13. This Principle, therefore, is really indescribable. We are
individualizing it in any statement about it. That which is above
everything, even above the venerable Intelligence, really has no name,
and all that we can state about Him is, that He is not anything. Nor
can He be given any name, since we cannot assert anything about Him.
We refer to Him only as best we can. In our uncertainty we say, "What
does He not feel? is He not self-conscious? does He not know Himself?"
Then we must reflect that by speaking thus we are thinking of things,
that are opposed to Him of whom we are now thinking. When we suppose
that He can be known, or that He possesses self-consciousness, we are
already making Him manifold. Were we to attribute to Him thought, it
would appear that He needed this thought. If we imagine thought as
being within Him, thought seems to be superfluous. For of what does
thought consist? Of the consciousness of the totality formed by the two
terms that contribute to the act of thought, and which fuse therein.
That is thinking oneself, and thinking oneself is real thinking; for
each of the two elements of thought is itself an unity to which nothing
is lacking. On the contrary, the thought of objects exterior (to
Intelligence) is not perfect, and is not true thought. That which is
supremely simple and supremely absolute stands in need of nothing. The
absolute that occupies the second rank needs itself, and, consequently,
needs to think itself. Indeed, since Intelligence needs something
relatively to itself, it succeeds in satisfying this need, and
consequently, in being absolute, only by possessing itself entirely.
It suffices itself only by uniting all the elements constituting its
nature ("being"), only by dwelling within itself, only by remaining
turned towards itself while thinking; for consciousness is the
sensation of manifoldness, as is indicated by the etymology of the word
"con-scious-ness," or, "conscience." If supreme Thought occur by the
conversion of Intelligence towards itself, it evidently is manifold.
Even if it said no more than "I am existence," Intelligence would say
it as if making a discovery, and Intelligence would be right, because
existence is manifold. Even though it should apply itself to something
simple, and should say, "I am existence," this would not imply
successful grasp of itself or existence. Indeed, when Intelligence
speaks of existence in conformity with reality, intelligence does not
speak of it as of a stone, but, merely, in a single word expresses
something manifold. The existence that really and essentially deserves
the name of existence, instead of having of it only a trace which
would not be existence, and which would be only an image of it, such
existence is a multiple entity. Will not each one of the elements of
this multiple entity be thought? No doubt you will not be able to think
it if you take it alone and separated from the others; but existence
itself is in itself something manifold. Whatever object you name, it
possesses existence. Consequently, He who is supremely simple cannot
think Himself; if He did, He would be somewhere, (which is not the
case). Therefore He does not think, and He cannot be grasped by thought.