Select Works of Plotinus — trans. Thomas Taylor

y the truth proceeding from the good \ which illuminates all intelligibles with reality. By such a soul as this, therefore, it may be properly said,

Farewell, a God immortal now am 1/ having ascended to divinity, and earnestly striving to become similar to him. If, however, purifica¬ tion causes the soul to have a knowledge of the

* A celebrated line of Empedocles,p. 244 most excellent things, the sciences also which are inwardly latent will then shine forth, and which are truly sciences. For the soul does not by running to externals behold temperance and justice, but perceives them herself by herself, in the intellection of herself, and of that which she formerly was, and views them like statues established in herself, which through time have become covered with rust. These she then purifies, just as if gold were animated, and in consequence of being incrusted with earth, and not perceiving itself to be gold, should be ignorant of itself ; but afterwards shaking off the earth which adheres to it, should be filled with admiration on beholding itself pure and alone. Then, also, it would perceive that it has no need of adventitious beauty, and would consider with itself that it is then in the best condition when it is permitted to be wholly by itself.

XI. Who, therefore, endued with intellect will doubt that a thing of this kind is not immortal, to which indestructible life is present from itself? For how is it possible it should perish, since it is not adventitious, and is not possessed in the same way as heat is present with fire ? I do not mean by this,

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p. 245

that heat is adventitious to fire, but that it is so to the subject matter of fire, though it is not to fire itself. For through this fire is dissolved. Soul, however, does not possess life in such a way, as that matter is the subject of it, but life acceding, demonstrates the presence of soul. For either life is essence, and is an essence of such a kind as to live from itself, which is soul, the object of our investigation, and this they acknowledge to be im¬ mortal ; or they must analyze it as a composite. This, also, they must analyze, till they arrive at that which is immortal, and moved from itself, and to which it is not lawful to receive the destiny of death. Or if they say that life is a passion adven¬ titious to matter, they are compelled to acknow¬ ledge that nature to be immortal from which this passion was imparted to matter, and which is inca¬ pable of receiving the contrary to that which it im¬ parts. For it is one nature living in energy.

XII.

adven¬ titious to matter, they are compelled to acknow¬ ledge that nature to be immortal from which this passion was imparted to matter, and which is inca¬ pable of receiving the contrary to that which it im¬ parts. For it is one nature living in energy.

XII. Farther still, if they say that every soul is corruptible, it would be requisite that all things should have long since perished. But if they assert that one soul is corruptible, and another not, as for instance, that the soul of the universe is immortal.

p. 246

but ours not, it is necessary that they should assign the cause of this difference. For each is the cause of motion, and each lives from itself. Each, like¬ wise, comes into contact with the same things by the same power, intellectually perceiving the na¬ tures in the heavens, and also those that are beyond the heavens, investigating every thing which has an essential subsistence, and ascending as far as to the first principle of things. To which may be added, that it is evident the soul gave being to itself prior to the body, from its ability of apprehending what each thing is, by itself, from its own inherent spec¬ tacles, and from reminiscence. And from its em¬ ploying eternal sciences, it is manifest that it is itself perpetual. Besides, since every thing which can be dissolved receives composition, hence, so far as a thing is a composite, it is naturally adapted to be dissolved. But soul being one simple energy, and a nature characterized by life, cannot be cor¬ rupted as a composite. Will it, therefore, through being divided and distributed into minute parts, perish ? Soul, however, is not, as we have demon¬ strated, a certain bulk or quantity. May it not, therefore, through being changed in quality, be cor¬ rupted ? Change in quality however which corrupts,p. 247 takes away form, but leaves the subject matter. But this is the passion of a composite. Hence* if it is not possible for the soul to be corrupted according to any of these modes, it is necessarily incorruptible.

XIII. How, therefore, since the intelligible is separate, does the soul descend into body ? 1 Be»

1 Souls fall into bodies, (says Proclus in Tim. p. 343.) be¬ cause they wish to imitate the providential energies of the Gods, and on this account proceed into generation, and leave the contemplation of true being.

e, does the soul descend into body ? 1 Be»

1 Souls fall into bodies, (says Proclus in Tim. p. 343.) be¬ cause they wish to imitate the providential energies of the Gods, and on this account proceed into generation, and leave the contemplation of true being. For as divine perfection is twofold, one kind being intellectual and the other providential, and one kind consisting in an abiding energy, but the other in motion, hence souls imitate the prolific, intellectual, and im¬ mutable energy of the Gods by contemplation, but their provi¬ dential and motive characteristic, through a life conversant with generation. As the intelligence too, of the human soul is partial, so likewise is her providence ; but being partial it associates with a partial body. But still further, the descent of the soul contributes to the perfection of the universe. For it is necessary that there should not only be immortal and in¬ tellectual animals, such as are the perpetual attendants of the Gods, nor yet mortal and irrational animals only, such as are the last progeny of the Demiurgus of the universe, but like¬ wise such as subsist between these, and which are by no means [wholly] immortal, but are capable of participating reason and intellect. And in many parts of the universe, there are many animals of this kind. For man is not the only rational and mortal animal, but there are other such-like species, some ofp. 248 cause so far as intellect alone is impassive in intelligibles, having an intellectual life alone, it abides

■which are more daemoniacal, and others approximate nearer to our essence. But the descents of a partial soul contribute to the perfect composition of all animals, which are at the same time mortal and rational.

Should it be again asked. Why, therefore, are partial souls descending into generation filled with such material perturba-

* tiou, and such numerous evils ? We reply, that this takes place through the inclination arising from their free will ; through their vehement familiarity with body ; through their sympathy with the image of soul, or that divisible life which is distributed about the body ; through their abundant mutation from an intelligible to a sensible nature, and from a quiet energy to one entirely conversant with motion ; and through a disordered condition of being, naturally arising from the composition of dissimilar natures, viz. of the immortal and mortal, of the in¬ tellectual and that which is deprived of intellect, of the indivi¬ sible and that which is endued with interval.