the six enneads-第97章

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ing　in　which　a　distinct　power　operates　in　each　separate　function。　All　the　powers　are　present　either　in　seeing　or　in　hearing；　the　difference　in　impression　received　is　due　to　the　difference　in　the　organs　concerned；　all　the　varying　impressions　are　our　various　responses　to　Ideal…forms　that　can　be　taken　in　a　variety　of　modes。　　　　　A　further　proof　＇of　the　unity　of　Soul＇　is　that　perception　demands　a　common　gathering　place；　every　organ　has　its　distinct　function；　and　is　competent　only　upon　its　own　material；　and　must　interpret　each　several　experience　in　its　own　fashion；　the　judgement　upon　these　impressions　must；　then；　be　vested　in　some　one　principle；　a　judge　informed　upon　all　that　is　said　and　done。　　　　　But　again：　〃Everywhere；　Unity〃：　in　the　variety　of　functions　if　each　〃part　of　the　soul〃　were　as　distinct　as　are　the　entrant　sensations；　none　of　those　parts　could　have　knowledge；　awareness　would　belong　only　to　that　judging　faculty…　or；　if　local；　every　such　act　of　awareness　would　stand　quite　unrelated　to　any　other。　But　since　the　soul　is　a　rational　soul；　by　the　very　same　title　by　which　it　is　an　All…Soul；　and　is　called　the　rational　soul；　in　the　sense　of　being　a　whole　＇and　so　not　merely　〃reasoning　locally〃＇；　then　what　is　thought　of　as　a　part　must　in　reality　be　no　part　but　the　identity　of　an　unparted　thing。　　　　　4。　But　if　this　is　the　true　account　of　the　unity　of　soul；　we　must　be　able　to　meet　the　problems　that　ensue：　firstly；　the　difficulty　of　one　thing　being　present　at　the　same　moment　in　all　things；　and；　secondly；　the　difficulty　of　soul　in　body　as　against　soul　not　embodied。　　　　　We　might　be　led　to　think　that　all　soul　must　always　inhabit　body；　this　would　seem　especially　plausible　in　the　case　of　the　soul　of　the　universe；　not　thought　of　as　ever　leaving　its　body　as　the　human　soul　does：　there　exists；　no　doubt；　an　opinion　that　even　the　human　soul；　while　it　must　leave　the　body；　cannot　become　an　utterly　disembodied　thing；　but　assuming　its　complete　disembodiment；　how　comes　it　that　the　human　soul　can　go　free　of　the　body　but　the　All…Soul　not；　though　they　are　one　and　the　same？　　　　　There　is　no　such　difficulty　in　the　case　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　by　the　primal　differentiation；　this　separates；　no　doubt；　into　partial　things　of　widely　varying　nature；　but　eternal　unity　is　secured　by　virtue　of　the　eternal　identity　of　that　Essence：　it　is　not　so　easy　to　explain　how；　in　the　case　of　the　soul　described　as　separate　among　bodies；　such　differentiated　souls　can　remain　one　thing。　　　　　A　possible　solution　may　be　offered：　　　　　The　unit　soul　holds　aloof；　not　actually　falling　into　body；　the　differentiated　souls…　the　All…Soul；　with　the　others…　issue　from　the　unity　while　still　constituting；　within　certain　limits；　an　association。　They　are　one　soul　by　the　fact　that　they　do　not　belong　unreservedly　to　any　particular　being；　they　meet；　so　to　speak；　fringe　to　fringe；　they　strike　out　here　and　there；　but　are　held　together　at　the　source　much　as　light　is　a　divided　thing　upon　earth；　shining　in　this　house；　and　that；　and　yet　remains　uninterruptedly　one　identical　substance。　　　　　The　All…Soul　would　always　remain　above；　since　essentially　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　descent　or　with　the　lower；　or　with　any　tendency　towards　this　sphere：　the　other　souls　would　become　ours　＇become　〃partial；〃　individual　in　us＇　because　their　lot　is　cast　for　this　sphere；　and　because　they　are　solicited　by　a　thing　＇the　body＇　which　invites　their　care。　　　　　The　one…　the　lowest　soul　in　the　to　the　All…Soul…　would　correspond　to　that　in　some　great　growth；　silently；　unlaboriously　conducting　the　whole；　our　own　lowest　soul　might　be　compared　to　the　insect　life　in　some　rotted　part　of　the　growth…　for　this　is　the　ratio　of　the　animated　body　to　the　universe…　while　the　other　soul　in　us；　of　one　ideal　nature　with　the　higher　parts　of　the　All…Soul；　may　be　imaged　as　the　gardener　concerned　about　the　insects　lodged　in　the　tree　and　anxiously　working　to　amend　what　is　wrong；　or　we　may　contrast　a　healthy　man　living　with　the　healthy　and；　by　his　thought　or　by　his　act；　lending　himself　to　the　service　of　those　about　him；　with；　on　the　other　side；　a　sick　man　intent　upon　his　own　care　and　cure；　and　so　living　for　the　body；　body…bound。　　　　　5。　But　what　place　is　left　for　the　particular　souls；　yours　and　mine　and　another's？　　　　　May　we　suppose　the　Soul　to　be　appropriated　on　the　lower　ranges　to　some　individual；　but　to　belong　on　the　higher　to　that　other　sphere？　　　　　At　this　there　would　be　a　Socrates　as　long　as　Socrates'　soul　remained　in　body；　but　Socrates　ceases　to　exist；　precisely　on　attainment　of　the　highest。　　　　　Now　nothing　of　Real　Being　is　ever　annulled。　　　　　In　the　Supreme；　the　Intellectual…Principles　are　not　annulled；　for　in　their　differentiation　there　is　no　bodily　partition；　no　passing　of　each　separate　phase　into　a　distinct　unity；　every　such　phase　remains　in　full　possession　of　that　identical　being。　It　is　exactly　so　with　the　souls。　　　　　By　their　succession　they　are　linked　to　the　several　Intellectual…Principles；　for　they　are　the　expression；　the　Logos；　of　the　Intellectual…Principles；　of　which　they　are　the　unfolding；　brevity　has　opened　out　to　multiplicity；　by　that　point　of　their　being　which　least　belongs　to　the　partial　order；　they　are　attached　each　to　its　own　Intellectual　original：　they　have　already　chosen　the　way　of　division；　but　to　the　extreme　they　cannot　go；　thus　they　keep；　at　once；　identification　and　difference；　each　soul　is　permanently　a　unity　＇a　self＇　and　yet　all　are；　in　their　total；　one　being。　　　　　Thus　the　gist　of　the　matter　is　established：　one　soul　the　source　of　all；　those　others；　as　a　many　founded　in　that　one；　are；　on　the　analogy　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　at　once　divided　and　undivided；　that　Soul　which　abides　in　the　Supreme　is　the　one　expression　or　Logos　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　and　from　it　spring　other　Reason…Principles；　partial　but　immaterial；　exactly　as　in　the　differentiation　of　the　Supreme。　　　　　6。　But　how　comes　it　that　while　the　All…Soul　has　produced　a　kosmos；　the　soul　of　the　particular　has　not；　though　it　is　of　the　one　ideal　Kind　and　contains；　it　too；　all　things　in　itself？　　　　　We　have　indicated　that　a　thing　may　enter　and　dwell　at　the　same　time　in　various　places；　this　ought　to　be　explained；　and　the　enquiry　would　show　how　an　identity　resident　simultaneously　here　and　there　may；　in　its　separate　appearances；　act　or　react…　or　both…　after　distinct　modes；　but　the　matter　deserves　to　be　examined　in　a　special　discussion。　　　　　To　return；　then：　how　and　why　has　the　All…Soul　produced　a　kosmos；　while　the　particular　souls　simply　administer　some　one　part　of　it？　　　　　In　the　first　place；　we　are　not　surprised　when　men　of　identical　knowledge　differ　greatly　in　effective　power。　　　　　But　the　reason；　we　will　be　asked。　　　　　The　answer　might　be　that　there　is　an　even　greater　difference　among　these　souls；　the　one　never　having　fallen　away　from　the　All…Soul；　but　dwelling　within　it　and　assuming　body　therein；　while　the　others　received　their　allotted　spheres　when　the　body　was　already　in　existence；　when　their　sister　soul　was　already　in　rule　and；　as　it　were；　had　already　prepared　habitations　for　them。　Again；　the　reason　may　be　that　the　one　＇the　creative　All…Soul＇　looks　towards　the　universal　Intellectual…Principle　＇the　exemplar　of　all　that　can　be＇；　while　the　others　are　more　occupied　with　the　Inte