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

dice. The animated accedes from the life, which is in the order called intelligible, and at the same lime intellectual, and also from the life which is in the intellectual order, which life is the middle cause ia both these orders.

* For καὶ δαιίμὼν in this place, read ευδαιμων.

S ice. ilporoa providence, is au energy πρὸ νὸν prior to intellect.

possession of life indeed, comprehends intelligible animals, but through the animated sensible animals alone. But it may be inferred, that the world is an animal from its sympathy; that it is animated, from its perpetual motion; and that itis endued with intellect, from its excellent order. Lor if according to this, mortal’ are co-passive with celestial natures, and the latter impart an effluxion to the former, the universe is one animal connected and contained by one life. For if this life were not common there would not bea sympathy of the parts in it. Jor sympathy is effected through a participation ef the same nature. And if the world is perpetually moved, itis governed by soul. For every body which is itself moved inwardly by itself, is animated; but the body which is moved externally, is inanimate. If therefore, the universe Is always moved, what is it which moves it? For this is either immoveable, or self-motive. Butitis not lawful for the immoveable cause of motion to approach without a medium to things which are moved by something different from themselves. Hence, it remains, that the self-motive nature is that which always moves the world. But this is soul. The world therefore is animated.

Moreover, in the third place, if? the universe is always arranged, and if all things are co-ordinated to well-being, and there is nothing adventitious in’ the polity of the world, intellect governs the world. For the connexion, the order, and the sacred Jaws of the natures contained in it, bring with them manifest syinbols of intellectual government. Aristotle also, in another way shows this, when he says that of animated natures, animals have the left hand and the right, but plants have the upwards and downwards, and also the meht hand and the left, so that the world is animated and an animal. But it is likewise endued with intellect. Por that which moves itis intellect. According to both plilosophers therefore, the world is an animal animated and endued with intellect ; except indeed, that according to Aristotle, it is animated, as having an inseparable lite; for he does not admit that 1 has an intellectual soul, bat that it has an intellect above soul, and which is essentially suspended from another intelli gible animal For what) Plato calls animal itself, he calls eternal animal, as an his Metaphysics, when he says, “ We say that God ts an eternal animal.” And in short, since there are in the world things that are moved, and things that are immoveable, things which are always one or the other of these, and things which 2are sometimes in motion, and sometimes are tmmoveable, itis necessary that the

' Ttis necessary here, to supply ra Oynra.

* Fe is omitted here in the orginal.

causes of both these should preside over the world. Soul therefore is the cause of motion; on which eccount also Plato in the Laws admitting [for the sake ot arument] the universe to be immoveable, gives motion to it by the introduction of soul, Andinthe Phaedrus taking away soul, he makes all things to stand still. But itis evident that intellect belongs to immoveable natures. And beings that are always moved, are moved about those that are immoveable, and on accomnt of the permaneney of the latter, the former are perpetually moved. Hleuce it entirely follows, that there is a mundane intellect above soul. By no means therefore, must that which Chrysippus devised, be ascribed to the world. For he confounded imparticipable with participable * causes, by supposing them to be the same with each other, and also the divine, and the intelleetual, the immaterial and the material. For the same God, and who according to him is the tirst God, pervades through the world, and through matter, and is both soul and nature inseparable from the subjects of his government. Plato however, establishing prior to the whole world three causes, goodness, intelligible animal, and the demiurgic intellect, imparts from these to the world in the first place, a perfect intellect always fixed in energy, exempt from matter, and full of undefiled intellections. In the second place, a divine intellectual soul, evolving the essence of this one intellect, dancing round it, and convolving the universe. In the third place, a union of the total essences in the world, and one deity and eoodness, connecting all the mundane multitude, and causing itto be one. And in the fourth place, a providence extending to all things its inspective care, subsisting likewise from itself, and causing itself to be exempt trom all the subjects of its government.

Since however, as we have before observed, it is necessary to survey the procressions and the conversions of wholes, both these are accomplished by Plato. For he delivers the progressions of them when he says that the Demiurgus placed intellect in soul, and soul in body ; but their conversions, when beginning from the world, he calls itan animal animated, and endued with intellect, and connects it through soul with intellect, which is the peculiar work of conversion. And in the last place, he reiers the composition of the world to the demuiurgic providence, through which conversion is imparted to all things. For goodness indeed, unites the Demiurzgus to te exe. But will supplies wholes with good. And providence converts all things to de good. For, as we have said, goodness is

* [tis necessary liere to supply καὶ peGexras.

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