alexandria and her schools(亚历山大和她的学校)-第17章
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Beauty； by teaching him to separate beauty from the various objects in
which it appears scattered and divided。 And it is even in the third class；
the lowest of whom there is hope； namely； the musical man； capable of
being passively affected by beauty； without having any active appetite for
it； the sentimentalist； in short； as we should call him nowadays。
But for the herd； Plotinus cannot say that there is anything divine in
them。 And thus it gradually comes out in all Neoplatonist writings which
I have yet examined； that the Divine only exists in a man； in proportion as
he is conscious of its existence in him。 From which spring two
conceptions of the Divine in man。 First； is it a part of him； if it is
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dependent for its existence on his consciousness of it？ Or is it； as Philo；
Plutarch； Marcus Aurelius would have held； as the Christians held；
something independent of him； without him； a Logos or Word speaking to
his reason and conscience？ With this question Plotinus grapples；
earnestly； shrewdly； fairly。 If you wish to see how he does it； you should
read the fourth and fifth books of the sixth Ennead； especially if you be
lucky enough to light on a copy of that rare book； Taylor's faithful though
crabbed translation。 Not that the result of his search is altogether
satisfactory。 He enters into subtle and severe disquisitions concerning
soul。 Whether it is one or many。 How it can be both one and many。
He has the strongest perception that； to use the noble saying of the
Germans； 〃Time and Space are no gods。〃 He sees clearly that the soul；
and the whole unseen world of truly existing being； is independent of time
and space： and yet； after he has wrestled with the two Titans； through
page after page； and apparently conquered them； they slip in again
unawares into the battle… field； the moment his back is turned。 He denies
that the one Reason has partsit must exist as a whole wheresoever it
exists： and yet he cannot express the relation of the individual soul to it；
but by saying that we are parts of it； or that each thing； down to the lowest；
receives as much soul as it is capable of possessing。 Ritter has worked
out at length； though in a somewhat dry and lifeless way； the hundred
contradictions of this kind which you meet in Plotinus； contradictions
which I suspect to be inseparable from any philosophy starting from his
grounds。 Is he not looking for the spiritual in a region where it does not
exist； in the region of logical conceptions and abstractions； which are not
realities； but only； after all； symbols of our own； whereby we express to
ourselves the processes of our own brain？ May not his Christian
contemporaries have been nearer scientific truth； as well as nearer the
common sense and practical belief of mankind； in holding that that which
is spiritual is personal； and can only be seen or conceived of as residing in
persons； and that that which is personal is moral； and has to do； not with
abstractions of the intellect； but with right and wrong； love and hate； and
all which； in the common instincts of men； involves a free will； a free
judgment； a free responsibility and desert？ And that； therefore； if there
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were a Spirit； a Daemonic Element； an universal Reason； a Logos； a
Divine Element； closely connected with man； that one Reason； that one
Divine Element； must be a person also？ At least； so strong was the
instinct of even the Heathen schools in this direction； that the followers of
Plotinus had to fill up the void which yawned between man and the
invisible things after which he yearned； by reviving the whole old Pagan
Polytheism； and adding to it a Daemonology borrowed partly from the
Chaldees； and partly from the Jewish rabbis； which formed a descending
chain of persons； downward from the highest Deities to heroes； and to the
guardian angel of each man； the meed of the philosopher being； that by
self…culture and self…restraint he could rise above the tutelage of some
lower and more earthly daemon； and become the pupil of a God； and
finally a God himself。
These contradictions need not lower the great Father of Neoplatonism
in our eyes； as a moral being。 All accounts of him seem to prove him to
have been what Apollo； in a lengthy oracle； declared him to have been；
〃good and gentle； and benignant exceedingly； and pleasant in all his
conversation。〃 He gave good advice about earthly matters； was a faithful
steward of moneys deposited with him； a guardian of widows and orphans；
a righteous and loving man。 In his practical life； the ascetic and gnostic
element comes out strongly enough。 The body； with him； was not evil；
neither was it good； it was simply nothingwhy care about it？ He would
have no portrait taken of his person： 〃It was humiliating enough to be
obliged to carry a shadow about with him； without having a shadow made
of that shadow。〃 He refused animal food； abstained from baths； declined
medicine in his last illness； and so died about 200 A。D。
It is in his followers； as one generally sees in such cases； that the
weakness of his conceptions comes out。 Plotinus was an earnest thinker；
slavishly enough reverencing the opinion of Plato； whom he quotes as an
infallible oracle； with a 〃He says；〃 as if there were but one he in the
universe： but he tried honestly to develop Plato； or what he conceived to
be Plato； on the method which Plato had laid down。 His dialectic is far
superior； both in quantity and in quality； to that of those who come after
him。 He is a seeker。 His followers are not。 The great work which
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marks the second stage of his school is not an inquiry； but a justification；
not only of the Egyptian； but of all possible theurgies and superstitions；
perhaps the best attempt of the kind which the world has ever seen； that
which marks the third is a mere cloud…castle； an inverted pyramid； not of
speculation； but of dogmatic assertion； patched together from all
accessible rags and bones of the dead world。 Some here will； perhaps；
guess from my rough descriptions； that I speak of Iamblichus and Proclus。
Whether or not Iamblichus wrote the famous work usually attributed
to him； which describes itself as the letter of Abamnon the Teacher to
Porphyry； he became the head of that school of Neoplatonists who fell
back on theurgy and magic； and utterly swallowed up the more rational；
though more hopeless； school of Porphyry。 Not that Porphyry； too； with
all his dislike of magic and the vulgar superstitionsa dislike intimately
connected with his loudly expressed dislike of the common herd； and
therefore of Christianity； as a religion for the common herd did not
believe a fact or two； which looks to us； nowadays； somewhat
unphilosophical。 From him we learn that one Ammonius； trying to crush
Plotinus by magic arts； had his weapons so completely turned against
himself； that all his limbs were contracted。 From him we learn that
Plotinus； having summoned in the temple of Isis his familiar spirit； a god；
and not a mere daemon； appeared。 He writes sensibly enough however to
one Anebos； an Egyptian priest； stating his doubts as to the popular
notions of the Gods； as beings subject to human passions and vices； and of
theurgy and magic； as material means of compelling them to appear； or
alluring them to favour man。 The answer of Abamnon； Anebos；
Iamblichus； or whoever the real author may have been； is worthy of
perusal by every metaphysical student； as a curious phase of thought； not
confined to that time； but rife； under some shape or other； in every age of
the world's history； and in this as much as in any。 There are many
passages full of eloquence； many more full of true and noble thought：
but on the whole； it is the sewing of new cloth into an old garment； the
attempt to suit the old superstition to the new one； by eclectically picking
and choosing； and special pleading； on both sides； but the rent is only
made worse。 There is no base superstition which Abamnon does not
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unconsciously justify。 And yet he is rapidly losing sight of the real
eternal human germs of truth round which those superstitions clustered；
and is really further from truth and reason than old Homer or Hesiod；
because further from the simple； universal； everyday facts； and relations；
and duties of man； which are； after all； among the most mysterious； and
also among the most sacred objects which man can contemplate。
It was not wonderful； however； that Neoplatonism took the course it
did。 Spirit； they felt rightly； was meant to rule matter； it was to be freed
from matter only for that very purpose。 No one could well deny that。 The
philosopher； as he rose and became； according to Plotinus； a god； or at
least approached toward the go
