The beings which possess a nature inferior to the star-Souls, that
is, men, occupy the second rank in the universe, and play in it the
same part played in us by the second power of the soul (the discursive
reason). The other beings, that is, the animals, occupy about the same
rank occupied in us by the lowest (or vegetative) power of the soul;
for all these powers in us are not of equal rank.[246] Consequently,
all the beings which are in the heaven, or which are distributed in
the universe are animated beings, and derive their life from the total
Reason of the universe (because it contains the "seminal reasons"
of all living beings). None of the parts of the universe, whatever
be its greatness, possesses the power of altering the reasons, nor
the beings engendered with the co-operation of these reasons. It may
improve or degrade these beings, but cannot deprive them of their
individual nature. It degrades them by injuring either their body or
their soul; which occurs when an accident becomes a cause of vice for
the soul which partakes of the passions of the body (the sensitive and
vegetative soul) and which is given over to the inferior principle (to
the animal) by the superior principle (the reasonable soul); or when
the body, by its poor organization, hinders the actions in which the
soul needs its co-operation; then it resembles a badly attuned lyre,
which is incapable of producing sounds which could form a perfect
harmony.[247]