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

* For τοῦτον here, it is requisite to read ravrny. ὁ The phantasy is thus called by Aristotle.

another, the vision is accompanied with passion. So many therefore, are the differences of intelligence.

Now, however, phantastic intelligence must not be assumed ; since this is not naturally adapted to know truly existing being. For it is indefinite, because it knows the object of its perception accompanied with figure and morphe. But perpetual being is unfigured. And in short, no irrational knowledge is able to survey being itself, since neither is adapted to perceive that which is universal. Nor must the intelligence in the rational soul be assumed. For it does not possess the at-once-collected, and that which is co-ordinate with eternal natares ; but it proceeds according to time. Nor must we assume total intellections ; for these are exempt from our Knowledge. But Timwus co-arranges intelligence with reason. The intelligence, therefore, of a partial intellect, must now be assumed. Por it is in conjunction with this, that we some tine or other perceive real being. Por as sense is in the second duad betow the rationel soul, so intelligence is inthe duad above i. Por @ partial inteliect ts proximate’y established above our essence, elevaling and perfecting it, townich we are converted when purifed through philosophy, and when we conjoin our own mitellectual power with the intelltgence of this intellect. But what this partial tntellees ts, and that it ty not as one to one rational soul, but is participated through souls which akeays energize according to tt, through which also partial sows sometimes partuctpate of intelectual light, we have elsewhere aistinctly and coptousyy discussed. Now, however, Uius nuch must be assumed, thatit is participated indeed by ad other proammate damontacal souls, but tllumimates ours, when we convert ourselves tott, and render the reason whichis inus intellectual, And as tn the Phadrus Plato calls thts the governor of the soul, and says that tt alone intel. lectually perceives real being, but that the soul percetves tt together with thas mtellect, when she is nourished by intellect and science ; thus also it must be satd that this mtelligence 1s prior to soul, and is truly that intelligence (mentioned by Plato) but that itis participated by soul when reason energizes intellectually, Hence Plato says in the following part of this dialogue, that intellect ts indeed in the Gods, but that a certain small genus [ο΄ πιο] participates of tt. And it seems that in what he says unfolding the Anowledge of perpetual being, he first calls it intelligence ; but that we may not apprehend it to be that alone, he adds to intelligence reason, distinguishing by a transitive energy the latter from the former, So that when reason intellectually perceives perpetual beans, as reason tndeed, tt energizes transitively, but as perceiving intellectually, with simplicity ; undcrstanding cach thing as simple at once, yet not all things at once, but passing from some to 2nUOK 11 TIMAELS OF PLATO. | 207 others. It transitively however perceives intellectually cvery thing which it perceives ay one thing, and avy simple.

After the definition of intelligence however, let us see what reason is, and how itis connascent with intelligence, In the Theatetus therefore, rsyos, reason, 18 said to havea three-fold subsistence ; for itis either enuneiative, ora discursive procession through the elements (of speech]; or that which exhibits the differences of each thing with respect to ethers. All these signitications however, are conversant with compositions and divisions, and are unadapted to the comprehension of eternal being. For the similar is naturally adapted to be apprehended by the sinilar, But eternal being is simple and indivisible, and is exempt from every thing which is contrary to these. Again, after another manner, one kind of reason is said to be doxastic, another scientific, and another intellectual, For since there are in us opinion, dianoia, and intellect; but 4 call intellect here, the summit of dianoia ; and since the whole of our essence is reason, in each of these reason must be diflvrently surveyed. Opinion however, is not naturally adapted to be united to the intelligence of intellect in energy + for on the contrary it is conjoined to irrational kKnowledze. Noris dianoia, so far as it proceeds into multitude and division, able to recur to intellect; but on the contrary through the Variciy of its discursive energies, it is separated from intellectual impartbility. It remains, therefore, that the summit of the soul, and that in it which has most the form of ¢he one, is established in the intelligence of a partial intellect, being threweh alliance united to it. Hence this is the reason which intellectually perceives the intelligibles co-ordinate to our nature, and the energy of which’ Soerates in the Republic says is intelligence 3 just as dianoia ts the knowledge of Uungs which subsist between intellizibles and the objects of opinion. It, however, intelh-~ gence is the energy of this reason, it will be a certain intellect. Plato in the following Mart of this dialogue says, that ¢his reason in the same manner as science, ts mgencrated in the soul, when it is moved about the intelligible. But that science has amore various energy, apprehending some things through others, and intellect a more simple energy, intuitively surveying beings themselves. This highest therefore, and most impartthle portion of our nature, Piato now deneminales reason, as unfolding to us intelicct, and an intelligthb’e nature. For when the soul abandons phantasy and opinion, and various and indefinite knowledge, but recurs to its own impartibility, according to whieh it is rooted ina partial intellect, and having run back to this, conjoins the energy of itself with the intelligence of that intellect, then