the six enneads- 第149部分

e　is　still　a　real　existence　of　movement。　But　movement　is　not　on　a　par　with　number：　it　is　because　movement　is　an　entity　that　unity　can　be　observed　upon　it。　Besides；　the　kind　of　real　existence　thus　implied　annuls　the　reality　of　number；　making　it　no　more　than　an　attribute；　but　that　cannot　be　since　an　attribute　must　exist　before　it　can　be　attributed；　it　may　be　inseparable　from　the　subject　but　still　must　in　itself　be　something；　some　entity　as　whiteness　is；　to　be　a　predicate　it　must　be　that　which　is　to　be　predicated。　Thus　if　unity　is　observed　in　every　subject；　and　〃one　man〃　says　more　than　〃man's　oneness　being　different　from　the　manness　and　common　to　all　things…　then　this　oneness　must　be　something　prior　to　man　and　to　all　the　rest：　only　so　can　the　unity　come　to　apply　to　each　and　to　all：　it　must　therefore　be　prior　also　to　even　movement；　prior　to　Being；　since　without　unity　these　could　not　be　each　one　thing：　of　course　what　is　here　meant　is　not　the　unity　postulated　as　transcending　Being　but　the　unity　predicable　of　the　Ideas　which　constitute　each　several　thing。　So　too　there　is　a　decad　prior　to　the　subject　in　which　we　affirm　it；　this　prior　would　be　the　decad　absolute；　for　certainly　the　thing　in　which　the　decad　is　observed　is　not　that　absolute。　　　　　Is　this　unity；　then；　connate　and　coexistent　to　the　Beings？　Suppose　it　coexistent　merely　as　an　accidental；　like　health　in　man；　it　still　must　exist　of　itself；　suppose　it　present　as　an　element　in　a　compound；　there　must　first　exist　unity　and　the　unity　absolute　that　can　thus　enter　into　composition；　moreover　if　it　were　compounded　with　an　object　brought　into　being　by　its　agency　it　would　make　that　object　only　spuriously　a　unity；　its　entry　would　produce　a　duality。　　　　　But　what　of　the　decad？　Where　lies　the　need　of　decad　to　a　thing　which；　by　totalling　to　that　power；　is　decad　already？　　　　　The　need　may　be　like　that　of　Form　to　Matter；　ten　and　decad　may　exist　by　its　virtue；　and；　once　more；　the　decad　must　previously　exist　of　its　own　existence；　decad　unattached。　　　　　6。　Granted；　then；　that　there　exist；　apart　from　things；　a　unity　absolute　and　a　decad　absolute　in　other　words；　that　the　Intellectual　beings；　together　with　their　characteristic　essence　have　also　their　order；　Henads；　Dyads；　Triads；　what　is　the　nature　of　these　numerical　entities　and　how　does　it　come　into　being？　We　cannot　but　think　that　some　reason　accounts　for　their　origin。　　　　　As　a　beginning；　what　is　the　origin　of　the　Ideas　in　general？　It　is　not　that　the　thinking　principle　thought　of　each　Idea　and　by　that　act　of　thought　procured　their　several　existences；　not　because　Justice　and　Movement　were　thus　thought　did　they　come　to　be；　that　would　imply　that　while　the　thought　is　later　than　the　thing…　the　concept　of　Justice　must　be　later　than　Justice　itself…　yet　the　thought　precedes　what；　as　founded　on　the　thinking；　owes　its　existence　to　it。　Besides；　if　justice　is　only　a　certain　definite　thought　we　have　the　absurdity　that　Justice　is　nothing　more　than　a　definition　of　Justice。　Thinking　of　Justice　or　Movement　is　but　grasping　their　nature；　this　would　mean　grasping　the　non…existent；　an　impossibility。　　　　　We　may　be　reminded　that　in　immaterial　objects　the　knowledge　is　identical　with　the　thing；　but　we　must　not　misapply　that　statement；　it　does　not　say　that　the　knowledge　is　the　thing　known；　or　that　the　reason　surveying　the　thing　is　the　thing；　but　that　the　immaterial　thing；　being　an　Intellectual　object　is　also　a　thought；　this　does　not　imply　a　definition　or　conception　of　the　object；　the　thing　itself；　as　belonging　to　the　Intellectual；　can　be　nothing　else　than　Intellect　or　knowledge。　This　is　not　a　case　of　knowledge　self…directed；　it　is　that　the　thing　in　the　Intellectual　transmutes　the　knowledge；　which　is　not　fixed　like　the　knowledge　of　material　things；　in　other　words　it　makes　it　true　knowledge；　that　is　to　say　no　image　of　the　thing　but　the　thing　directly。　　　　　Thus　it　is　not　the　conception　of　movement　that　brings　movement　to　be；　movement　absolute　produces　that　conception；　it　produces　itself　as　at　once　movement　and　the　concept　of　movement；　for　movement　as　it　exists　There；　bound　up　with　Being；　is　a　concept。　It　is　movement　absolute　because　it　is　the　first　movement…　there　can　be　none　till　this　exist…　and　it　is　the　authentic　Movement　since　it　is　not　accidental　to　something　else　but　is　the　activity　of　actual　Being　in　motion。　Thus　it　is　a　real　existent；　though　the　notion　of　Being　is　different。　　　　　Justice　therefore　is　not　the　thought　of　Justice　but；　as　we　may　put　it；　a　state　of　the　Intellectual…Principle；　or　rather　an　activity　of　it…　an　appearance　so　lovely　that　neither　evening　nor　dawn　is　so　fair；　nor　anything　else　in　all　the　realm　of　sense；　an　Intellectual　manifestation　self…rising；　self…seen；　or；　rather；　self…being。　　　　　7。　It　is　inevitably　necessary　to　think　of　all　as　contained　within　one　nature；　one　nature　must　hold　and　encompass　all；　there　cannot　be　as　in　the　realm　of　sense　thing　apart　from　thing；　here　a　sun　and　elsewhere　something　else；　all　must　be　mutually　present　within　a　unity。　This　is　the　very　nature　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　as　we　may　know　from　soul　which　reproduces　it　and　from　what　we　call　Nature　under　which　and　by　which　the　things　of　process　are　brought　into　their　disjointed　being　while　that　Nature　itself　remains　indissolubly　one。　　　　　But　within　the　unity　There；　the　several　entities　have　each　its　own　distinct　existence；　the　all…embracing　Intellect　sees　what　is　in　it；　what　is　within　Being；　it　need　not　look　out　upon　them　since　it　contains　them；　need　not　separate　them　since　they　stand　for　ever　distinct　within　it。　　　　　Against　doubters　we　cite　the　fact　of　participation；　the　greatness　and　beauty　of　the　Intellectual…Principle　we　know　by　the　soul's　longing　towards　it；　the　longing　of　the　rest　towards　soul　is　set　up　by　its　likeness　to　its　higher　and　to　the　possibility　open　to　them　of　attaining　resemblance　through　it。　　　　　It　is　surely　inconceivable　that　any　living　thing　be　beautiful　failing　a　Life…Absolute　of　a　wonderful；　an　ineffable；　beauty：　this　must　be　the　Collective　Life；　made　up　of　all　living　things；　or　embracing　all；　forming　a　unity　coextensive　with　all；　as　our　universe　is　a　unity　embracing　all　the　visible。　　　　　8。　As　then　there　is　a　Life…Form　primal…　which　therefore　is　the　Life…Form　Absolute…　and　there　is　Intellectual…Principle　or　Being；　Authentic　Being；　these；　we　affirm；　contain　all　living　things　and　all　Number；　and　Absolute　Justice　and　Beauty　and　all　of　that　order；　for　we　ascribe　an　existence　of　their　own　to　Absolute　Man；　Absolute　Number；　Absolute　Justice。　It　remains　to　discover；　in　so　far　as　such　knowledge　is　possible；　how　these　distinct　entities　come　to　be　and　what　is　the　manner　of　their　being。　　　　　At　the　outset　we　must　lay　aside　all　sense…perception；　by　Intellectual…Principle　we　know　Intellectual…Principle。　We　reflect　within　ourselves　there　is　life；　there　is　intellect；　not　in　extension　but　as　power　without　magnitude；　issue　of　Authentic　Being　which　is　power　self…existing；　no　vacuity　but　a　thing　most　living　and　intellective…　nothing　more　living；　more　intelligent；　more　real…　and　producing　its　effect　by　contact　and　in　the　ratio　of　the　contact；　closely　to　the　close；　more　remotely　to　the　remote。　If　Being　is　to　be　sought；　then　most　be　sought　is　Being　at　its　intensest；　so　too　the　intensest　of　Intellect　if　the　Intellectual　act　has　worth；　and　so；　too；　of　Life。　　　　　First；　then；　we　take　Being　as　first　in　order；　then　Intellectual…Principle；　then　the　Living…Form　considered　as　containing　all　things：　Intellectual…Principle；　as　the　Act　of　Real　Being；　is　a　second。　　　　　Thus　it　is　clear　that　Number　cannot　be　dependent　upon　the　Living…Form　since　unity　and　duality　existed　before　that；　nor　does　it　rise　in　the　Intellectual…Principle　since　before　that　there　existed　Real　Being　which　is　both　one　and　numerous。　　　　　9。　It　remains　then　to　consider　whether　Being　by　its　distinction　produced　Number　or　Number　produced　that　distinction。　It　is　certain　that　either　Number　was　the　cause　of　Being；　movement；　rest；　identity　and　difference；　or　these　the　cause　of　Number。　　　　　The　first　question　is　whether　Number　can　exist　in　and　of　itself　or　is　dependent　upon　things…　Two　being　something　observed　in　two　things；　Three　in　three；　and　so　of　the　arithmetical　One；　for　if　this　could　exist　apart　from　numbered　objects　it　could　exist　also　before　the　divisions　of　Being。　　　　　But　could　it　precede　Being　itself？　　　　　For　the　present　we　must　take　it　that　Being　precedes　Number；　is　its　source。　But　if　One　means　one　being　and　the　duality　two　beings；　then　unity　precedes　Being；　and　Number　precedes　the　Beings。　　　　　Mentally；　to　our　approach？　Yes：　and　in　reality　of　existence　as　well。　　　　　Let　us　consider：　When　we　think　of　the　existence　and　the　fine　appearance　of　a　man　as　forming　one　thing；　that　unity　is　certainly　thought　of　as　subsequent　to　a　precedent　duality；　when　we　group　a　horse　with　a　dog；　the　duality　is　obviously　the　subsequent。　But　think　of　that　which　brings　man　or　horse　or　dog　into　being　or　produces　them；　with　full　intention；　from　where　they　lie　latent　within　itself：　the　producer　must　say　〃I　begin　with　a　first；　I　pass　on　to　a　second；　that　makes　two；　counting　myself　there　are　three。〃　Of　course　there　was　no　such　numbering　even　of　Beings　for　their　production；　since　the　due　number　was　known　from　the　very　beginning；　but　this　consideration　serves　to　show　that　all　Number　precedes　the　very　Beings　themselves。　　　　　But　if　Number　thus　preceded　the　Beings；　then　it　is　not　included　among　them？　　　　　The　truth　is　that　it　existed　within　the　Authentic　Being　but　not　as　applying　to　it；　for　Being　was　still　unparted；　the　potentiality　of　Number　existed　and　so　produced　the　division　within　Being；　put　in　travail　with　multiplicity；　Number　must　be　either　the　substance　of　Being　or　its　Activity；　the　Life…Form　as　such　and　the　Intellectual…Principle　must　be　Number。　Clearly　Being　is　to　be；　thought　of　as　Number　Collective；　while　the　Beings　are　Number　unfolded：　the　Intellectual…Principle　is　Number　moving　within　itself；　while　the　Living…Form　is　Number　container　of　the　universe。　Even　Being　is　the　outcome　of　the　Unity；　and；　since　the　prior　is　unity；　the　secondary　must　be　Number。　　　　　Hence　it　is　that　the　Forms　have　been　described　as　Henads　and　Numbers。　This　is　the　authentic　Number；　the　other；　the　〃monadic〃　is　its　image。　The　Authentic　is　that　made　manifest　in　the　Forms　and　helping　to　bring　them