the six enneads-第27部分

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ut　precisely　to　an　absence；　to　something　absent；　to　the　negation　or　lack　of　Real…being：　the　case　would　be　like　that　of　the　affirmation　of　non…existence；　where　there　is　no　real　predication　but　simply　a　denial。　　　　　Is；　then；　this　Privation　simply　a　non…existence？　　　　　If　a　non…existence　in　the　sense　that　it　is　not　a　thing　of　Real…being；　but　belongs　to　some　other　Kind　of　existent；　we　have　still　two　Principles；　one　referring　directly　to　the　substratum；　the　other　merely　exhibiting　the　relation　of　the　Privation　to　other　things。　　　　　Or　we　might　say　that　the　one　concept　defines　the　relation　of　substratum　to　what　is　not　substratum；　while　that　of　Privation；　in　bringing　out　the　indeterminateness　of　Matter；　applies　to　the　Matter　in　itself：　but　this　still　makes　Privation　and　Matter　two　in　reason　though　one　in　substratum。　　　　　Now　if　Matter　possesses　an　identity…　though　only　the　identity　of　being　indeterminate；　unfixed　and　without　quality…　how　can　we　bring　it　so　under　two　principles？　　　　　15。　The　further　question；　therefore；　is　raised　whether　boundlessness　and　indetermination　are　things　lodging　in　something　other　than　themselves　as　a　sort　of　attribute　and　whether　Privation　＇or　Negation　of　quality＇　is　also　an　attribute　residing　in　some　separate　substratum。　　　　　Now　all　that　is　Number　and　Reason…Principle　is　outside　of　boundlessness：　these　bestow　bound　and　settlement　and　order　in　general　upon　all　else：　neither　anything　that　has　been　brought　under　order　nor　any　Order…Absolute　is　needed　to　bring　them　under　order。　The　thing　that　has　to　be　brought　under　order　＇e。g。；　Matter＇　is　other　than　the　Ordering　Principle　which　is　Limit　and　Definiteness　and　Reason…Principle。　Therefore；　necessarily；　the　thing　to　be　brought　under　order　and　to　definiteness　must　be　in　itself　a　thing　lacking　delimitation。　　　　　Now　Matter　is　a　thing　that　is　brought　under　order…　like　all　that　shares　its　nature　by　participation　or　by　possessing　the　same　principle…　therefore；　necessarily；　Matter　is　The　Undelimited　and　not　merely　the　recipient　of　a　nonessential　quality　of　Indefiniteness　entering　as　an　attribute。　　　　　For；　first；　any　attribute　to　any　subject　must　be　a　Reason…Principle；　and　Indefiniteness　is　not　a　Reason…Principle。　　　　　Secondly；　what　must　a　thing　be　to　take　Indefiniteness　as　an　attribute？　Obviously　it　must；　beforehand；　be　either　Definiteness　or　a　defined　thing。　But　Matter　is　neither。　　　　　Then　again　Indefiniteness　entering　as　an　attribute　into　the　definite　must　cease　to　be　indefinite：　but　Indefiniteness　has　not　entered　as　an　attribute　into　Matter：　that　is；　Matter　is　essentially　Indefiniteness。　　　　　The　Matter　even　of　the　Intellectual　Realm　is　the　Indefinite；　＇the　undelimited＇；　it　must　be　a　thing　generated　by　the　undefined　nature；　the　illimitable　nature；　of　the　Eternal　Being；　The　One　illimitableness；　however；　not　possessing　native　existence　There　but　engendered　by　The　One。　　　　　But　how　can　Matter　be　common　to　both　spheres；　be　here　and　be　There？　　　　　Because　even　Indefiniteness　has　two　phases。　　　　　But　what　difference　can　there　be　between　phase　and　phase　of　Indefiniteness？　　　　　The　difference　of　archetype　and　image。　　　　　So　that　Matter　here　＇as　only　an　image　of　Indefiniteness＇　would　be　less　indefinite？　　　　　On　the　contrary；　more　indefinite　as　an　Image…thing　remote　from　true　being。　Indefiniteness　is　the　greater　in　the　less　ordered　object；　the　less　deep　in　good；　the　deeper　in　evil。　The　Indeterminate　in　the　Intellectual　Realm；　where　there　is　truer　being；　might　almost　be　called　merely　an　Image　of　Indefiniteness：　in　this　lower　Sphere　where　there　is　less　Being；　where　there　is　a　refusal　of　the　Authentic；　and　an　adoption　of　the　Image…Kind；　Indefiniteness　is　more　authentically　indefinite。　　　　　But　this　argument　seems　to　make　no　difference　between　the　indefinite　object　and　Indefiniteness…essential。　Is　there　none？　　　　　In　any　object　in　which　Reason　and　Matter　co…exist　we　distinguish　between　Indeterminateness　and　the　Indeterminate　subject：　but　where　Matter　stands　alone　we　make　them　identical；　or；　better；　we　would　say　right　out　that　in　that　case　essential　Indeterminateness　is　not　present；　for　it　is　a　Reason…Principle　and　could　not　lodge　in　the　indeterminate　object　without　at　once　annulling　the　indeterminateness。　　　　　Matter；　then；　must　be　described　as　Indefinite　of　itself；　by　its　natural　opposition　to　Reason…Principle。　Reason　is　Reason　and　nothing　else；　just　so　Matter；　opposed　by　its　indeterminateness　to　Reason；　is　Indeterminateness　and　nothing　else。　　　　　16。　Then　Matter　is　simply　Alienism　＇the　Principle　of　Difference＇？　　　　　No：　it　is　merely　that　part　of　Alienism　which　stands　in　contradiction　with　the　Authentic　Existents　which　are　Reason…Principles。　So　understood；　this　non…existent　has　a　certain　measure　of　existence；　for　it　is　identical　with　Privation；　which　also　is　a　thing　standing　in　opposition　to　the　things　that　exist　in　Reason。　　　　　But　must　not　Privation　cease　to　have　existence；　when　what　has　been　lacking　is　present　at　last？　　　　　By　no　means：　the　recipient　of　a　state　or　character　is　not　a　state　but　the　Privation　of　the　state；　and　that　into　which　determination　enters　is　neither　a　determined　object　nor　determination　itself；　but　simply　the　wholly　or　partly　undetermined。　　　　　Still；　must　not　the　nature　of　this　Undetermined　be　annulled　by　the　entry　of　Determination；　especially　where　this　is　no　mere　attribute？　　　　　No　doubt　to　introduce　quantitative　determination　into　an　undetermined　object　would　annul　the　original　state；　but　in　the　particular　case；　the　introduction　of　determination　only　confirms　the　original　state；　bringing　it　into　actuality；　into　full　effect；　as　sowing　brings　out　the　natural　quality　of　land　or　as　a　female　organism　impregnated　by　the　male　is　not　defeminized　but　becomes　more　decidedly　of　its　sex；　the　thing　becomes　more　emphatically　itself。　　　　　But　on　this　reasoning　must　not　Matter　owe　its　evil　to　having　in　some　degree　participated　in　good？　　　　　No：　its　evil　is　in　its　first　lack：　it　was　not　a　possessor　（of　some　specific　character）。　　　　　To　lack　one　thing　and　to　possess　another；　in　something　like　equal　proportions；　is　to　hold　a　middle　state　of　good　and　evil：　but　whatsoever　possesses　nothing　and　so　is　in　destitution…　and　especially　what　is　essentially　destitution…　must　be　evil　in　its　own　Kind。　　　　　For　in　Matter　we　have　no　mere　absence　of　means　or　of　strength；　it　is　utter　destitution…　of　sense；　of　virtue；　of　beauty；　of　pattern；　of　Ideal　principle；　of　quality。　This　is　surely　ugliness；　utter　disgracefulness；　unredeemed　evil。　　　　　The　Matter　in　the　Intellectual　Realm　is　an　Existent；　for　there　is　nothing　previous　to　it　except　the　Beyond…Existence；　but　what　precedes　the　Matter　of　this　sphere　is　Existence；　by　its　alienism　in　regard　to　the　beauty　and　good　of　Existence；　Matter　is　therefore　a　non…existent。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIFTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　POTENTIALITY　AND　ACTUALITY。

　　　　1。　A　distinction　is　made　between　things　existing　actually　and　things　existing　potentially；　a　certain　Actuality；　also；　is　spoken　of　as　a　really　existent　entity。　We　must　consider　what　content　there　is　in　these　terms。　　　　　Can　we　distinguish　between　Actuality　＇an　absolute；　abstract　Principle＇　and　the　state　of　being…in…act？　And　if　there　is　such　an　Actuality；　is　this　itself　in　Act；　or　are　the　two　quite　distinct　so　that　this　actually　existent　thing　need　not　be；　itself；　an　Act？　　　　　It　is　indubitable　that　Potentiality　exists　in　the　Realm　of　Sense：　but　does　the　Intellectual　Realm　similarly　include　the　potential　or　only　the　actual？　and　if　the　potential　exists　there；　does　it　remain　merely　potential　for　ever？　And；　if　so；　is　this　resistance　to　actualization　due　to　its　being　precluded　＇as　a　member　of　the　Divine　or　Intellectual　world＇　from　time…processes？　　　　　First　we　must　make　clear　what　potentiality　is。　　　　　We　cannot　think　of　potentiality　as　standing　by　itself；　there　can　be　no　potentiality　apart　from　something　which　a　given　thing　may　be　or　become。　Thus　bronze　is　the　potentiality　of　a　statue：　but　if　nothing　could　be　made　out　of　the　bronze；　nothing　wrought　upon　it；　if　it　could　never　be　anything　as　a　future　to　what　it　has　been；　if　it　rejected　all　change；　it　would　be　bronze　and　nothing　else：　its　own　character　it　holds　already　as　a　present　thing；　and　that　would　be　the　full　of　its　capacity：　it　would　be　destitute　of　potentiality。　Whatsoever　has　a　potentiality　must　first　have　a　character　of　its　own；　and　its　potentiality　will　consist　in　its　having　a　reach　beyond　that　character　to　some　other。　　　　　Sometimes　after　it　has　turned　its　potentiality　into　actuality　it　will　remain　what　it　was；　sometimes　it　will　sink　itself　to　the　fullest　extent　in　the　new　form　and　itself　disappear：　these　two　different　modes　are　exemplified　in　（1）　bronze　as　potentially　a　statue　and　（2）　water　＇=　primal…liquid＇　as　potentially　bronze　or；　again；　air　as　potentially　fire。　　　　　But　if　this　be　the　significance　of　potentiality；　may　we　describe　it　as　a　Power　towards　the　thing　that　is　to　be？　Is　the　Bronze　a　power　towards　a　statue？　　　　　Not　in　the　sense　of　an　effectively　productive　force：　such　a　power　could　not　be　called　a　potentiality。　Of　course　Potentiality　may　be　a　power；　as；　for　instance；　when　we　are　referring　not　merely　to　a　thing　which　may　be　brought　into　actualization　but　to　Actuality　itself　＇the　Principle　or　Abstract　in　which　potentiality　and　the　power　of　realizing　potentiality　may　be　thought　of　as　identical＇：　but　it　is　better；　as　more　conducive　to　clarity；　to　use　〃Potentiality〃　in　regard　to　the　process　of　Actualization　and　〃Power〃　in　regard　to　the　Principle；　Actuality。　　　　　Potentiality　may　be　thought　of　as　a　Substratum　to　states　and　shapes…　and　forms　which　are　to　be　received；　which　it　welcomes　by　its　nature　and　even　strives　for…　sometimes　in　gain　but　sometimes；　also；　to　loss；　to　the　annulling　of　some　distinctive　manner　of　Being　already　actually　achieved。　　　　　2。　Then　the　question　rises　whether　Matter…　potentially　what　it　becomes　by　receiving　shape…　is　actually　something　else　or　whether　it　has　no　actuality　at　all。　In　general　terms：　When　a　potentiality　has　taken　a　definite　form；　does　it　retain　its　being？　Is　the　potentiality；　itself；　in　actualization？　The　alternative　is　that；　when　we　speak　of　the　〃Actual　Statue〃　and　of　the　〃Potential　Statue；〃　the　Actuality　is　not　predicated　of　the　same　subject　as　the　〃Potentiality。〃　If　we　have　really　two　different　subjects；　then　the　potential　does　no