4. Is the power which is the act of the soul always united to a body?
No; for when the soul turns towards the superior regions, she raises
this power with her. Does the universal (Soul) also raise with herself
to the intelligible world the inferior power which is her actualization
(nature)? No: for she does not incline towards her low inferior
portion, because she neither came nor descended into the world; but,
while she remains in herself, the body of the world comes to unite with
her, and to offer itself to receive her light's radiation; besides, her
body does not cause her any anxiety, because it is not exposed to any
peril. Does not the world, then, possess any senses? "It has no sight"
(says Plato[324]) "for it has no eyes. Neither has it ears, nostrils,
nor tongue." Does it, then, as we, possess the consciousness of what is
going on within it? As, within the world, all things go on uniformly
according to nature, it is, in this respect, in a kind of repose;
consequently, it does not feel any pleasure. The power of growth
exists within it without being present therein; and so also with the
sense-power. Besides, we shall return to a study of the question. For
the present, we have said all that relates to the question in hand.
THE GUIDANCE OF THE GUARDIAN DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH MORAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
5. But if (before coming on to the earth) the soul chooses her life
and her guardian, how do we still preserve our liberty? Because what
is called "choice" designates in an allegorical manner the character
of the soul, and her general disposition everywhere. Again, it is
objected that if the character of the soul preponderate, if the soul
be dominated by that part which her former life rendered predominantly
active, it is no longer the body which is her cause of evil; for if
the character of the soul be anterior to her union with the body; if
she have the character she has chosen; if, as said (Plato), she do not
change her guardian, it is not here below that a man may become good or
evil. The answer to this is, that potentially man is equally good or
evil. (By his choices) however he may actualize one or the other.
THE SOUL HAS THE POWER TO CONFORM TO HER CHARACTER THE DESTINY ALLOTTED
TO HER.
What then would happen if a virtuous man should have a body of evil
nature, or a vicious man a body of a good nature? The goodness of the
soul has more or less influence on the goodness of the body. Exterior
circumstances cannot thus alter the character chosen by the soul. When
(Plato) says that the lots are spread out before the souls, and that
later the different kinds of conditions are displayed before them,
and that the fortune of each results from the choice made amidst the
different kinds of lives present--a choice evidently made according to
her character--(Plato) evidently attributes to the soul the power of
conforming to her character the condition allotted to her.