1. The question (why some reasons are souls, while others are reasons
merely, when at the same time universal Reason is a certain Soul),
may be answered as follows. Universal Reason (which proceeds from the
universal Soul) embraces both good and bad things, which equally belong
to its parts; it does not engender them, but exists with them in its
universality. In fact, these "logoses" (or reasons) (or, particular
souls), are the acts of the universal Soul; and these reasons being
parts (of the universal Soul) have parts (of the operations) as their
acts (or energies). Therefore, just as the universal Soul, which
is one, has different parts, so this difference occurs again in
the reasons and in the operations they effect. Just as their works
(harmonize), so do the souls themselves mutually harmonize; they
harmonize in this, that their very diversity, or even opposition, forms
an unity. By a natural necessity does everything proceed from, and
return to unity; thus creatures which are different, or even opposed,
are not any the less co-ordinated in the same system, and that because
they proceed from the same principle. Thus horses or human beings are
subsumed under the unity of the animal species, even though animals of
any kind, such as horses, for example, bite each other, and struggle
against each other with a jealousy which rises to fury; and though
animals of either species, including man, do as much. Likewise, with
inanimate things; they form divers species, and should likewise be
subsumed under the genus of inanimate things; and, if you go further,
to essence, and further still, to super-Essence (the One). Having
thus related or subsumed everything to this principle, let us again
descend, by dividing it. We shall see unity splitting, as it penetrates
and embraces everything simultaneously in a unique (or all-embracing
system). Thus divided, the unity constitutes a multiple organism; each
of its constituent parts acts according to its nature, without ceasing
to form part of the universal Being; thus is it that the fire burns,
the horse behaves as a horse should, and men perform deeds as various
as their characters. In short, every being acts, lives well or badly,
according to its own nature.