the six enneads-第44部分

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n　a　definite　place　at　the　entry　and　accepting　from　the　author　its　entire　role…　superimposed　upon　its　own　character　and　conduct…　just　so；　it　receives　in　the　end　its　punishment　and　reward。　　　　　But　these　actors；　Souls；　hold　a　peculiar　dignity：　they　act　in　a　vaster　place　than　any　stage：　the　Author　has　made　them　masters　of　all　this　world；　they　have　a　wide　choice　of　place；　they　themselves　determine　the　honour　or　discredit　in　which　they　are　agents　since　their　place　and　part　are　in　keeping　with　their　quality：　they　therefore　fit　into　the　Reason…Principle　of　the　Universe；　each　adjusted；　most　legitimately；　to　the　appropriate　environment；　as　every　string　of　the　lyre　is　set　in　the　precisely　right　position；　determined　by　the　Principle　directing　musical　utterance；　for　the　due　production　of　the　tones　within　its　capacity。　All　is　just　and　good　in　the　Universe　in　which　every　actor　is　set　in　his　own　quite　appropriate　place；　though　it　be　to　utter　in　the　Darkness　and　in　Tartarus　the　dreadful　sounds　whose　utterance　there　is　well。　　　　　This　Universe　is　good　not　when　the　individual　is　a　stone；　but　when　everyone　throws　in　his　own　voice　towards　a　total　harmony；　singing　out　a　life…　thin；　harsh；　imperfect；　though　it　be。　The　Syrinx　does　not　utter　merely　one　pure　note；　there　is　a　thin　obscure　sound　which　blends　in　to　make　the　harmony　of　Syrinx　music：　the　harmony　is　made　up　from　tones　of　various　grades；　all　the　tones　differing；　but　the　resultant　of　all　forming　one　sound。　　　　　Similarly　the　Reason…Principle　entire　is　One；　but　it　is　broken　into　unequal　parts：　hence　the　difference　of　place　found　in　the　Universe；　better　spots　and　worse；　and　hence　the　inequality　of　Souls；　finding　their　appropriate　surroundings　amid　this　local　inequality。　The　diverse　places　of　this　sphere；　the　Souls　of　unequal　grade　and　unlike　conduct；　are　wen　exemplified　by　the　distinction　of　parts　in　the　Syrinx　or　any　other　instrument：　there　is　local　difference；　but　from　every　position　every　string　gives　forth　its　own　tone；　the　sound　appropriate；　at　once；　to　its　particular　place　and　to　the　entire　plan。　　　　　What　is　evil　in　the　single　Soul　will　stand　a　good　thing　in　the　universal　system；　what　in　the　unit　offends　nature　will　serve　nature　in　the　total　event…　and　still　remains　the　weak　and　wrong　tone　it　is；　though　its　sounding　takes　nothing　from　the　worth　of　the　whole；　just　as；　in　another　order　of　image；　the　executioner's　ugly　office　does　not　mar　the　well…governed　state：　such　an　officer　is　a　civic　necessity；　and　the　corresponding　moral　type　is　often　serviceable；　thus；　even　as　things　are；　all　is　well。　　　　　18。　Souls　vary　in　worth；　and　the　difference　is　due；　among　other　causes；　to　an　almost　initial　inequality；　it　is　in　reason　that；　standing　to　the　Reason…Principle；　as　parts；　they　should　be　unequal　by　the　fact　of　becoming　separate。　　　　　We　must　also　remember　that　every　Soul　has　its　second　grade　and　its　third；　and　that；　therefore；　its　expression　may　take　any　one　of　three　main　forms。　But　this　point　must　be　dealt　with　here　again：　the　matter　requires　all　possible　elucidation。　　　　　We　may　perhaps　think　of　actors　having　the　right　to　add　something　to　the　poet's　words：　the　drama　as　it　stands　is　not　perfectly　filled　in；　and　they　are　to　supply　where　the　Author　has　left　blank　spaces　here　and　there；　the　actors　are　to　be　something　else　as　well；　they　become　parts　of　the　poet；　who　on　his　side　has　a　foreknowledge　of　the　word　they　will　add；　and　so　is　able　to　bind　into　one　story　what　the　actors　bring　in　and　what　is　to　follow。　　　　　For；　in　the　All；　the　sequences；　including　what　follows　upon　wickedness；　become　Reason…Principles；　and　therefore　in　right　reason。　Thus：　from　adultery　and　the　violation　of　prisoners　the　process　of　nature　will　produce　fine　children；　to　grow；　perhaps；　into　fine　men；　and　where　wicked　violence　has　destroyed　cities；　other　and　nobler　cities　may　rise　in　their　place。　　　　　But　does　not　this　make　it　absurd　to　introduce　Souls　as　responsible　causes；　some　acting　for　good　and　some　for　evil？　If　we　thus　exonerate　the　Reason…Principle　from　any　part　in　wickedness　do　we　not　also　cancel　its　credit　for　the　good？　Why　not　simply　take　the　doings　of　these　actors　for　representative　parts　of　the　Reason…Principle　as　the　doings　of　stage…actors　are　representative　parts　of　the　stage…drama？　Why　not　admit　that　the　Reason…Principle　itself　includes　evil　action　as　much　as　good　action；　and　inspires　the　precise　conduct　of　all　its　representatives？　Would　not　this　be　all　the　more　Plausible　in　that　the　universal　drama　is　the　completer　creation　and　that　the　Reason…Principle　is　the　source　of　all　that　exists？　　　　　But　this　raises　the　question：　〃What　motive　could　lead　the　Logos　to　produce　evil？〃　　　　　The　explanation；　also；　would　take　away　all　power　in　the　Universe　from　Souls；　even　those　nearest　to　the　divine；　they　would　all　be　mere　parts　of　a　Reason…Principle。　　　　　And；　further…　unless　all　Reason…Principles　are　Souls…　why　should　some　be　souls　and　others　exclusively　Reason…Principles　when　the　All　is　itself　a　Soul？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THIRD　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ON　PROVIDENCE　（2）。

　　　　1。　What　is　our　answer？　　　　　All　events　and　things；　good　and　evil　alike；　are　included　under　the　Universal　Reason…Principle　of　which　they　are　parts…　strictly　〃included〃　for　this　Universal　Idea　does　not　engender　them　but　encompasses　them。　　　　　The　Reason…Principles　are　acts　or　expressions　of　a　Universal　Soul；　its　parts　＇i。e。；　events　good　and　evil＇　are　expressions　of　these　Soulparts。　　　　　This　unity；　Soul；　has　different　parts；　the　Reason…Principles；　correspondingly；　will　also　have　their　parts；　and　so；　too；　will　the　ultimates　of　the　system；　all　that　they　bring　into　being。　　　　　The　Souls　are　in　harmony　with　each　other　and　so；　too；　are　their　acts　and　effects；　but　it　is　harmony　in　the　sense　of　a　resultant　unity　built　out　of　contraries。　All　things；　as　they　rise　from　a　unity；　come　back　to　unity　by　a　sheer　need　of　nature；　differences　unfold　themselves；　contraries　are　produced；　but　all　is　drawn　into　one　organized　system　by　the　unity　at　the　source。　　　　　The　principle　may　be　illustrated　from　the　different　classes　of　animal　life：　there　is　one　genus；　horse；　though　horses　among　themselves　fight　and　bite　and　show　malice　and　angry　envy：　so　all　the　others　within　the　unity　of　their　Kind；　and　so　humanity。　　　　　All　these　types；　again；　can　be　ranged　under　the　one　Kind；　that　of　living　things；　objects　without　life　can　be　thought　of　under　their　specific　types　and　then　be　resumed　under　the　one　Kind　of　the　〃non…living〃；　if　we　choose　to　go　further　yet；　living　and　non…living　may　be　included　under　the　one　Kind；　〃Beings；〃　and；　further　still；　under　the　Source　of　Being。　　　　　Having　attached　all　to　this　source；　we　turn　to　move　down　again　in　continuous　division：　we　see　the　Unity　fissuring；　as　it　reaches　out　into　Universality；　and　yet　embracing　all　in　one　system　so　that　with　all　its　differentiation　it　is　one　multiple　living　thing…　an　organism　in　which　each　member　executes　the　function　of　its　own　nature　while　it　still　has　its　being　in　that　One　Whole；　fire　burns；　horse　does　horse　work；　men　give；　each　the　appropriate　act　of　the　peculiar　personal　quality…　and　upon　the　several　particular　Kinds　to　which　each　belongs　follow　the　acts；　and　the　good　or　evil　of　the　life。　　　　　2。　Circumstances　are　not　sovereign　over　the　good　of　life；　for　they　are　themselves　moulded　by　their　priors　and　come　in　as　members　of　a　sequence。　The　Leading…Principle　holds　all　the　threads　while　the　minor　agents；　the　individuals；　serve　according　to　their　own　capacities；　as　in　a　war　the　generalissimo　lays　down　the　plan　and　his　subordinates　do　their　best　to　its　furtherance。　The　Universe　has　been　ordered　by　a　Providence　that　may　be　compared　to　a　general；　he　has　considered　operations；　conditions　and　such　practical　needs　as　food　and　drink；　arms　and　engines　of　war；　all　the　problem　of　reconciling　these　complex　elements　has　been　worked　out　beforehand　so　as　to　make　it　probable　that　the　final　event　may　be　success。　The　entire　scheme　emerges　from　the　general's　mind　with　a　certain　plausible　promise；　though　it　cannot　cover　the　enemy's　operations；　and　there　is　no　power　over　the　disposition　of　the　enemy's　forces：　but　where　the　mighty　general　is　in　question　whose　power　extends　over　all　that　is；　what　can　pass　unordered；　what　can　fail　to　fit　into　the　plan？　　　　　3。　For；　even　though　the　I　is　sovereign　in　choosing；　yet　by　the　fact　of　the　choice　the　thing　done　takes　its　place　in　the　ordered　total。　Your　personality　does　not　come　from　outside　into　the　universal　scheme；　you　are　a　part　of　it；　you　and　your　personal　disposition。　　　　　But　what　is　the　cause　of　this　initial　personality？　　　　　This　question　resolves　itself　into　two：　are　we　to　make　the　Creator；　if　Creator　there　is；　the　cause　of　the　moral　quality　of　the　individual　or　does　the　responsibility　lie　with　the　creature？　　　　　Or　is　there；　perhaps；　no　responsibility？　After　all；　none　is　charged　in　the　case　of　plants　brought　into　being　without　the　perceptive　faculties；　no　one　is　blamed　because　animals　are　not　all　that　men　are…　which　would　be　like　complaining　that　men　are　not　all　that　gods　are。　Reason　acquits　plant　and　animal　and；　their　maker；　how　can　it　complain　because　men　do　not　stand　above　humanity？　　　　　If　the　reproach　simply　means　that　Man　might　improve　by　bringing　from　his　own　stock　something　towards　his　betterment　we　must　allow　that　the　man　failing　in　this　is　answerable　for　his　own　inferiority：　but　if　the　betterment　must　come　not　from　within　the　man　but　from　without；　from　his　Author；　it　is　folly　to　ask　more　than　has　been　given；　as　foolish　in　the　case　of　man　as　in　plant　and　animal。　　　　　The　question　is　not　whether　a　thing　is　inferior　to　something　else　but　whether　in　its　own　Kind　it　suffices　to　its　own　part；　universal　equality　there　cannot　be。　　　　　Then　the　Reason…Principle　has　measured　things　out　with　the　set　purpose　of　inequality？　　　　　Certainly　not：　the　inequality　is　inevitable　by　the　nature　of　things：　the　Reason…Principle　of　this　Universe　follows　upon　a　phase　of　the　Soul；　the　Soul　itself　follows　upon　an　Intellectual　Principle；　and　this　Intellectual　Principle　is　not　one　among　the　things　of　the　Universe　but　is　all　things；　in　all　things；　there　is　implied　variety　of　things；　where　there　is　variety　and　not　identity　there　must　be　primals；　secondaries；　tertiaries　and　every　grade　downward。　Forms　of　life；　then；　there　must　be　that　are　not　pur