the six enneads-第87部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ticular　functions　of　a　living　being。　　　　　We　have　learned；　further；　something　of　our　human　standing；　we　know　that　we　too　accomplish　within　the　All　a　work　not　confined　to　the　activity　and　receptivity　of　body　in　relation　to　body；　we　know　that　we　bring　to　it　that　higher　nature　of　ours；　linked　as　we　are　by　affinities　within　us　towards　the　answering　affinities　outside　us；　becoming　by　our　soul　and　the　conditions　of　our　kind　thus　linked…　or；　better；　being　linked　by　Nature…　with　our　next　highest　in　the　celestial　or　demonic　realm；　and　thence　onwards　with　those　above　the　Celestials；　we　cannot　fail　to　manifest　our　quality。　Still；　we　are　not　all　able　to　offer　the　same　gifts　or　to　accept　identically：　if　we　do　not　possess　good；　we　cannot　bestow　it；　nor　can　we　ever　purvey　any　good　thing　to　one　that　has　no　power　of　receiving　good。　Anyone　that　adds　his　evil　to　the　total　of　things　is　known　for　what　he　is　and；　in　accordance　with　his　kind；　is　pressed　down　into　the　evil　which　he　has　made　his　own；　and　hence；　upon　death；　goes　to　whatever　region　fits　his　quality…　and　all　this　happens　under　the　pull　of　natural　forces。　　　　　For　the　good　man；　the　giving　and　the　taking　and　the　changes　of　state　go　quite　the　other　way；　the　particular　tendencies　of　the　nature；　we　may　put　it；　transpose　the　cords　＇so　that　we　are　moved　by　that　only　which；　in　Plato's　metaphor　of　the　puppets；　draws　towards　the　best＇。　　　　　Thus　this　universe　of　ours　is　a　wonder　of　power　and　wisdom；　everything　by　a　noiseless　road　coming　to　pass　according　to　a　law　which　none　may　elude…　which　the　base　man　never　conceives　though　it　is　leading　him；　all　unknowingly；　to　that　place　in　the　All　where　his　lot　must　be　cast…　which　the　just　man　knows；　and；　knowing；　sets　out　to　the　place　he　must；　understanding；　even　as　he　begins　the　journey；　where　he　is　to　be　housed　at　the　end；　and　having　the　good　hope　that　he　will　be　with　gods。　　　　　In　a　living　being　of　small　scope　the　parts　vary　but　slightly；　and　have　but　a　faint　individual　consciousness；　and；　unless　possibly　in　a　few　and　for　a　short　time；　are　not　themselves　alive。　But　in　a　living　universe；　of　high　expanse；　where　every　entity　has　vast　scope　and　many　of　the　members　have　life；　there　must　be　wider　movement　and　greater　changes。　We　see　the　sun　and　the　moon　and　the　other　stars　shifting　place　and　course　in　an　ordered　progression。　It　is　therefore　within　reason　that　the　souls；　also；　of　the　All　should　have　their　changes；　not　retaining　unbrokenly　the　same　quality；　but　ranged　in　some　analogy　with　their　action　and　experience…　some　taking　rank　as　head　and　some　as　foot　in　a　disposition　consonant　with　the　Universal　Being　which　has　its　degrees　in　better　and　less　good。　A　soul；　which　neither　chooses　the　highest　that　is　here；　nor　has　lent　itself　to　the　lowest；　is　one　which　has　abandoned　another；　a　purer；　place；　taking　this　sphere　in　free　election。　　　　　The　punishments　of　wrong…doing　are　like　the　treatment　of　diseased　parts　of　the　body…　here；　medicines　to　knit　sundered　flesh；　there；　amputations；　elsewhere；　change　of　environment　and　condition…　and　the　penalties　are　planned　to　bring　health　to　the　All　by　settling　every　member　in　the　fitting　place：　and　this　health　of　the　All　requires　that　one　man　be　made　over　anew　and　another；　sick　here；　be　taken　hence　to　where　he　shall　be　weakly　no　longer。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FIFTH　TRACTATE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PROBLEMS　OF　THE　SOUL　（3）。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇ALSO　ENTITLED　〃ON　SIGHT〃＇。

　　　　1。　We　undertook　to　discuss　the　question　whether　sight　is　possible　in　the　absence　of　any　intervening　medium；　such　as　air　or　some　other　form　of　what　is　known　as　transparent　body：　this　is　the　time　and　place。　　　　　It　has　been　explained　that　seeing　and　all　sense…perception　can　occur　only　through　the　medium　of　some　bodily　substance；　since　in　the　absence　of　body　the　soul　is　utterly　absorbed　in　the　Intellectual　Sphere。　Sense…perception　being　the　gripping　not　of　the　Intellectual　but　of　the　sensible　alone；　the　soul；　if　it　is　to　form　any　relationship　of　knowledge；　or　of　impression；　with　objects　of　sense；　must　be　brought　in　some　kind　of　contact　with　them　by　means　of　whatever　may　bridge　the　gap。　　　　　The　knowledge；　then；　is　realized　by　means　of　bodily　organs：　through　these；　which　＇in　the　embodied　soul＇　are　almost　of　one　growth　with　it；　being　at　least　its　continuations；　it　comes　into　something　like　unity　with　the　alien；　since　this　mutual　approach　brings　about　a　certain　degree　of　identity　＇which　is　the　basis　of　knowledge＇。　　　　　Admitting；　then；　that　some　contact　with　an　object　is　necessary　for　knowing　it；　the　question　of　a　medium　falls　to　the　ground　in　the　case　of　things　identified　by　any　form　of　touch；　but　in　the　case　of　sight…　we　leave　hearing　over　for　the　present…　we　are　still　in　doubt；　is　there　need　of　some　bodily　substance　between　the　eye　and　the　illumined　object？　　　　　No：　such　an　intervening　material　may　be　a　favouring　circumstance；　but　essentially　it　adds　nothing　to　seeing　power。　！　　　　Dense　bodies；　such　as　clay；　actually　prevent　sight；　the　less　material　the　intervening　substance　is；　the　more　clearly　we　see；　the　intervening　substance；　then；　is　a　hindrance；　or；　if　not　that；　at　least　not　a　help。　　　　　It　will　be　objected　that　vision　implies　that　whatever　intervenes　between　seen　and　seer　must　first　＇and　progressively＇　experience　the　object　and　be；　as　it　were；　shaped　to　it；　we　will　be　reminded　that　＇vision　is　not　a　direct　and　single　relation　between　agent　and　object；　but　is　the　perception　of　something　radiated　since＇　anyone　facing　to　the　object　from　the　side　opposite　to　ourselves　sees　it　equally；　we　will　be　asked　to　deduce　that　if　all　the　space　intervening　between　seen　and　seer　did　not　carry　the　impression　of　the　object　we　could　not　receive　it。　　　　　But　all　the　need　is　met　when　the　impression　reaches　that　which　is　adapted　to　receive　it；　there　is　no　need　for　the　intervening　space　to　be　impressed。　If　it　is；　the　impression　will　be　of　quite　another　order：　the　rod　between　the　fisher's　hand　and　the　torpedo　fish　is　not　affected　in　the　same　way　as　the　hand　that　feels　the　shock。　And　yet　there　too；　if　rod　and　line　did　not　intervene；　the　hand　would　not　be　affected…　though　even　that　may　be　questioned；　since　after　all　the　fisherman；　we　are　told；　is　numbed　if　the　torpedo　merely　lies　in　his　net。　　　　　The　whole　matter　seems　to　bring　us　back　to　that　sympathy　of　which　we　have　treated。　If　a　certain　thing　is　of　a　nature　to　be　sympathetically　affected　by　another　in　virtue　of　some　similitude　between　them；　then　anything　intervening；　not　sharing　in　that　similitude；　will　not　be　affected；　or　at　least　not　similarly。　If　this　be　so；　anything　naturally　disposed　to　be　affected　will　take　the　impression　more　vividly　in　the　absence　of　intervening　substance；　even　of　some　substance　capable；　itself；　of　being　affected。　　　　　2。　If　sight　depends　upon　the　linking　of　the　light　of　vision　with　the　light　leading　progressively　to　the　illumined　object；　then；　by　the　very　hypothesis；　one　intervening　substance；　the　light；　is　indispensable：　but　if　the　illuminated　body；　which　is　the　object　of　vision；　serves　as　an　agent　operating　certain　changes；　some　such　change　might　very　well　impinge　immediately　upon　the　eye；　requiring　no　medium；　this　all　the　more；　since　as　things　are　the　intervening　substance；　which　actually　does　exist；　is　in　some　degree　changed　at　the　point　of　contact　with　the　eye　＇and　so　cannot　be　in　itself　a　requisite　to　vision＇。　　　　　Those　who　have　made　vision　a　forth…going　act　＇and　not　an　in…coming　from　the　object＇　need　not　postulate　an　intervening　substance…　unless；　indeed；　to　provide　against　the　ray　from　the　eye　failing　on　its　path…　but　this　is　a　ray　of　light　and　light　flies　straight。　Those　who　make　vision　depend　upon　resistance　are　obliged　to　postulate　an　intervening　substance。　　　　　The　champions　of　the　image；　with　its　transit　through　a　void；　are　seeking　the　way　of　least　resistance；　but　since　the　entire　absence　of　intervenient　gives　a　still　easier　path　they　will　not　oppose　that　hypothesis。　　　　　So；　too；　those　that　explain　vision　by　sympathy　must　recognize　that　an　intervening　substance　will　be　a　hindrance　as　tending　to　check　or　block　or　enfeeble　that　sympathy；　this　theory；　especially；　requires　the　admission　that　any　intervenient；　and　particularly　one　of　kindred　nature；　must　blunt　the　perception　by　itself　absorbing　part　of　the　activity。　Apply　fire　to　a　body　continuous　through　and　through；　and　no　doubt　the　core　will　be　less　affected　than　the　surface：　but　where　we　are　dealing　with　the　sympathetic　parts　of　one　living　being；　there　will　scarcely　be　less　sensation　because　of　the　intervening　substance；　or；　if　there　should　be；　the　degree　of　sensation　will　still　be　proportionate　to　the　nature　of　the　separate　part；　with　the　intervenient　acting　merely　as　a　certain　limitation；　this；　though；　will　not　be　the　case　where　the　element　introduced　is　of　a　kind　to　overleap　the　bridge。　　　　　But　this　is　saying　that　the　sympathetic　quality　of　the　universe　depends　upon　its　being　one　living　thing；　and　that　our　amenability　to　experience　depends　upon　our　belonging　integrally　to　that　unity；　would　it　not　follow　that　continuity　is　a　condition　of　any　perception　of　a　remote　object？　　　　　The　explanation　is　that　continuity　and　its　concomitant；　the　bridging　substance；　come　into　play　because　a　living　being　must　be　a　continuous　thing；　but　that；　none　the　less；　the　receiving　of　impression　is　not　an　essentially　necessary　result　of　continuity；　if　it　were；　everything　would　receive　such　impression　from　everything　else；　and　if　thing　is　affected　by　thing　in　various　separate　orders；　there　can　be　no　further　question　of　any　universal　need　of　intervening　substance。　　　　　Why　it　should　be　especially　requisite　in　the　act　of　seeing　would　have　to　be　explained：　in　general；　an　object　passing　through　the　air　does　not　affect　it　beyond　dividing　it；　when　a　stone　falls；　the　air　simply　yields；　nor　is　it　reasonable　to　explain　the　natural　direction　of　movement　by　resistance；　to　do　so　would　bring　us　to　the　absurdity　that　resistance　accounts　for　the　upward　movement　of　fire；　which　on　the　contrary；　overcomes　the　resistance　of　the　air　by　its　own　essentially　quick　energy。　If　we　are　told　that　the　resistance　is　brought　more　swiftly　into　play　by　the　very　swiftness　of　the　ascending　body；　that　would　be　a　mere　accidental　circumstance；　not　a　cause　of　the　upward　motion：　in　trees　the　upthrust　from　the　root　depends　on　no　suc