Besides, our individual characters might be derived from
pre-existences. In this case we would say that our ("seminal) reason"
has degenerated as a result of our antecedents, that our soul has lost
her force by irradiating what was below her. Besides, our ("seminal)
reason" contains within itself the very reason of our constituent
matter, a matter which it discovered, or conformed to its own
nature.[87] In fact, the ("seminal) reason" of an ox resides in no
matter other than that of an ox. Thus, as said (Plato[88]), the soul
finds herself destined to pass into the bodies of animals other than
men, because, just like the ("seminal) reason," she has altered, and
has become such as to animate an ox, instead of a man. By this decree
of divine justice she becomes still worse than she was.