Plotinus on Intellectual Beauty

7/27/2019 Plotinus on Intellectual Beauty

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PlotinusEnnead5OnIntellectualBeauty

StephenMacKenna andA.H.ArmstrongtranslationsofEnnead5.8.18

OntheIntellectualBeauty

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.1.ItisaprinciplewithusthatonewhohasattainedtothevisionoftheIntellectualCosmosandgraspedthebeautyoftheAuthenticIntellectwillbeablealsoto

cometounderstandtheFatherandTranscendentofthatDivineBeing.Itconcernsus,then,totrytosee

andsay,forourselvesandasfarassuchmattersmaybetold,howtheBeautyofthedivineIntellectand

oftheIntellectualCosmosmayberevealedtocontemplation.

Letusgototherealmofmagnitudes:supposetwoblocksofstonelyingsidebyside:oneis

unpatterned,

quite

untouched

by

art;

the

other

has

been

minutely

wrought

by

the

craftsman's

hands

intosomestatueofgodorman,aGraceoraMuse,orifahumanbeing,notaportraitbutacreationin

whichthesculptor'sarthasconcentratedallloveliness.

Nowitmustbeseenthatthestonethusbroughtundertheartist'shandtothebeautyofformis

beautifulnotasstoneforsothecrudeblockwouldbeaspleasantbutinvirtueoftheFormorIdea

introducedbytheart.Thisformisnotinthematerial;itisinthedesignerbeforeeveritentersthe

stone;andtheartificerholdsitnotbyhisequipmentofeyesandhandsbutbyhisparticipationinhis

art.Thebeauty,therefore,existsinafarhigherstateintheart;foritdoesnotcomeoverintegrallyinto

thework;thatoriginalbeautyisnottransferred;whatcomesoverisaderivativeandaminor:andeven

thatshowsitselfuponthestatuenotintegrallyandwithentirerealizationofintentionbutonlyinsofar

asithassubduedtheresistanceofthematerial.

Art,then,creatingintheimageofitsownnatureandcontent,andworkingbytheIdeaorReason

Principleofthebeautifulobjectitistoproduce,mustitselfbebeautifulinafarhigherandpurerdegree

sinceitistheseatandsourceofthatbeauty,indwellingintheart,whichmustnaturallybemore

completethananycomelinessoftheexternal.Inthedegreeinwhichthebeautyisdiffusedbyentering

intomatter,itissomuchtheweakerthanthatconcentratedinunity;everythingthatreachesoutwards

isthelessforit,strengthlessstrong,heatlesshot,everypowerlesspotent,andsobeautyless

beautiful.

Thenagain

every

prime

cause

must

be,

within

itself,

more

powerful

than

its

effect

can

be:

the

musical

doesnotderivefromanunmusicalsourcebutfrommusic;andsotheartexhibitedinthematerialwork

derivesfromanartyethigher.

Stilltheartsarenottobeslightedonthegroundthattheycreatebyimitationofnaturalobjects;for,to

beginwith,thesenaturalobjectsarethemselvesimitations;then,wemustrecognizethattheygiveno

barereproductionofthethingseenbutgobacktotheReasonPrinciplesfromwhichNatureitself

derives,and,furthermore,thatmuchoftheirworkisalltheirown;theyareholdersofbeautyandadd


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wherenatureislacking.ThusPheidiaswroughttheZeusuponnomodelamongthingsofsensebutby

apprehendingwhatformZeusmusttakeifhechosetobecomemanifesttosight.

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.1.SincewemaintainthatthemanwhohasenteredintocontemplationoftheintelligibleworldandunderstoodthebeautyofthetrueIntellectwillbeablealso

tobringintohisminditsFatherwhichisbeyondIntellect,letustrytoseeandtosaytoourselves,asfar

asitispossibletosaysuchthings,howitispossibleforanyonetocontemplatethebeautyofIntellect

andofthathigherworld.Letussuppose,ifyoulike,acoupleofgreatlumpsofstonelyingsidebyside,

oneshapelessanduntouchedbyart,theotherwhichhasbeenalreadymasteredbyartandturnedinto

astatueofagodorofaman,ofaGraceoroneoftheMusesifofagod,andifofamannotjustofany

manbutofonewhomarthasmadeupoutofeverysortofhumanbeauty.Thestonewhichhasbeen

broughttobeautyofformbyartwillappearbeautifulnotbecauseitisastoneforthentheother

wouldbejustasbeautifulbutasaresultoftheformwhicharthasputintoit.[Compareandcontrast

theearliertreatiseI.6(1).2.257,wheresometimesartgivesbeautytoawholehousewithitsparts,

andsometimesnaturegivesbeautytoasinglestone]Nowthematerialdidnothavethisform,butit

wasinthemanwhohaditinhismindevenbeforeitcameintothestone;butitwasinthecraftsman,

notinsofarashehadhandsandeyes,butbecausehehadsomeshareofart.Sothisbeautywasinthe

art,anditwasfarbetterthere;forthebeautyintheartdidnotcomeintothestone,butthatbeauty

staysintheartandanothercomesfromitintothestonewhichisderivedfromitandlessthanit.And

eventhisdoesnotstaypureandasitwantstobeinthestone,butisonlythereasfarasthestonehas

submittedtotheart.Ifartmakesitsworklikewhatitisandhasanditmakesitbeautifulaccordingto

theformingprincipleofwhatitismakingitisitselfmore,andmoretruly,beautifulsinceithasthe

beautyofartwhichisgreaterandmorebeautifulthananythingintheexternalobject.Forathingis

weaker

than

that

which

abides

in

unity

in

proportion

as

it

expands

in

its

advance

towards

matter.

Everythingwhichisextendeddepartsfromitself:ifitisbodilystrength,itgrowslessstrong,ifheat,less

hot,ifpoweringeneral,lesspowerful,ifbeauty,lessbeautiful.[ThisisthenormaldoctrineofPlotinus:

cp.especiallyIII.7.11.237(onthesoul'sselfextensionintotime)]

Everyoriginalmakermustbeinitselfstrongerthanthatwhichitmakes;itisnotlackofmusicwhich

makesamanmusical,butmusic,andmusicintheworldofsenseismadebythemusicpriortothis

world.Butifanyonedespisestheartsbecausetheyproducetheirworksbyimitatingnature,wemust

tellhim,first,thatnaturalthingsareimitationstoo.Thenhemustknowthattheartsdonotsimply

imitatewhattheysee,buttheyrunbackuptotheformingprinciplesfromwhichnaturederives;then

alsothattheydoagreatdealbythemselves,and,sincetheypossessbeauty,theymakeupwhatis

defectiveinthings.ForPheidiastoodidnotmakehisZeusfromanymodelperceivedbythesenses,but

understoodwhatZeuswouldlooklikeifhewantedtomakehimselfvisible.[The"Pheidias

commonplace",onthebasisofwhichPlotinusdevelopshisownviewoftheartist'sdirectaccesstothe

intelligibleworld,goesbackatleasttotheageofCicero(cp.CiceroOratorII.89and,forthe

continuanceofitsusedowntothetimeofPlotinus,PhiloatratusLifeofApolloniusVI.19.2).Plotinusisof

coursehereindisagreementwithPlato,forwhomtheartistisamerecopyistoftherealitiesofthesense

world(cp.PlatoRepublicX597Bff.).Onthequestionofwhetherthisdisagreementwasconsciousand


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deliberate,seeJ.M.Rist,Plotinus(Cambridge1967)1834andmypaperTradition,Reasonand

ExperienceintheThoughtofPlotinus"(inPlotinoeitNeoplatonismo,Rome1974)179.]

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.2.ButletusleavetheartsandconsiderthoseworksproducedbyNatureandadmittedtobenaturallybeautifulwhichthecreationsofartarechargedwith

imitating,allreasoninglifeandunreasoningthingsalike,butespeciallytheconsummateamongthem,

wherethemoulderandmakerhassubduedthematerialandgiventheformhedesired.Nowwhatisthe

beautyhere?Ithasnothingtodowiththebloodorthemenstrualprocess:eitherthereisalsoacolour

andformapartfromallthisorthereisnothingunlesssheeruglinessor(atbest)abarerecipient,asit

werethemereMatterofbeauty.

WhenceshoneforththebeautyofHelen,battlesought;orofallthosewomenlikeinlovelinessto

Aphrodite;or

of

Aphrodite

herself;

or

of

any

human

being

that

has

been

perfect

in

beauty;

or

of

any

of

thesegodsmanifesttosight,orunseenbutcarryingwhatwouldbebeautyifwesaw?

InalltheseisitnottheFormIdea,somethingofthatrealmbutcommunicatedtotheproducedfrom

withintheproducer,justasinworksofart,weheld,itiscommunicatedfromtheartstotheircreations?

Nowwecansurelynotbelievethat,whilethemadethingandtheReasonPrinciplethusimpressedupon

Matterarebeautiful,yetthePrinciplenotsoalloyedbutrestingstillwiththecreatortheIdeaprimal

andimmaterialisnotBeauty.

Ifmaterialextensionwereinitselfthegroundofbeauty,thenthecreatingprinciple,beingwithout

extension,couldnotbebeautiful:butbeautycannotbemadetodependuponmagnitudesince,

whetherin

alarge

object

or

asmall,

the

one

Idea

equally

moves

and

forms

the

mind

by

its

inherent

power.Afurtherindicationisthataslongastheobjectremainsoutsideusweknownothingofit;it

affectsusbyentry;butonlyasanIdealFormcanitenterthroughtheeyeswhicharenotofscopeto

takeanextendedmass:weare,nodoubt,simultaneouslypossessedofthemagnitudewhich,however,

wetakeinnotasmassbutbyanelaborationuponthepresentedform.

Thenagaintheprincipleproducingthebeautymustbe,itself,ugly,neutral,orbeautiful:ugly,itcould

notproducetheopposite;neutral,whyshoulditsproductbetheoneratherthantheother?TheNature,

then,whichcreatesthingssolovelymustbeitselfofafarearlierbeauty;we,undisciplinedin

discernmentoftheinward,knowingnothingofit,runaftertheouter,neverunderstandingthatitisthe

innerwhich

stirs

us;

we

are

in

the

case

of

one

who

sees

his

own

reflection

but

not

realizing

whence

it

comesgoesinpursuitofit.

Butthatthethingwearepursuingissomethingdifferentandthatthebeautyisnotintheconcrete

objectismanifestfromthebeautythereisinmattersofstudy,inconductandcustom;briefly,insoulor

mind.Anditispreciselyherethatthegreaterbeautylies,perceivedwheneveryoulooktothewisdom

inamananddelightinit,notwastingattentionontheface,whichmaybehideous,butpassingall


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appearancebyandcatchingonlyattheinnercomeliness,thetrulypersonal;ifyouarestillunmovedand

cannotacknowledgebeautyundersuchconditions,thenlookingtoyourowninnerbeingyouwillfind

nobeautytodelightyouanditwillbefutileinthatstatetoseekthegreatervision,foryouwillbe

questingitthroughtheuglyandimpure.

Thisis

why

such

matters

are

not

spoken

of

to

everyone;

you,

ifyou

are

conscious

of

beauty

within,

remember.

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.2.Butletusleavethearts;andletuscontemplatethosethingswhoseworkstheyaresaidtoimitate,whichcomeintoexistencenaturallyasbeautiesandaresocalled,allthe

rationalandirrationallivingcreaturesandespeciallythoseamongthemwhichhavesucceededsincethe

craftsmanwhoformedthemdominatedthematterandgaveittheformhewished.Whatthenisthe

beautyinthese?Certainlynotthebloodandthemenstrualfluid;rather,thecolouroftheseisdifferent

andtheirshapeiseithernoshapeorashapelessshapeorlikethatwhichdelimitssomethingsimple.

[Thetext

and

meaning

of

this

passage

must

remain

somewhat

doubtful,

but

fairly

good

sense

can

be

madeofitinthewayfollowedhere,withthedeletionof***anasanineptglosson***(mattercannot

haveanoutline,eventhesimplest).***ofcoursenormallymeans"shapeless"inthesenseof"

misshapen","ugly".Plotinusseemstocorrecthimselftwiceinspeakingoftheshapeofbloodand

menstrualfluidfirstreflectingthatiftheyareformedmaterialrealities,evenofthemostelementary

kind,theycannothavenoshape,andthenfindingan***somewhattooparadoxical.Hisfinalwayof

puttingit,whichseemstoimplythatacomplexshapeisnecessaryforbeauty,againcontrastswiththe

aestheticperceptionofthebeautyofsimplethings(light,asinglestone)sostronglyassertedinI.6.12

againstthe"goodproportion"theoryofbeauty(seenotesonch.1there)]Fromwhatsource,then,did

thebeautyofHelenwhommenfoughtforshineout,orthatofallthewomenlikeAphroditeinbeauty?

Thenagain,

what

is

the

source

of

the

beauty

of

Aphrodite

herself,

or

of

any

other

beautiful

human

being

orofanygodofthosewhoappearvisibly,orevenofthosewhodonotappearbuthaveinthemselvesa

beautywhichcouldbeseen?Isnotthisbeautyeverywhereform,whichcomesfromthemakerupon

thatwhichhehasbroughtintobeing,asintheartsitwassaidtocomefromtheartsupontheirworks?

Well,then,arethethingsmadeandtheformingprincipleinmatterbeautiful,buttheformingprinciple

whichisnotinmatterbutinthemaker,thefirstimmaterialone,isthatnotbeauty?Butifitwasthe

masswhichwasbeautifulinsofarasitwasmass,itwouldnecessarilyfollowthattheformingprinciple

whichwasthemaker,sinceitwasnotmass,wasnotbeautiful;butifthesameform,whetheritisin

somethingsmallorsomethinglarge,movesandinfluencesthesoulofonewhoseesitinthesameway

byitsownpower,beautyisnottobeattributedtothesizeofthemass.Itisfurtherevidenceofthisthat

wedonotyetseeathingwhileitisoutsideus,butwhenitcomeswithin,itinfluencesus.Butitcomes

inthroughtheeyesasformalone:orhowcoulditgetthroughsomethingsosmall?Butthesizeisdrawn

inalongwithit,sinceithasbecomenotlargeinbulkbutlargeinform.Furtherthemakermustbeeither

uglyorneutralorbeautiful.Nowifitwasuglyitwouldnotmaketheopposite,andifitwasneutralwhy

shoulditrathermakesomethingbeautifulthansomethingugly?Butcertainlynaturewhichproduces

suchbeautifulworksisfarbeforetheminbeauty,butwe,becausewearenotaccustomedtoseeanyof

thethingswithinanddonotknowthem,pursuetheexternalanddonotknowthatitisthatwithin


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whichmovesus:asifsomeonelookingathisimageandnotknowingwhereitcamefromshouldpursue

it.[AreferencetothestoryofNarcissus:cp.I.6.8.912]Butthebeautyalsoinstudiesandwaysoflife

andgenerallyinsouls[Cp.PlatoSymposium210BC]makesclearthatwhatispursuedissomething

elseandthatbeautydoesnotlieinmagnitude:itistrulyagreaterbeautythanthatwhenyouseemoral

senseinsomeoneanddelightinit,notlookingathisfacewhichmightbeuglybutputtingasideall

shapeand

pursuing

his

inner

beauty.

But

if

it

does

not

move

you

yet,

so

that

you

call

someone

like

this

beautiful,youwillnotwhenyoulookinwardatyourselfbepleasedwithyourbeauty.Itwouldbeinvain

foryoutoseekbeautywhenyouareinthisstate,foryouwillbeseekingwithsomethinguglyand

impure.Thisiswhydiscussionsaboutthesesortsofthingsarenotforeverybody;butifyouhaveseen

yourselfbeautiful,rememberthem.

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.3.ThusthereisintheNaturePrincipleitselfanIdealarchetypeofthebeautythatisfoundinmaterialformsand,ofthatarchetypeagain,thestillmore

beautifularchetypeinSoul,sourceofthatinNature.Intheproficientsoulthisisbrighterandofmore

advancedloveliness:adorningthesoulandbringingtoitalightfromthatgreaterlightwhichisBeauty

primally,itsimmediatepresencesetsthesoulreflectinguponthequalityofthisprior,thearchetype

whichhasnosuchentries,andispresentnowherebutremainsinitselfalone,andthusisnoteventobe

calledaReasonPrinciplebutisthecreativesourceoftheveryfirstReasonPrinciplewhichistheBeauty

towhichSoulservesasMatter.

Thisprior,then,istheIntellectualPrinciple,theveritable,abidingandnotfluctuantsincenottaking

intellectualqualityfromoutsideitself.Bywhatimage,thus,canwerepresentit?Wehavenowhereto

gobuttowhatisless.Onlyfromitselfcanwetakeanimageofit;thatis,therecanbenorepresentation

ofit,exceptinthesensethatwerepresentgoldbysomeportionofgoldpurified,eitheractuallyor

mentally,ifit

be

impureinsisting

at

the

same

time

that

this

is

not

the

total

thing

gold,

but

merely

the

particulargoldofaparticularparcel.InthesamewaywelearninthismatterfromthepurifiedIntellect

inourselvesor,ifyoulike,fromthegodsandthegloryoftheIntellectinthem.

Forassuredlyallthegodsareaugustandbeautifulinabeautybeyondourspeech.Andwhatmakes

themso?Intellect;andespeciallyIntellectoperatingwithinthem(thedivinesunandstars)tovisibility.

Itisnotthroughthelovelinessoftheircorporealforms:eventhosethathavebodyarenotgodsbythat

beauty;itisinvirtueofIntellectthatthey,too,aregods,andasgodsbeautiful.Theydonotveer

betweenwisdomandfolly:intheimmunityofIntellectunmovingandpure,theyarewisealways,all

knowing,takingcognizancenotofthehumanbutoftheirownbeingandofallthatlieswithinthe

contemplationof

Intellect.

Those

of

them

whose

dwelling

is

in

the

heavens

are

ever

in

this

meditation

whattaskpreventsthem?andfromafartheylook,too,intothatfurtherheavenbyaliftingofthe

head.ThegodsbelongingtothathigherHeavenitself,theywhosestationisuponitandinit,seeand

knowinvirtueoftheiromnipresencetoit.ForallThereisheaven;earthisheaven,andseaheaven;and

animalandplantandman;allistheheavenlycontentofthatheaven:andthegodsinit,despising

neithermennoranythingelsethatistherewhereallisoftheheavenlyorder,traverseallthatcountry

andallspaceinpeace.


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StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.4.To'liveatease'isThere;andtothesedivinebeingsverityismotherandnurse,existenceandsustenance;allthatisnotofprocessbutofauthenticbeingtheysee,

andthemselvesinall:forallistransparent,nothingdark,nothingresistant;everybeingislucidtoevery

other,in

breadth

and

depth;

light

runs

through

light.

And

each

of

them

contains

all

within

itself,

and

at

thesametimeseesallineveryother,sothateverywherethereisall,andallisallandeachall,and

infinitetheglory.Eachofthemisgreat;thesmallisgreat;thesun,There,isallthestars;andeverystar,

again,isallthestarsandsun.Whilesomeonemannerofbeingisdominantineach,allaremirroredin

everyother.

MovementThereispure(asselfcaused),forthemovingprincipleisnotaseparatethingtocomplicate

itasitspeeds.

So,too,Reposeisnottroubled,forthereisnoadmixtureoftheunstable;andtheBeautyisallbeauty

sinceitisnotresidentinwhatisnotbeautiful.EachTherewalksuponnoaliensoil;itsplaceisitsessen

tialself;

and,

as

each

moves,

so

to

speak,

towards

what

is

Above,

it

is

attended

by

the

very

ground

from

whichitstarts:thereisnodistinguishingbetweentheBeingandthePlace;allisIntellect,thePrinciple

andthegroundonwhichitstands,alike.Thuswemightthinkthatourvisiblesky(thegroundorplaceof

thestars),litasitis,producesthelightwhichreachesusfromit(thoughofcoursethisisreallyproduced

bythestarsasitwere,bythePrinciplesoflightalone,notalsobythegroundastheanalogywould

require).

Inourrealmallispartrisingfrompartandnothingcanbemorethanpartial;butThereeachbeingisan

eternalproductofawholeandisatonceawholeandanindividualmanifestingaspartbut,tothekeen

visionThere,knownforthewholeitis.

ThemythofLynceusseeingintotheverydeepsoftheearthtellsusofthoseeyesinthedivine.No

wearinessovertakesthisvisionwhichyetbringsnosuchsatietyaswouldcallforitsending;forthere

neverwasavoidtobefilledsothat,withthefullnessandtheattainmentofpurpose,thesenseof

sufficiencybeinduced:noristhereanysuchincongruitywithinthedivinethatoneBeingTherecouldbe

repulsivetoanother:andofcourseallThereareunchangeable.Thisabsenceofsatisfactionmeansonly

asatisfactionleadingtonodistasteforthatwhichproducesit;toseeistolookthemore,sinceforthem

tocontinueinthecontemplationofaninfiniteselfandofinfiniteobjectsisbuttoacquiesceinthe

biddingoftheirnature.

Life,pure,isneveraburden;howthencouldtherebewearinessTherewherethelivingismostnoble?

Thatverylifeiswisdom,notawisdombuiltupbyreasoningsbutcompletefromthebeginning,suffering

nolackwhichcouldsetitinquiring,awisdomprimal,unborrowed,notsomethingaddedtotheBeing,

butitsveryessence.Nowisdom,thus,isgreater;thisistheauthenticknowing,assessortothedivine

Intellectasprojectedintomanifestationsimultaneouslywithit;thus,inthesymbolicsaying,Justiceis

assessortoZeus.


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(Perfectwisdom:)forallthePrinciplesofthisorder,dwellingThere,areasitwerevisibleimages

projectedfromthemselves,sothatallbecomes'anobjectofcontemplationtocontemplators

immeasurablyblessed'.ThegreatnessandpowerofthewisdomTherewemayknowfromthis,thatit

embracesalltherealBeings,andhasmadeallandallfollowit,andyetthatitisitselfthosebeings,

whichsprangintobeingwithit,sothatallisoneandtheessenceThereiswisdom.Ifwehavefailedto

understand,it

is

that

we

have

thought

of

knowledge

as

amass

of

theorems

and

an

accumulation

of

propositions,thoughthatisfalseevenforoursciencesofthesenserealm.Butincasethisshouldbe

questioned,wemayleaveourownsciencesforthepresent,anddealwiththeknowingintheSupreme

atwhichPlatoglanceswherehespeaksof'thatknowledgewhichisnotastrangerinsomethingstrange

toit'thoughinwhatsense,heleavesustoexamineanddeclare,ifweboastourselvesworthyofour

profession.Thisisprobablyourbeststartingpoint.

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.4.Foritis"theeasylife"[isastockHomericphraseforthegods:cp.e.g.Iliad6.1382]there,andtruthistheirmotherandnurseandbeingandfoodandtheyseeallthings,

notthosetowhichcomingtobe,butthosetowhichrealbeingbelongs,andtheyseethemselvesin

otherthings;forallthingstherearetransparent,andthereisnothingdarkoropaque;everythingandall

thingsarecleartotheinmostparttoeverything;forlightistransparenttolight.Eachtherehas

everythinginitselfandseesallthingsineveryother,sothatallareeverywhereandeachandeveryone

isallandthegloryisunbounded;foreachofthemisgreat,becauseeventhesmallisgreat;thesun

thereisallthestars,andeachstaristhesunandalltheothers.Adifferentkindofbeingstandsoutin

each,butineachallaremanifest.Movement,too,ispure:forthemoverdoesnottroubleitinitsgoing

bybeingdifferentfromit.Restisnotdisturbed,foritisnotmixedwiththatwhichisnotatrest.Beauty

isjustbeauty,becauseitisnotinwhatisnotbeautiful.Eachwalksnotasifonalienground,buteach

one's

place

is

its

very

self

and

when

it

ascends

(so

to

speak)

the

place

it

came

from

runs

along

with

it,

anditisnotitselfonethinganditsplaceanother.ThethingitselfisIntellectanditsgroundisIntellect;it

isasifoneweretosupposethatinthecaseofthisvisibleheavenofourswhichisluminousthatthelight

whichcomesfromitwasborntobethestars.Here,however,onepartwouldnotcomefromanother,

andeachwouldbeonlyapart;butthereeachcomesonlyfromthewholeandispartandwholeatonce

:ithastheappearanceofapart,butapenetratinglookseesthewholeinit,supposingthatsomeone

hadthesortofsightwhichitissaidthatLynceus[ForthelegendofLynceusseeCypriaXIAllenandApol

loniusRhodiusI1515]had,whosawintotheinsideoftheearth,astorywhichspeaksinriddlesofthe

eyeswhichtheyhavethere.Theydonotgrowwearyofcontemplationthere,orsofilledwithitasto

ceasecontemplating:forthereisnoemptinesswhichwouldresultintheirbeingsatisfiedwhentheyhad

filledit

and

reached

their

end;

and

things

are

not

different

from

each

other

so

as

to

make

what

belongs

toonedispleasingtoanotherwithdifferentcharacteristics;andnothingtherewearsoutorwearies.

Thereisalackofsatisfactionthereinthesensethatfullnessdoesnotcausecontemptforthatwhichhas

producedit:forthatwhichseesgoesonseeingstillmore,and,perceivingitsowninfinityandthatof

whatitsees,followsitsownnature.Lifeholdsnowearinessforanyonewhenitispure:andhowshould

thatwhichleadsthebestlifegrowweary?Thislifeiswisdom,wisdomnotacquiredbyreasonings,

becauseitwasalwaysallpresent,withoutanyfailingwhichwouldmakeitneedtobesearchedfor;but


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itisthefirst,notderivedfromanyotherwisdom;theverybeingofIntellectiswisdom:itdoesnotexist

firstandthenbecomewise.Forthisreasonthereisnogreaterwisdom:absoluteknowledgehasits

thronebesideIntellectintheircommonrevelation,astheysaysymbolicallyJusticeisthronedbeside

Zeus.[JusticeisthronedbesideZeusinSophoclesOedipusColoneus13812(inAntigone451,forobvious

dramaticreasons,shedwellswiththegodsbelow,intheworldofthedead).InPlatoLawsIV716A2she

isthe

constant

follower

of

God.

It

is

interesting

that

Plotinus

distinguishes

absolute

knowledge

and

Intellectevenintheircommonrevelation:theyareclearlynotquitethesamethingforhim.]Allthingsof

thiskindtherearelikeimagesseenbytheirownlight,tobebeheldby"exceedinglyblessedspectators".

[Cp.PlatoPhaedo111A3]Thegreatnessandthepowerofthiswisdomcanbeimaginedifweconsider

thatithaswithitandhasmadeallthings,andallthingsfollowit,anditistherealbeings,andtheycame

tobealongwithit,andbothareone,andrealityiswisdomthere.Butwehavenotarrivedat

understandingthis,becauseweconsiderthatthebranchesofknowledgearemadeupoftheoremsand

acollectionofproportions;butthisisnottrueevenofthesciencesherebelow.Butifsomeonewantsto

disputeaboutthese,letthemgoforthepresent;butabouttheknowledgetherewhichPlatoobserved

andsaid"thatwhichisnotaknowledgedifferentfromthatinwhichitis",buthowthisisso,heleftus

toinvestigate

and

discover,

ifwe

claim

to

be

worthy

of

our

title

[of

Platonists]

perhaps

it

would

be

bettertostartfromthispoint:

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.5.Allthatcomestobe,workofnatureorofcraft,somewisdomhasmade:everywhereawisdompresidesatamaking.

Nodoubtthewisdomoftheartistmaybetheguideofthework;itissufficientexplanationofthe

wisdomexhibitedinthearts;buttheartisthimselfgoesback,afterall,tothatwisdominNaturewhich

isembodiedinhimself;andthisisnotawisdombuiltupoftheoremsbutonetotality.,notawisdom

consistingof

manifold

detail

co

ordinated

into

aunity

but

rather

aunity

working

out

into

detail.

Now,ifwecouldthinkofthisastheprimalwisdom,weneedlooknofurther,since,atthat,wehave

discoveredaprinciplewhichisneitheraderivativenora'strangerinsomethingstrangetoit'.Butifwe

aretoldthat,whilethisReasonPrincipleisinNature,yetNatureitselfisitssource,weaskhowNature

cametopossessit;and,ifNaturederiveditfromsomeothersource,weaskwhatthatothersourcemay

be;if,onthecontrary,theprincipleisselfsprung,weneedlooknofurther:butif(asweassume)weare

referredtotheIntellectual PrinciplewemustmakeclearwhethertheIntellectualPrincipleengendered

thewisdom:ifwelearnthatitdid,weaskwhence:iffromitself,theninevitablyitisitselfWisdom.

The

true

Wisdom,

then

(found

to

be

identical

with

the

Intellectual

Principle),

is

Real

Being;

and

Real

BeingisWisdom;itiswisdomthatgivesvaluetoRealBeing;andBeingisRealinvirtueofitsoriginin

wisdom.Itfollowsthatallformsofexistencenotpossessingwisdomare,indeed,Beingsinrightofthe

wisdomwhichwenttotheirforming,but,asnotinthemselvespossessingit,arenotRealBeings.

Wecannot,therefore,thinkthatthedivineBeingsofthatsphere,ortheothersupremelyblessedThere,

needlooktoourapparatusofscience:allofthatrealm(theveryBeingsthemselves),allisnobleimage,

suchimagesaswemayconceivetoliewithinthesoulofthewisebutTherenotasinscriptionbutas


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authenticexistence.TheancientshadthisinmindwhentheydeclaredtheIdeas(Forms)tobeBeings,

Essentials.

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.5.Somewisdommakesallthethingswhichhavecomeintobeing,whethertheyareproductsofartornature,andeverywhereitisawisdomwhichisinchargeoftheir

making.Butifanyonedoesreallymakeaccordingtowisdomitself,letusgrantthattheartsarelikethis.

Butthecraftsmangoesbackagaintothewisdomofnature,accordingtowhichhehascomeinto

existence,awisdomwhichisnolongercomposedoftheorems,butisonethingasawhole,notthe

wisdommadeintooneoutofmanycomponents,butratherresolvedintomultiplicityfromone.Ifthen

oneisgoingtomakethisthefirst,thatisenough:foritnolongercomesfromanotherandisnotin

another.Butifpeoplearegoingtosaythattherationalformingprincipleisinnature,butitsoriginis

nature,fromwhereshallwesaythatnaturehasitisitperhapsfromthatother?Ifitisfromitself,we

shallstopthere;butiftheyaregoingontoIntellect,wemustseeatthispointifIntellectgenerated

wisdom;andiftheyassenttothis,fromwherediditgetit?Iffromitself,thisisimpossibleunlessitis

wisdomitself.Thetruewisdom,then,issubstance,andthetruesubstanceiswisdom;andtheworthof

substancecomesfromwisdom,anditisbecauseitcomesfromwisdomthatitistruesubstance.

Thereforeallthesubstanceswhichdonotpossesswisdom,becausetheyhavebecomesubstanceon

accountofsomewisdombutdonotpossesswisdominthemselves,arenottruesubstances.Onemust

notthensupposethatthegodsortheexceedinglyblessedspectators"inthehigherworld

contemplatepropositions,butalltheFormswespeakaboutarebeautifulimagesinthatworld,ofthe

kindwhichsomeoneimaginedtoexistinthesoulofthewiseman,imagesnotpaintedbutreal.Thisis

whytheancientssaidthattheIdeaswererealitiesandsubstances.[Theimagesinthesoulofthewise

man"(andprobablythe"images"inch.4,line43)comefromthespeechofAlcibiadesinpraiseof

Socrates

at

the

end

of

the

Symposium,

where

he

speaks

of

the

wonderful

images

which

are

concealed

withinhisSilenuslikeoutside:PlatoSymposium215B13and216E6217A1.Theformofreference("

someoneimagined")iscuriousforareferencebyPlotinustoaPlatonicpassage,butPlotinusisprobably

attributingtheimaginationoftheSilenusfigurecontainingdivineimagestoAlcibiadeshimselfrather

thantoPlato.ItbringsoutexcellentlythattheFormsinIntellectareconcretelivingrealities,notmental

abstractionslikepropositions,apointonwhichPlotinusismuchconcernedtoinsistinthistreatise.]

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.6.Similarly,asitseemstome,thewiseofEgyptwhetherinpreciseknowledgeorbynativeintuitionindicatedthetruthwhere,intheirefforttowards

philosophicalstatement,

they

left

aside

the

writing

forms

that

take

in

the

detail

of

words

and

sentences

thosecharactersthatrepresentsoundsandconveythepropositionsofreasoninganddrewpictures

instead,engravinginthetempleinscriptionsaseparateimageforeveryseparateitem:thusthey

exhibitedtheabsenceofdiscursivenessintheIntellectualRealm.

Foreachmanifestationofknowledgeandwisdomisadistinctimage,anobjectinitself,animmediate

unity,notanaggregateofdiscursivereasoninganddetailedwilling.Laterfromthiswisdominunity


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thereappears,inanotherformofbeing,acopy,alreadylesscompact,whichannouncestheoriginalin

termsofdiscourseandunravelsthecausesbywhichthingsaresuchthatthewonderriseshowa

generatedworldcanbesoexcellent.

For,onewhoknowsmustdeclarehiswonderthatthiswisdom,whilenotitselfcontainingthecausesby

whichBeing

exists

and

takes

such

excellence,

yet

imparts

them

to

the

entities

produced

according

to

its

canons.Thisexcellence,whosenecessityisscarcelyornotatallmanifesttosearch,exists,ifwecould

butfinditout,beforeallsearchingandreasoning.

WhatIsaymaybeconsideredinonechiefthing,andthenceappliedtoalltheparticularentities:

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.6.ThewisemenofEgypt,Ithink,alsounderstoodthis,eitherbyscientificorinnateknowledge,andwhentheywishedtosignifysomethingwisely,didnotusetheforms

ofletterswhichfollowtheorderofwordsandpropositionsandimitatesoundsandtheenunciationsof

philosophicalstatements,

but

by

drawing

images

and

inscribing

in

their

temples

one

particular

image

of

eachparticularthing,theymanifestedthenondiscursivenessoftheintelligibleworld,[Onthekindof

imagesofwhichPlotinusisspeakinghereseeE.deKeyserLaSignificationded'artdansleaEnnadesde

Plotin(Louvain1955)602,whopointsoutthatPlotinusspeaksoftemples,notofsacredwritings,andis

thereforenotmisunderstandingthesemialphabetichieroglyphicsofthesacredbooksbutspeakingof

thepurelyideogrammaticsymbolswhichdoappearonthetemplewalls.]thatis,thateveryimageisa

kindofknowledgeandwisdomandisasubjectofstatements,alltogetherinone,andnotdiscourseor

deliberation.But[only]afterwards[others]discovered,startingfromitinitsconcentratedunity,a

representationinsomethingelse,alreadyunfoldedandspeakingitdiscursivelyandgivingthereasons

whythingsarelikethis,sothat,becausewhathascomeintoexistenceissobeautifullydisposed,if

anyoneknows

how

to

admire

it

he

expresses

his

admiration

of

how

this

wisdom,

which

does

not

itself

possessthereasonswhysubstanceisasitis,givesthemtothethingswhicharemadeaccordingtoit.

That,then,whichisbeautifulinthisway,andwhichiswithdifficultyornotatalldiscoveredbyresearch

tobenecessarilylikethis,ifoneweretofinditout,existsbeforeresearchandbeforereasoning;for

instanceforletustakeonegreatexampleofwhatIamsaying,whichwillalsofitallothercases

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.7.Considertheuniverse:weareagreedthatitsexistenceanditsnaturecometoitfrombeyonditself;arewe,now,toimaginethatitsmakerfirstthoughtitout

indetailtheearth,anditsnecessarysituationinthemiddle;waterand,again,itspositionaslying

upontheearth;alltheotherelementsandobjectsuptotheskyindueplaceandorder;livingbeings

withtheirappropriateformsasweknowthem,theirinnerorgansandtheirouterlimbsandthat

havingthusappointedeveryitembeforehand,hethensetabouttheexecution?

Suchdesigningwasnotevenpossible;howcouldtheplanforauniversecometoonethathadnever

lookedoutward?Norcouldheworkonmaterialgatheredfromelsewhereasourcraftsmendo,using

handsandtools;feetandhandsareofthelaterorder.


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Oneway,only,remains:allthingsmustexistinsomethingelse;ofthatpriorsincethereisnoobstacle,

allbeingcontinuouswithintherealmofrealitytherehassuddenlyappearedasign,animage,whether

givenforthdirectlyorthroughtheministryofsoulorofsomephaseofsoulmattersnothingforthe

moment:thustheentireaggregateofexistencespringsfromthedivineworld,ingreaterbeautyThere

becauseThereunmingledbutmingledhere.

FromthebeginningtoendallisgrippedbytheFormsoftheIntellectualRealm:Matteritselfisheldby

theFormsoftheelementsandtotheseFormsareaddedotherFormsandothersagain,sothatitishard

toworkdowntocrudeMatterbeneathallthatsheathingofForm.IndeedsinceMatteritselfis,inits

degree,aFormthelowestallthisuniverseisFormandthereisnothingthatisnotIdealFormasthe

archetypewas.Andallismadesilently,sincenothinghadpartinthemakingbutBeingandIdeaa

furtherreasonwhycreationwentwithouttoil.TheExemplarwastheFormIdeaofanAllandsoanAll

mustcomeintobeing.

ThusnothingstoodinthewayoftheForm,andevennowitdominates,despitealltheclashofthings:

thecreationisnothinderedonitswayevennow;itstandsfirminvirtueofbeingAll.Tome,moreover,

itseemsthatifweourselveswerearchetypes,Ideas,veritableBeing,andtheIdeawithwhichwe

constructherewereourveritableEssence,thenourcreativepower,too,wouldtoillesslyeffectits

purpose:asmannowstands,hedoesnotproduceinhisworkatrueimageofhimself:becomeman,he

hasceasedtobetheAll;ceasingtobemanweread`hesoarsaloftandadministerstheCosmos

entire';restoredtotheAllheismakeroftheAll.

Buttoourimmediatepurposeitispossibletogiveareasonwhytheearthissetinthemidstandwhy

itisroundandwhytheeclipticrunspreciselyasitdoes,but,lookingtothecreatingprinciple,wecannot

saythatbecausethiswastheway,thereforethingsweresoplanned:wecansayonlythatbecausethe

Exemplariswhatitis,thereforethethingsofthisworldaregood;thecausingprinciple,wemightputit,

reachedthe

conclusion

before

all

formal

reasoning

and

not

from

any

premisses,

not

by

sequence

or

plan

butbeforeeither,sinceallofthatorderislater,allreason,demonstration,persuasion.

SincethereisaSource,allthecreatedmustspringfromitandinaccordancewithit;andwearerightly

toldnottogoseekingthecausesimpellingaSourcetoproduce,especiallywhenthisistheperfectly

sufficientSourceandidenticalwiththeTerm:aSourcewhichisSourceandTermmustbetheAllUnity,

completeinitself.

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.7.thisAll,ifweagreethatitsbeinganditsbeingwhatitiscometoitfromanother,arewetothinkthatitsmakerconceivedearthinhisownmind,withitsnecessaryplacein

thecentre,andthenwateranditsplaceuponearth,andthentheotherthingsintheirorderupto

heaven,thenalllivingthings,eachwiththesortofshapeswhichtheyhavenow,andtheirparticular

internalorgansandoutwardparts,andthenwhenhehadthemallarrangedinhismindproceededto

hiswork?Planningofthissortisquiteimpossibleforwherecouldtheideasofallthesethingscome

fromtoonewhohadneverseenthem?Andifhereceivedthemfromsomeoneelsehecouldnotcarry

themoutascraftsmendonow,usingtheirhandsandtools;forhandsandfeetcomelater.Theonly


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possibilitythatremains,then,isthatallthingsexistinsomethingelse,and,sincethereisnothing

between,becauseoftheirclosenesstosomethingelseintherealmofrealbeingsomethinglikean

imprintandimageofthatothersuddenlyappears,eitherbyitsdirectactionorthroughtheassistanceof

soulthismakesnodifferenceforthepresentdiscussionorofaparticularsoul.[Theinsistenceonthe

immediateandintimaterelationshipoftheintelligibleandsensibleuniversesandthecomparative

unimportanceof

the

mediation

of

soul

should

be

noted.

Soul

in

Plotinus

never

has

aworld

of

its

own

intermediatebetweentheintelligibleandsensibleworlds;itbelongstobothworlds,andisnormally

thoughtofaslinkingthem;buthereitseemstobehardlynecessaryevenasalink.]Allthatisherebelow

comesfromthere,andexistsingreaterbeautythere:forhereitisadulterated,butthereitispure.All

thisuniverseisheldfastbyformsfrombeginningtoend:matterfirstofallbytheformsoftheelements,

andthenotherformsuponthese,andthenagainothers;sothatitisdifficulttofindthematterhidden

undersomanyforms.Thenmatter,too,isasortofultimateform;[Thispassingremark,whichisvery

difficulttoreconcilewithPlotinus'snormalviewof***astheprincipleofevil(therearenoevilFormsin

Plotinus),isthenearestheevercomestoatotallypositivevaluationofmatter]sothisuniverseisall

form,andallthethingsinitareforms;foritsarchetypeisform;themakingisdonewithoutnoiseand

fuss,since

that

which

makes

is

all

real

being

and

form.

So

this

is

another

reason

why

the

craftsmanship

ofIntellectisalsowithouttoilandtrouble.AnditisthefashioningofanAll,soanAllisthemaker.There

isnothingtohinderthemaking,andevennowithasthemastery,andthoughonethingobstructs

another,nothingobstructsit;foritabidesasanAll.ButIthinkalsothatifwewerearchetypesandreal

beingandformsallatonce,andiftheformwhichmakesthingsherebelowwasourrealbeing,our

craftsmanshipwouldhavethemasterywithouttoilandtrouble.Andevennow,manalsoisacraftsman,

ofaformotherthanhimselfsincehehasbecomesomethingelse,whatheis;forhehasceasedtobe

theAllnowthathehasbecomeman;butwhenheceasestobemanhe"walksonhighanddirectsthe

wholeuniverse"[Cp.PlatoPhaedrus246C12.];forwhenhecomestobelongtothewholehemakes

thewhole.Buttoreturntoourmaintheme:youcanexplainthereasonwhytheearthisinthemiddle,

andround,andwhytheeclipticslantsasitdoes;butitisnotbecauseyoucandothisthatthingsareso

there;theywerenotplannedlikethisbecauseitwasnecessaryforthemtobelikethis,butbecause

thingsTherearedisposedastheyare,thethingsherearebeautifullydisposed:asiftheconclusionwas

therebeforethesyllogismwhichshowedthecause,anddidnotfollowfromthepremises;[theworld

order]isnottheresultoffollowingoutatrainoflogicalconsequencesandpurposivethought:itis

beforeconsequentialandpurposivethinking;forallthiscomeslater,reasoninganddemonstrationand

theconfidence[producedbythem].Forsince[theintelligibleworldorder]isaprinciple,allthesefollow

immediatelyandjustastheydo;andinthissenseitiswellsaidthatweshouldnotenquireintothe

reasonwhyofaprinciple,[Cp.AristotlePhysicsA5.188a2730,thoughPlotinusisasusualverymuch

adaptingAristotle'sdoctrinetohisownsystemandhisownpurpose]andofaprinciplelikethis,the

perfectone,whichisthesameasthegoal;butthatwhichisprincipleandgoalisthewholealltogether

andiswithoutdeficiency.

StephenMacKennatranslationEnnead5.8.8.ThisthenisBeautyprimally:itisentireandomnipresentasanentirety;andthereforeinnoneofitspartsormemberslackinginbeauty;beautifulthusbeyond


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denial.Certainlyitcannotbeanything(be,forexample,Beauty)withoutbeingwhollythatthing;itcan

benothingwhichitistopossesspartiallyorinwhichitutterlyfails(andthereforeitmustentirelybe

Beautyentire).

Ifthisprinciplewerenotbeautiful,whatothercouldbe?Itspriordoesnotdeigntobebeautiful;that

whichis

the

first

to

manifest

itself

Form

and

object

of

vision

to

the

intellectcannot

but

be

lovely

to

see.ItistoindicatethisthatPlato,drawingonsomethingwellwithinourobservation,representsthe

Creatorasapprovingtheworkhehasachieved:theintentionistomakeusfeelthelovablebeautyof

thearchetypeandoftheDivineIdea;fortoadmirearepresentationistoadmiretheoriginalupon

whichitwasmade.

Itisnotsurprisingifwefailtorecognizewhatispassingwithinus:lovers,andthoseingeneralthat

admirebeautyhere,donotstaytoreflectthatitistobetraced,asofcourseitmustbe,totheBeauty

There.ThattheadmirationoftheDemiurgeistobereferredtotheIdealExemplarisdeliberatelymade

evidentbytherestofthepassage:`Headmired;anddeterminedtobringtheworkintostillcloser

likenesswiththeExemplar':hemakesusfeelthemagnificentbeautyoftheExemplarbytellingusthat

theBeautysprungfromthisworldis,itself,acopyfromThat.

Andindeedifthedivinedidnotexist,thetranscendentlybeautiful,inabeautybeyondallthought,what

couldbelovelierthanthethingswesee?Certainlynoreproachcanrightlybebroughtagainstthisworld

saveonlythatitisnotThat.

A.H.ArmstrongTranslationV.8.8.Who,then,willnotcallbeautifulthatwhichisbeautifulprimarily,andasa'whole,andeverywhereasawholewhennopartsfailbyfallingshortinbeauty?Certainly[one

would

not

call

beautiful]

that

which

is

not

as

a

whole

beauty

itself,

but

has

a

part

of

it,

or

not

even

any

ofit.Orifthatisnotbeautiful,whatelseis?Forthatwhichisbeforeitdoesnotevenwanttobe

beautiful;foritisthiswhichfirstpresentsitselftocontemplationbybeingformandthecontemplation

ofintellectwhichisalsoadelighttosee.ForthisreasonPlato,wishingtoindicatethisbyreferenceto

somethingwhichisclearerrelativelytoourselves,representstheCraftsmanapprovinghiscompleted

work,wishingtoshowbythishowdelightfulisthebeautyofthemodel,whichistheIdea.

Forwheneversomeoneadmiresathingmodelledonsomethingelse2,hedirectshisadmirationtothat

onwhichthethingismodelled.Butifhedoesnotknowwhatishappeningtohim,thatisnowonder:

sinceloversalso,andingeneralalltheadmirersofbeautyherebelow,donotknowthatthisisbecause

oftheintelligiblebeauty:foritisbecauseoftheintelligiblebeauty.Platodeliberatelymakesitclearthat

herefersthe"wasdelighted"tothemodelbythewordswhichfollow:forhesays,"hewasdelighted,

andwantedtomakeitstillmorelikeitsmodel",[ThereferenceistoPlatoTimaeus3707D1.Butthere

isnothinginPlatotosuggesttheinterpretationgivenbyPlotinushere,whichiswhollybasedonhisown

doctrinethatallperfectactivityiscontemplation,andthatcreationoractionshouldbethespontaneous

reflexofcontemplation:thiswasfullyexpoundedinthefirstpartofthepresentwork,III.8,andapplied

tothecreationoftheuniverseinch.7ofthistreatise]showingwhatthebeautyofthemodelislikeby

sayingthatwhatoriginatesfromitisitself,too,beautifulbecauseitisanimageoftheintelligible


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beauty:for,ifthatwasnottranscendentlybeautifulwithanoverwhelmingbeauty,whatwouldbemore

beautifulthanthisvisibleuniverse?Thosewhoblameit,then,donotdosorightly,exceptperhapsinso

farasitisnottheintelligibleworld.

Documents

Plotinus on Intellectual Beauty