Among ancient philosophers, those who most faithfully followed the
doctrine of Pythagoras, of his disciples, and of Pherecydes, have
specially dealt with the intelligible.[253] Some of them have committed
their opinions to their written works; others have set them forth only
in discussions that have not been preserved in writing. There are
others of them, also, who have left us nothing on the subject.
TO THE THREE PRINCIPLES IN THE UNIVERSE MUST CORRESPOND THREE
PRINCIPLES IN US.
10. Above existence, therefore, is the One. This has by us been
proved as far as could reasonably be expected, and as far as such
subjects admit of demonstration. In the second rank are Existence and
Intelligence; in the third, the Soul. But if these three principles,
the One, Intelligence, and the Soul, as we have said, obtain in nature,
three principles must also obtain within us. I do not mean that
these three principles are in sense-objects, for they are separate
therefrom; they are outside of the sense-world, as the three divine
principles are outside of the celestial sphere, and, according to
Plato's expression,[254] they constitute the "the interior man."
Our soul, therefore, is something divine; it has a nature different
(from sense-nature), which conforms to that of the universal Soul.
Now the perfect Soul possesses intelligence; but we must distinguish
between the intelligence that reasons (the discursive reason), and
the Intelligence that furnishes the principles of reasoning (pure
intelligence). The discursive reason of the soul has no need, for
operation, of any bodily organ;[255] in its operations, it preserves
all its purity, so that it is capable of reasoning purely. When
separated from the body, it must, without any hesitation, be ranked
with highest intellectual entities. There is no need of locating it
in space; for, if it exist within itself, outside of body, in an
immaterial condition, it is evidently not mingled with the body, and
has none of its nature. Consequently Plato[256] says, "The divinity
has spread the Soul around the world." What he here means is that
a part of the Soul remains in the intelligible world. Speaking of
our soul he also says, "she hides her head in heaven."[257] He also
advises us to wean the soul from the body; and he does not refer to
any local separation, which nature alone could establish. He means
that the soul must not incline towards the body, must not abandon
herself to the phantoms of imagination, and must not, thus, become
alienated from reason. He means that the soul should try to elevate
to the intelligible world her lower part which is established in the
sense-world, and which is occupied in fashioning the body.[258]
THERE MUST BE AN OBJECTIVE JUSTICE AND BEAUTY TO WHICH WE ARE
INTIMATELY UNITED.
11. Since the rational soul makes judgments about what is just or
beautiful, and decides whether some object is beautiful, whether such
an action be just, there must exist an immutable justice and beauty
from which discursive reason draws its principles.[259] Otherwise, how
could such reasonings take place? If the soul at times reasons about
justice and beauty, but at times does not reason about them, we must
possess within ourselves the intelligence which, instead of reasoning,
ever possesses justice and beauty; further, we must within us possess
the cause and Principle of Intelligence, the Divinity, which is not
divisible, which subsists, not in any place, but in Himself; who is
contemplated by a multitude of beings, by each of the beings fitted
to receive Him, but which remains distinct from these beings, just as
the centre subsists within itself, while all the radii come from the
circumference to centre themselves in it.[260] Thus we ourselves, by
one of the parts of ourselves, touch the divinity, unite ourselves with
Him and are, so to speak, suspended from Him; and we are founded upon
Him (we are "edified" by Him) when we turn towards Him.