Part 21

Thus the absolutely divisible (essence) does not exist alone; there is another one located immediately beneath it, and derived from it. On one hand, this inferior (essence) participates in the indivisibility of its principle; on the other, it descends towards another nature by its procession. Thereby it occupies a position intermediary between indivisible and primary (essence), (that is, intelligence), and the divisible (essence) which is in the bodies. Besides it is not in the same condition of existence as color and the other qualities; for though the latter be the same in all corporeal masses, nevertheless the quality in one body is completely separate from that in another, just as physical masses themselves are separate from each other. Although (by its essence) the magnitude of these bodies be one, nevertheless that which thus is identical in each part does not exert that community of affection which constitutes sympathy,[355] because to identity is added difference. This is the case because identity is only a simple modification of bodies, and not a "being." On the contrary, the nature that approaches the absolutely indivisible "Being" is a genuine "being" (such as is the soul). It is true that she unites with the bodies and consequently divides with them; but that happens to her only when she communicates herself to the bodies. On the other hand, when she unites with the bodies, even with the greatest and most extended of all (the world), she does not cease to be one, although she yield herself up to it entirely.

DIVISION AS THE PROPERTY OF BODIES, BUT NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC OF SOUL.

In no way does the unity of this essence resemble that of the body; for the unity of the body consists in the unity of parts, of which each is different from the others, and occupies a different place. Nor does the unity of the soul bear any closer resemblance to the unity of the qualities. Thus this nature that is simultaneously divisible and indivisible, and that we call soul is not one in the sense of being continuous (of which each part is external to every other); it is divisible, because it animates all the parts of the body it occupies, but is indivisible because it entirely inheres in the whole body, and in each of its parts.[356] When we thus consider the nature of the soul, we see her magnitude and power, and we understand how admirable and divine are these and superior natures. Without any extension, the soul is present throughout the whole of extension; she is present in a location, though she be not present therein.[357] She is simultaneously divided and undivided, or rather, she is never really divided, and she never really divides; for she remains entire within herself. If she seem to divide, it is not in relation with the bodies, which, by virtue of their own divisibility, cannot receive her in an indivisible manner. Thus division is the property of the body, but not the characteristic of the soul.

SOUL AS BOTH ESSENTIALLY DIVISIBLE AND INDIVISIBLE.

2. Such then the nature of the soul had to be. She could not be either purely indivisible, nor purely divisible, but she necessarily had to be both indivisible and divisible, as has just been set forth. This is further proved by the following considerations. If the soul, like the body, have several parts differing from each other, the sensation of one part would not involve a similar sensation in another part. Each part of the soul, for instance, that which inheres in the finger, would feel its individual affections, remaining foreign to all the rest, while remaining within itself. In short, in each one of us would inhere several managing souls (as said the Stoics).[358] Likewise, in this universe, there would be not one single soul (the universal Soul), but an infinite number of souls, separated from each other.

POLEMIC AGAINST THE STOIC PREDOMINATING PART OF THE SOUL.

Shall we have recourse to the (Stoic) "continuity of parts"[359] to explain the sympathy which interrelates all the organs? This hypothesis, however, is useless, unless this continuity eventuate in unity. For we cannot admit, as do certain (Stoic) philosophers, who deceive themselves, that sensations focus in the "predominating principle" by "relayed transmission."[360] To begin with, it is a wild venture to predicate a "predominating principle" of the soul. How indeed could we divide the soul and distinguish several parts therein? By what superiority, quantity or quality are we going to distinguish the "predominating part" in a single continuous mass? Further, under this hypothesis, we may ask, Who is going to feel? Will it be the "predominating part" exclusively, or the other parts with it? If that part exclusively, it will feel only so long as the received impression will have been transmitted to itself, in its particular residence; but if the impression impinge on some other part of the soul, which happens to be incapable of sensation, this part will not be able to transmit the impression to the (predominating) part that directs, and sensation will not occur. Granting further that the impression does reach the predominating part itself, it might be received in a twofold manner; either by one of its (subdivided) parts, which, having perceived the sensation, will not trouble the other parts to feel it, which would be useless; or, by several parts simultaneously, and then we will have manifold, or even infinite sensations which will all differ from each other. For instance, the one might say, "It is I who first received the impression"; the other one might say, "I received the impression first received by another"; while each, except the first, will be in ignorance of the location of the impression; or again, each part will make a mistake, thinking that the impression occurred where itself is. Besides, if every part of the soul can feel as well as the predominating part, why at all speak of a "predominating part?" What need is there for the sensation to reach through to it? How indeed would the soul recognize as an unity the result of multiple sensations; for instance, of such as come from the ears or eyes?

THE SOUL HAS TO BE BOTH ONE AND MANIFOLD, EVEN ON THE STOIC HYPOTHESES.

On the other hand, if the soul were absolutely one, essentially indivisible and one within herself, if her nature were incompatible with manifoldness and division, she could not, when penetrating into the body, animate it in its entirety; she would place herself in its centre, leaving the rest of the mass of the animal lifeless. The soul, therefore, must be simultaneously one and manifold, divided and undivided, and we must not deny, as something impossible, that the soul, though one and identical, can be in several parts of the body simultaneously. If this truth be denied, this will destroy the "nature that contains and administers the universe" (as said the Stoics); which embraces everything at once, and directs everything with wisdom; a nature that is both manifold, because all beings are manifold; and single, because the principle that contains everything must be one. It is by her manifold unity that she vivifies all parts of the universe, while it is her indivisible unity that directs everything with wisdom. In the very things that have no wisdom, the unity that in it plays the predominating "part," imitates the unity of the universal Soul. That is what Plato wished to indicate allegorically by these divine words[361]: "From the "Being" that is indivisible and ever unchanging; and from the "being" which becomes divisible in the bodies, the divinity formed a mixture, a third kind of "being." The (universal) Soul, therefore, is (as we have just said) simultaneously one and manifold; the forms of the bodies are both manifold and one; the bodies are only manifold; while the supreme Principle (the One), is exclusively an unity.

Paragraph 3 of this book (iv. 2,--21) will be found in its logical position--judging by the subject matter,--on pages 75 to 78, in the middle of iv. 7,--2.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See 7.

[2] See vi. 7, 8.

[3] A.D. 262.

[4] See vi. 5, 1.

[5] See 20.

[6] iii. 4.

[7] See above, 6.

[8] See iv. 2.

[9] Often quoted by Porphyry in his Cave of the Nymphs.

[10] See 3.

[11] Euseb. Prep. Ev. xi. 2; xv. 4-9, 12-13.

[12] See 3.

[13] See ii. 3; iii. 1, 2, 4.

[14] See v. 5.

[15] This suggests that Suidas was right in claiming that Amelius was the teacher of Porphyry.

[16] See 11.

[17] See 7.

[18] See 3.

[19] See 3.

[20] Mentioned in Porphyry's Life of Pythagoras, 48, living under Nero.

[21] Living under Tiberius, see Suetonius, Life of Tiberius, 14.

[22] See vi. 5.

[23] See 17.

[24] See 18.

[25] See 17.

[26] See ii. 3. 17.

[27] See 23.

[28] The fragments of all this are probably the Principles of the Theory of the Intelligibles, by Porphyry.

[29] See ii. 1.

[30] See i. 3.

[31] As pilot, perhaps, iv. 3. 21.

[32] See ii., 4. 6.

[33] See ii. 7. 1.

[34] See i. 1. 10.

[35] See i. 9. 8. 10.

[36] See iv. 3. 20, 21.

[37] Ecl. Phys., p. 797, Heeren and Aristotle, de Anima, i. 2.

[38] See Nemesius, de Nat. Hom. 2.

[39] See ii. 7, 1.

[40] See ii. 7, 3.

[41] Stob. Ecl. Phys. 797.

[42] See ii. 3, 5.

[43] See ii. 7, 1.

[44] ii. 4, 7.

[45] See iv. 7, 8.

[46] Euseb., Prep. Ev. xv. 17.

[47] p. 54, Cousin.

[48] Cicero, Tusculans, i. 9.

[49] Ecl. Phys. 797, Cicero, de Nat. Deor. iii. 14.

[50] See ii. 4, 1. 'pôs echon.' of Dikearchus and Aristoxenus.

[51] See ii. 6, on 'logos.'

[52] See v. 7, 3.

[53] iii. 2.

[54] See iv. 2, 2.

[55] iv. 2, 1.

[56] Plutarch, de Placitis Philosoph, iii. 8. The Stoic definition of sensation being that senses are spirits stretched (by relays with "tension") from the directing principle to the organs.

[57] de Nat. Hom. 2.

[58] See iv. 4, 23. In the words of Zeno, as, for the Stoics, the principal act of the intelligence was comprehensive vision, "phantasia kataleptike."

[59] de Anima, iii. 4, 5.

[60] de Anima, i. 3.

[61] de Anim. Arist. i. 2.

[62] Cicero, Tusculans, i. 9.

[63] See ii. 4, 1.

[64] See iv. 7, 5.

[65] See ii. 4, 1.

[66] de Nat. Hom. 2.

[67] See ii. 7.

[68] See ii. 7, 1.

[69] Nat. Hom. 2.

[70] See ii. 4, 16.

[71] As thought Chrysippus, in Plutarch, de Stoic. Repugnant.

[72] See ii. 4, 16.

[73] Met. xii. 6; see ii. 5, 3.

[74] iv. 7, 3.

[75] From end of iv. 2, 3.

[76] Aristotle, de Anima, ii. 1.

[77] Arist. de Anima, ii. 2; iii. 5.

[78] See Aristotle, de Anima, i. 5.

[79] See Aristotle, de Anima, ii. 2.

[80] Here we resume Ennead IV. Book 7. The bracketed numbers are those of the Teubner text; the unbracketed those of the Didot edition.

[81] Page 299, Cousin.

[82] Quoted in i. 1, 12, in Republic x.

[83] See i. 1, 11.

[84] See i. 6, 9.

[85] See viii. 62.

[86] See i. 6, 5.

[87] Page 297, Cousin.

[88] See iv. 8, 5.

[89] Pages 206, 312, 313, Cousin.

[90] See iv. 8, 8.

[91] See iv. 8, 6, 7.

[92] See i. 1, 11.

[93] See iv. 5, 7.

[94] Cicero, Tusculans, i. 12-16.

[95] Such as Porphyry's "Philosophy derived from Oracles."

[96] Plato, in Diog. Laert., iii. 83.

[97] Cicero, Tusculans, i. 18, 37.

[98] Cicero, Tusculans, i. 12, 18; de Divinat, i. 58.

[99] Chrysippus, in Cicero, de Fato, 10.

[100] Cicero, de Finibus, i. 6.

[101] Cicero, de Natura Deorum, i. 25.

[102] Stobeus, Ecl. Phys. i. 6, p. 178.

[103] Aulus Gellius, Noctes Atticæ, vi. 2.

[104] As thought the Stoics, Cicero, de Nat. Deor. ii. 11.

[105] Cicero, de Divinatione, ii. 44.

[106] As thought Plato, in the Phaedo, C81.

[107] See i. 6.8.

[108] See i. 3.1.

[109] See i. 3.

[110] See i. 6.2.

[111] See i. 6.6.

[112] See i. 6.9, and the Philebus of Plato, C64.

[113] As suggested in the Phaedo of Plato.

[114] See ii. 4.6.

[115] The rational soul and intelligence, see iii. 9.5.

[116] See ii. 9.12; iv. 4.14.

[117] See ii. 3.17. 18; ii. 9.2, 3; vi. 4.9.

[118] A pun on "reason," or "logos," i. 6.2; ii. 3.16; ii. 4.3; ii. 6.2; ii. 7.3.

[119] See iv. 4.1012.

[120] Far from the truth; see iii. 8.3. 7.

[121] Stoics, see iv. 7.8.

[122] Or Stoic form of inorganic objects.

[123] The form of lower living beings.

[124] The form of human nature.

[125] See iv. 7.14.

[126] Parmenides, see v. 1.8.

[127] As Plato hints in his Cratylos, C50, by a pun between "soma" and "sozesthai."

[128] The later theological "saved."

[129] See Aristotle, de Gen. i. 18.

[130] By Stoics.

[131] See iii. 8.1-3.

[132] See v. 5.1.

[133] See v. 1.4.

[134] In Greek a pun on "eidos" and "idea."

[134a] This sentence might well be translated as follows: "When therefore thought (meets) the essentially one, the latter is the form, and the former the idea." While this version seems more literal, it makes no connected sense with what follows.

[135] See iv. 9.5.

[136] See iii. 9.1.

[137] See iii. 9.1.

[138] The universal Soul.

[139] Timaeus, C39.

[140] See iii. 9.1.

[141] See iii. 7.10.

[142] See ii. 7.2.

[143] To form, see i. 6.2.

[144] As thought Plato, in his Republic, x.

[145] As thought Plato in Gorgias, C464.

[146] vi. 7.

[147] vi. 7.

[148] Or, "so that it may contain the intelligence which is one, as its own actualization."

[149] See iv. 3.9-17.

[150] In the Cratylus, C400.

[151] As in the Phaedo, C62.

[152] Republic, vii, C514.

[153] See Jamblichus, Cave of the Nymphs, 8.

[154] Procession, or rising.

[155] C246.

[156] Of the universe.

[157] C34.

[158] Timaeus, C30.

[159] The Creator, who is the universal Soul.

[160] See iv. 3.9-11.

[161] See iv. 3.17.

[162] As thought Plato in his Phaedrus, C246.

[163] The First belongs to the principal power of the universal Soul, the second to its natural and plant power, see iii, 8.1 and iv. 4.13.

[164] See iv. 4.13.

[165] See ii. 3.18.

[166] As in the Timaeus, C42.

[167] iv. 8.1.

[168] See iv. 2.2.

[169] See iv. 3.6.7.

[170] As thought Plato in his Phaedrus, C249 and Phaedo, C72.

[171] That lead an alternate or double life.

[172] In his Timaeus, C42, 69.

[173] In the stars.

[174] As does Plato, see iv. 8.1.

[175] As a messenger, see iv. 3.12.13.

[176] See ii. 9.2.

[177] Without having given herself up to it.

[178] See i. 8.7.

[179] That is, of form, ii. 4.4.

[180] See iv. 6.3.

[181] See iii. 2.8.

[182] See iv. 8.5.

[183] See iv. 3.18.

[184] See ii. 9.2.

[185] That is, the body to which she is united.

[186] As thought Plato in his Parmenides, C154.

[187] See vi. 6.13.

[188] "Being." It has been found impossible, in order to preserve good English idiom, to translate "ousia" by "being," and "to on" by "essence," with uniformity. Where the change has been made, the proper word has been added in parentheses, as here.

[189] In his Metaphysics, iv. 2.

[190] Aristotle, Met. iv. 2.

[191] Evidently a pun on forms and ideas.

[192] See vi. 2.7.

[193] In the Timaeus not accurately quoted.

[194] As Plato said in the Timaeus, 37.

[195] See iv. 9.5.

[196] See vi. 8.11.

[197] Odyss. xix. 178.

[198] See i. 2.2.

[199] See iv. 3.1.

[200] See ii. 2.2.

[201] See the beginning of Plato's Republic, ix.

[202] See i. 8.7.

[203] Because they do not allow of mutual penetration.

[204] See iv. 8.5.

[205] As thought Numenius 29.

[206] See ii. 3.

[207] See i. 8.14.

[208] See Acts, xvii. 25, 27, 28.

[209] See iv. 3.7, following the Phaedrus of Plato.

[210] Cupid and Psyche, as interpreted by Apuleius.

[211] See iii. 5.2.

[212] See iii. 5.4.

[213] See iii. 5.7-9.

[214] See v. 5.11; i. 6.7, 8; v. 8.4; vi. 9.11. It has been contended that this was a description of the Isiac temple in Rome.

[215] Num. 10.

[216] By virtue of which, according to the Pythagoreans, the dyad "dared" to issue from the unity.

[217] That is the desire which leads souls to separate themselves primitively from the divinity, and to unite themselves to bodies.

[218] We have seen this elsewhere, i. 3.1.

[219] See ii. 2.3.

[220] Iliad xx. 65.

[221] See vi. 4.4.

[222] As said Heraclitus, Plutarch, Banquet, iv. 4.

[223] See iv. 7.10.

[224] See i. 2.3; iv. 3.11.

[225] See iii. 9.5.

[226] As thought Plato in his Cratylus, C. xi. 39, and Macrobins, in his Commentary on the Dream of Scipio, i. 11.

[227] See i. 8.2; ii. 9.2.

[228] See iii. 7.2-4.

[229] See v. 9.2, 7.

[230] See vi. 2.

[231] See vi. 8.

[232] See vi. 3.

[233] See iii. 6.1.

[234] Pun on "ideas" and "forms."

[235] vi. 9. 11. This seems to refer to the Roman temple of Isis in front of which stood the statues of the divinities, vi. 9.11.

[236] Would be soul, instead of intelligence.

[237] See v. 4.1.

[238] See iii. 8.10.

[239] As thought Plato, Laws, x.; see ii. 2.3.

[240] See iii. 6.19.

[241] As thought Plato, in the Cratylos, C. xi. 39.

[242] This paragraph is founded on Numenius 36, 39.

[243] See Plato's Second Letter, 312; in English, Burges, p. 482; i. 8.2.

[244] In Timaeus, 34.

[245] In his Timaeus, C43.

[246] As quoted by Clemens Al. Strom. vi. p. 627.

[247] In Simplicius, Comm. in Phys. Arist., 9.

[248] See Plato's Sophists, C244.

[249] See ii. 7.7.

[250] See ii. 1.2.

[251] See ii. 4.7.

[252] See Metaph. xii. 7.8.

[253] Referring to Numenius's work on "The Good," and on the "Immateriality of the Soul."

[254] In the Acibiades, C36.

[255] See i. 1.9.

[256] In his Timaeus, C30.

[257] In the Phaedrus.

[258] See iii. 6.5.

[259] See v. 3.3.

[260] From the circumference, see iii. 8.7.

[261] Cicero, Tusculans, i. 22.

[262] See i. 4.9.

[263] See iii. 9.9.

[264] See iii. 8.9.

[265] iii. 9.4.

[266] iii. 8.9.

[267] See v. 1.7.

[268] See i. 1.8; iv. 9.3.

[269] See iii. 4.1, 2.

[270] Fragment belonging here, apparently, but misplaced at end of next paragraph.

[271] See v. 1.1.

[272] See iii. 4.2.

[273] See iv. 4.29; iv. 5.7.

[274] That is, in the principal power of the universal soul, see ii. 3.18.

[275] See vi. 5; that is, within intelligence.

[276] Between celestial and terrestrial life; see iii. 4.6.

[277] See iii. 8.7.

[278] Met. vii. 3.

[279] Met. v. 8.

[280] Diog. Laertes vii. 61.

[281] See Cicero, de Nat. Deor. i. 15.

[282] Met. viii. 1.

[283] See vi. 7.

[284] See i. 8.4.

[285] See i. 8.15.

[286] Plotinos's six categories are identity, difference, being, life, motion and rest. See v. 1; v. 2; vi. 2.

[287] Not the absolute eternal existence, nor the totality of the constitutive qualities of a thing, as in ii. 6.

[288] Met. xii. 2.

[289] Met. i. 3.

[290] Met. xi. 6.

[291] See v. 1.9.

[292] As reported by Diog. Laert. ii. 2.

[293] Met. i. 4; vii. 13.

[294] de Nat. Deor. i. 24.

[295] Met. viii. 4.

[296] In the Timaeus, C49-52, Met. vii. 3.

[297] See ii. 7.3.

[298] In Met. iii. 4 and de Anima i. 2.5; ii. 5.

[299] In the Timaeus.

[300] See i. 8.9; ii. 4.12.

[301] Met. vii. 3, see iii. 6.7-19.

[302] Met. viii. 4.

[303] Met. i. 6.

[304] Met. vii. 7.

[305] See ii. 4.10.

[306] See ii. 7.3.

[307] Met. xii. 2.

[308] Met. vi. 1; vii. 5.

[309] See i. 2.1.

[310] In the Philebus, 252.

[311] The same definition is given of "evil" in i. 8.10-14.

[312] See i. 8.8.

[313] Physics. iii. 7.

[314] This paragraph interrupts the argument.

[315] Plato's spirit in the Timaeus, C79.

[316] The inferior soul, see ii. 3.18.

[317] In his Phaedrus, C246.

[318] Plato, Phaedo, C. i. 242.

[319] Plato, Tim. C77.

[320] Plato, Rep. x. p. 291.

[321] Plato, Tim. 91.

[322] The text is very difficult.

[323] Plato, Rep. x. p. 617-620.

[324] In the Timaeus.

[325] C90.

[326] Phaedo, p. 107, c. i. p. 300.

[327] Rep. x. 616, p. 234.

[328] In i. 2.8, 16.

[329] See ii. 9.18.

[330] As thought Aristotle, Met. v. 14.

[331] As thought Aristotle, Met. v. 30.

[332] As thought Plato, Letter 7, 343.

[333] As said Aristotle, Met. vii. 5.

[334] Phaedros C1,217.

[335] de Gen. An. 4.2.

[336] Adv. Math. 5.102 p. 355.

[337] Theataetus, C2,132.

[338] Rep. iv. E3,434.

[339] Theataetus, 176.

[340] Plato, Phaedo, 69.

[341] Pun on the word "logos," which means both reason and word.

[342] Plato, Phaedrus, 246.

[343] v. 1.1.

[344] In his Phaedrus, Et. 266.

[345] In v. 1.1.

[346] i. 3. 4, 5, 6; i. 6.

[347] In his Phaedrus, p. 248.

[348] In his Politician, p. 262.

[349] v. 1.

[350] In his Sophist., p. 253.

[351] See i. 2.3-6.

[352] Morals i. 34, 35; Nicom. Eth., vi. 8, 11.

[353] See iv. 1.22.

[354] See iii. 8.7.

[355] See iv. 2.2.

[356] See iv. 3.19, 22, 23; iv. 4.28.

[357] See iv. 3.20-22.

[358] Cicero, de Nat. Deor. ii. 31-33.

[359] See 4.7.6, 7.

[360] Plutarch, de Plac. Phil. v. 21; Cicero, de Nat. Deor. ii. 11. The "predominating principle" had appeared in Plato's Timaeus, p. 41.

[361] Of the Timaeus, p. 35.

Transcriber's Notes:

Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in this four-volume set; otherwise they were not changed.

Simple typographical errors were corrected. Inconsistent capitalization has not been changed.

Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained.

Infrequent spelling of "Plotinus" changed to the predominant "Plotinos."

Several opening or closing parentheses and quotation marks are unmatched; Transcriber has not attempted to remedy them.

The "Index" near the beginning of the book actually is a Table of Contents for the four-volume set.

Page 11: the last paragraph seems to end abruptly: "to prove that"

Page 94: "parent's" probably should be "parents'", but is unchanged here.

Page 236: the closing parenthesis for "(destiny)" also seems to be the closing parenthesis for the phrase beginning "(because he is given ...". There are several instances in this text where a closing quotation mark is shared in a similar manner.

Footnote Issues:

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