the six enneads-第80章

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since　it　is　the　Material　of　the　entire　Here；　not　of　any　one　determined　thing：　what　is；　in　its　own　character；　no　determined　thing　may　become　determined　by　an　outside　force…　though；　in　becoming　thus　determined；　it　does　not　become　the　definite　thing　in　question；　for　thus　it　would　lose　its　own　characteristic　indetermination。　　　　　18。　The　Ideal　Principle　possessing　the　Intellection　＇=　Idea；　Noesis＇　of　Magnitude…　assuming　that　this　Intellection　is　of　such　power　as　not　merely　to　subsist　within　itself　but　to　be　urged　outward　as　it　were　by　the　intensity　of　its　life…　will　necessarily　realize　itself　in　a　Kind　＇=　Matter＇　not　having　its　being　in　the　Intellective　Principle；　not　previously　possessing　the　Idea　of　Magnitude　or　any　trace　of　that　Idea　or　any　other。　　　　　What　then　will　it　produce　＇in　this　Matter＇　by　virtue　of　that　power？　　　　　Not　horse　or　cow：　these　are　the　product　of　other　Ideas。　　　　　No：　this　Principle　comes　from　the　source　of　Magnitude　＇=　is　primal　〃Magnitude〃＇　and　therefore　Matter　can　have　no　extension；　in　which　to　harbour　the　Magnitude　of　the　Principle；　but　can　take　in　only　its　reflected　appearance。　　　　　To　the　thing　which　does　not　enjoy　Magnitude　in　the　sense　of　having　mass…extension　in　its　own　substance　and　parts；　the　only　possibility　is　that　it　present　some　partial　semblance　of　Magnitude；　such　as　being　continuous；　not　here　and　there　and　everywhere；　that　its　parts　be　related　within　it　and　ungapped。　An　adequate　reflection　of　a　great　mass　cannot　be　produced　in　a　small　space…　mere　size　prevents…　but　the　greater；　pursuing　the　hope　of　that　full　self…presentment；　makes　progress　towards　it　and　brings　about　a　nearer　approach　to　adequate　mirroring　in　the　parallel　from　which　it　can　never　withhold　its　radiation：　thus　it　confers　Magnitude　upon　that　＇=　Matter＇　which　has　none　and　cannot　even　muster　up　the　appearance　of　having　any；　and　the　visible　resultant　exhibits　the　Magnitude　of　mass。　　　　　Matter；　then；　wears　Magnitude　as　a　dress　thrown　about　it　by　its　association　with　that　Absolute　Magnitude　to　whose　movement　it　must　answer；　but　it　does　not；　for　that；　change　its　Kind；　if　the　Idea　which　has　clothed　it　were　to　withdraw；　it　would　once　again　be　what　it　permanently　is；　what　it　is　by　its　own　strength；　or　it　would　have　precisely　the　Magnitude　lent　to　it　by　any　other　form　that　happens　to　be　present　in　it。　　　　　The　＇Universal＇　Soul…　containing　the　Ideal　Principles　of　Real…Beings；　and　itself　an　Ideal　Principle…　includes　all　in　concentration　within　itself；　just　as　the　Ideal　Principle　of　each　particular　entity　is　complete　and　self…contained：　it；　therefore；　sees　these　principles　of　sensible　things　because　they　are　turned；　as　it　were；　towards　it　and　advancing　to　it：　but　it　cannot　harbour　them　in　their　plurality；　for　it　cannot　depart　from　its　Kind；　it　sees　them；　therefore；　stripped　of　Mass。　Matter；　on　the　contrary；　destitute　of　resisting　power　since　it　has　no　Act　of　its　own　and　is　a　mere　shadow；　can　but　accept　all　that　an　active　power　may　choose　to　send。　In　what　is　thus　sent；　from　the　Reason…Principle　in　the　Intellectual　Realm；　there　is　already　contained　a　degree　of　the　partial　object　that　is　to　be　formed：　in　the　image…making　impulse　within　the　Reason…Principle　there　is　already　a　step　＇towards　the　lower　manifestation＇　or　we　may　put　it　that　the　downward　movement　from　the　Reason…Principle　is　a　first　form　of　the　partial：　utter　absence　of　partition　would　mean　no　movement　but　＇sterile＇　repose。　Matter　cannot　be　the　home　of　all　things　in　concentration　as　the　Soul　is：　if　it　were　so；　it　would　belong　to　the　Intellective　Sphere。　It　must　be　all…recipient　but　not　in　that　partless　mode。　It　is　to　be　the　Place　of　all　things；　and　it　must　therefore　extend　universally；　offer　itself　to　all　things；　serve　to　all　interval：　thus　it　will　be　a　thing　unconfined　to　any　moment　＇of　space　or　time＇　but　laid　out　in　submission　to　all　that　is　to　be。　　　　　But　would　we　not　expect　that　some　one　particularized　form　should　occupy　Matter　＇at　once＇　and　so　exclude　such　others　as　are　not　able　to　enter　into　combination？　　　　　No：　for　there　is　no　first　Idea　except　the　Ideal　Principle　of　the　Universe…　and；　by　this　Idea；　Matter　is　＇the　seat　of＇　all　things　at　once　and　of　the　particular　thing　in　its　parts…　for　the　Matter　of　a　living　being　is　disparted　according　to　the　specific　parts　of　the　organism：　if　there　were　no　such　partition　nothing　would　exist　but　the　Reason…Principle。　　　　　19。　The　Ideal　Principles　entering　into　Matter　as　to　a　Mother　＇to　be　〃born　into　the　Universe〃＇　affect　it　neither　for　better　nor　for　worse。　　　　　Their　action　is　not　upon　Matter　but　upon　each　other；　these　powers　conflict　with　their　opponent　principles；　not　with　their　substrata…　which　it　would　be　foolish　to　confuse　with　the　entrant　forms…　Heat　＇the　Principle＇　annuls　Cold；　and　Blackness　annuls　Whiteness；　or；　the　opponents　blend　to　form　an　intermediate　quality。　Only　that　is　affected　which　enters　into　combinations：　being　affected　is　losing　something　of　self…identity。　　　　　In　beings　of　soul　and　body；　the　affection　occurs　in　the　body；　modified　according　to　the　qualities　and　powers　presiding　at　the　act　of　change：　in　all　such　dissolution　of　constituent　parts；　in　the　new　combinations；　in　all　variation　from　the　original　structure；　the　affection　is　bodily；　the　Soul　or　Mind　having　no　more　than　an　accompanying　knowledge　of　the　more　drastic　changes；　or　perhaps　not　even　that。　＇Body　is　modified：　Mind　knows＇　but　the　Matter　concerned　remains　unaffected；　heat　enters；　cold　leaves　it；　and　it　is　unchanged　because　neither　Principle　is　associated　with　it　as　friend　or　enemy。　　　　　So　the　appellation　〃Recipient　and　Nurse〃　is　the　better　description：　Matter　is　the　mother　only　in　the　sense　indicated；　it　has　no　begetting　power。　But　probably　the　term　Mother　is　used　by　those　who　think　of　a　Mother　as　Matter　to　the　offspring；　as　a　container　only；　giving　nothing　to　them；　the　entire　bodily　frame　of　the　child　being　formed　out　of　food。　But　if　this　Mother　does　give　anything　to　the　offspring　it　does　so　not　in　its　quality　as　Matter　but　as　being　an　Ideal…Form；　for　only　the　Idea　is　generative；　the　contrary　Kind　is　sterile。　　　　　This；　I　think；　is　why　the　doctors　of　old；　teaching　through　symbols　and　mystic　representations；　exhibit　the　ancient　Hermes　with　the　generative　organ　always　in　active　posture；　this　is　to　convey　that　the　generator　of　things　of　sense　is　the　Intellectual　Reason　Principle：　the　sterility　of　Matter；　eternally　unmoved；　is　indicated　by　the　eunuchs　surrounding　it　in　its　representation　as　the　All…Mother。　　　　　This　too　exalting　title　is　conferred　upon　it　in　order　to　indicate　that　it　is　the　source　of　things　in　the　sense　of　being　their　underlie：　it　is　an　approximate　name　chosen　for　a　general　conception；　there　is　no　intention　of　suggesting　a　complete　parallel　with　motherhood　to　those　not　satisfied　with　a　surface　impression　but　needing　a　precisely　true　presentment；　by　a　remote　symbolism；　the　nearest　they　could　find；　they　indicate　that　Matter　is　sterile；　not　female　to　full　effect；　female　in　receptivity　only；　not　in　pregnancy：　this　they　accomplish　by　exhibiting　Matter　as　approached　by　what　is　neither　female　nor　effectively　male；　but　castrated　of　that　impregnating　power　which　belongs　only　to　the　unchangeably　masculine。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SEVENTH　TRACTATE。