The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor

* viz. They are notin want of a medium inorder to be present every where: but the last of things require secondary natures as media, by which alone they can receive the illuminations of the first of things. 3 For ἀναμισθωμεν here, it is necessary to read avaprnobwyer.

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participate of intellect prior to the universe." For the universe is always arranged, and through the sameness of its subsistence, is nearer to an intellectual essence. But much of the disorderly and confused is inherent in partial animals. Much more therefore, must it be said, that soul is in the universe.” Hence Plato very divinely admits that there is a twofold intellect, the one being imparticipable and demiurgic, but the other participable, and inseparable ? [from its subject]. For from things which are in themselves, those which are in others, and are co-arranged with inferior natures, are derived. He also gives to the universe a twofold life, the one connascent, but the other separate; in order that the world may be an animal through the life which is in it, animated through an intellectual soul, and endued with intellect through much-honored intellect jisclf, But Aristotle only admits the half (of this doctrine of Plato}, since he takes away * imparticipable intellect from his philosophy.’ For the first: intellect with Jum, 15 the intellect of the inerratic sphere; but he cuts off the intellectual soul, which is the medium between intellect and the animated body of the universe 5 and immediately conjoins intellect with the living body. In addition to these things also he appears to me toerr in another particular, Por having placed intellect over the spheres, he does not establish the whole world in any intellect; but this is the most absurd ofall things; for how is the world one, unless one intellect hasdominion init?) What co-arrangement likewise is there of intellectual mulutade, unless it 1s suspended from a proper monad? Aud how are all things co-ordinated to an excellent condition of being, unless there isa certain common intellect of all mundane natures? For the intellect) of the inerratic sphere is the intelleet of that sphere falone}; and this is also the case with the intellect of the solar, and of the lunar sphere, and in a similar manner of the Other spheres. Against Aristotle however, we have written a peculiar treatise about these particulars.

With respect to Plato however, Is not his method admirable? For receiving the world, dividing it into parts, and surveying by itself that which js moved in

" Tu the original ἢ ec ἐστι re wow τοιουτῶν, ατόπον. ἀλλ᾽ ore πρὸ τὸν παντὸς vou μέτεχειν. But it ts necessary to eapuage ad\, and by altering the punctuation, to read as follows: ἢ ecegrert ἔωον rowvror, arroy ore πρὸ τὸν παντος, KX.

* The words ev τῷ marre εὐλ αι, are omitted inthe original,

§ Vor aywpnrus here, it 1» necessary to read aywperrer.

4 Forvoede here, read ἀφεῖλε.

But it ts necessary to eapuage ad\, and by altering the punctuation, to read as follows: ἢ ecegrert ἔωον rowvror, arroy ore πρὸ τὸν παντος, KX.

* The words ev τῷ marre εὐλ αι, are omitted inthe original,

§ Vor aywpnrus here, it 1» necessary to read aywperrer.

4 Forvoede here, read ἀφεῖλε.

§ Por an explanation of the intellect: to which Aristotle asceuded, also why he says nothing about that which is beyvnd intellect, and why he appears to dissent in many things from Plato, but does not in reality, see my Diasertation On the Philosophy of Aristotle.

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a confused and disorderly manner, he stops it in his discussion, Just as in the Laws, wishing to show that the self-motive nature is the cause of all motion, he stops the whole heaven, and having stopped it, introduces soul into the universe, in order that by pouring forth an abundance of life, she may animate the world. He likewise introduces intellect to soul, which governs the world, being converted to itself; through which the universe is moved in a circle, the whole is arranged, and the whole world is immovable. Since however, all these particulars give completion to one animal, and one nature, it is requisite that a collective and uniting cause of them should have a prior existence, and that this should be intellectual. For to comprehend wholes collectively and at once, and to bring them together, to the completion of one thing, is the work of an intellectual cause. Hence, Plato establishing imparticipable prior to participable intellect, and placing the causes of all things in it, he produces from thence, intellects, souls and bodies, from which he gives completion to the sensible world. ‘That it is necessary therefore, that the universe should participate of an intellectual soul, if it participates of intellect, is evident from what has been said. For this soul is the bond of the extremes which are contrary to each other.

‘That it is necessary therefore, that the universe should participate of an intellectual soul, if it participates of intellect, is evident from what has been said. For this soul is the bond of the extremes which are contrary to each other.

But it must also be demonstrated that the converse is true; viz. that an intellectual soul existing in the universe, it is necessary that there should be an intellect of the universe. For since it is said that this soul is intellectual, it is likewise necessary that it should participate of intellect. Whether therefore, does it alone participate of the whole of intellect, or does it participate of it through a certain thing in itself derived fromit? But if indeed, that which is corporeal immediately participates of the fountain of souls, and not through that which is in itself, it will be also requisite to admit, that the same thing takes place in the whole soul (of the universe]. If however, there is in the Demiurgus the fountain of souls, and there is also the fountain of the soul of the universe, and the universe participates through the latter of the former, it is likewise necessary that the soul itself of the universe, should be entirely suspended from imparticipable intellect through participable intellects. dor as the body of the universe is to its soul, so is the soul or it to intellect. And if indeed, so far as it is soul it becomes intellectual,' it would be necessary that every soul should be the same [i. e. should be

* Instead of και et μεν abe voepa, ψνχη ywera, in this place, it is necessary to read, και εἰ μεν cabo ψνχη, voepa γινεται.

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