　　　And　indeed；　if　it　were　not　multiple；　it　could　not　be　a　Universal　Principle；　it　could　not　even　be　at　all　a　Reason…Principle；　in　the　fact　of　its　being　a　Reason…Principle　is　contained　the　fact　of　interior　difference。　Now　the　maximum　of　difference　is　contrariety；　admitting　that　this　differentiation　exists　and　creates；　it　will　create　difference　in　the　greatest　and　not　in　the　least　degree；　in　other　words；　the　Reason…Principle；　bringing　about　differentiation　to　the　uttermost　degree；　will　of　necessity　create　contrarieties：　it　will　be　complete　only　by　producing　itself　not　in　merely　diverse　things　but　in　contrary　things。　　　　　17。　The　nature　of　the　Reason…Principle　is　adequately　expressed　in　its　Act　and；　therefore；　the　wider　its　extension　the　nearer　will　its　productions　approach　to　full　contrariety：　hence　the　world　of　sense　is　less　a　unity　than　is　its　Reason…Principle；　it　contains　a　wider　multiplicity　and　contrariety：　its　partial　members　will；　therefore；　be　urged　by　a　closer　in