=A Sketch of the Human Soul from the Starting-Point whence it sets
out until the End-Point whither it reaches its Perfection.=
No doubt that the speaking (rational) species of the [genus] animal is
distinguished from the non-speaking (irrational species) by a power,
through which it is enabled to imagine things rational, which power
is called the speaking (rational) soul; and the custom has obtained
of calling it the “hylik” mind, that is to say the potential mind,
thus likening it to the hyle, which is potential matter.[J] Moreover
this power is found in the whole human species; and it possesses in
itself at the outset none of the mentally-grasped forms, but these
arise within it after two sorts of processes: The first is through a
Divine guidance, without effort of study, and without profitting from
the senses, as for example the mentally-grasped self-evident axioms,
like our conviction that the whole is greater than the part, and that
two contradictories (contrasts) do not come together at one time in
one and the same thing; so that sane-minded adults share equally in
the acquisition of such forms. The second sort of process is through
earning [the mental thought or truth] by reasoning process, and by
array of proof and demonstration, such as the conception of logical
truths, like genera, species, differentia, and properties, simple
terms, and terms compounded in the various modes of compositions [of
several ideas into one composite term], justly-moded syllogisms both
valid and false, propositions which if moded into syllogisms lead to
necessary demonstrated results, or to argumentative probable results,
or to equally balanced rhetorical results, or to primary (axiomatical)
sophistical results, or to impossible poetical results;[15] and
such mentally-grasped forms as the recognition of the certainty of
natural realities, like hyle (primitive matter) and form, privation
(non-existence) and Nature, place and time, rest and motion, bulky
bodies of the sky-firmament and bulky elemental bodies, absolute
universal being and absolute nothingness, generation absolute and
corruption absolute, origen of things generated that are within the
sky, that are within the deepest depths of mines, and that are on the
earth’s crust, amongst which last-named are plant and animal, the true
conception “Man” and the truth of the soul’s conception of its own
self; and still further such mentally-grasped forms as the conception
of ideas mathematical, amongst which are number, pure geometry, stellar
geometry, harmonical or musical geometry, optical geometry; and
again, further still, such ideas as the conception of divine affairs,
like the knowledge of the principles of the absolute self-existent
in so far as he exists _per se_, and of the principles consequently
adhering to him, such as potentiality, power and efficiency, first
cause and accounting cause, essence and accidens, genus and species,
incompatibility and homogeneity, agreement and disagreement, unity and
multiplicity; and, still further, the fixing of the principles of the
speculative (theoretical) sciences, amongst which are the mathematical,
the natural and the logical--all which cannot be attained save through
this latter science;[16] and still further, such as proving the first
Creator and the first Created, the universal (generic) soul and _how_
creation came about, the relative position of mind towards creation,
and the relative position of soul towards mind, the relative position
of hyle towards nature, and of forms towards the soul, the relative
position of the skies, orbs, planets and all existing things towards
hyle and towards form, and why and wherefore they differ so widely as
they do as to forwards and backwards ([Greek: proteron kai hysteron:
προτερον και ὑστερον]) of development; and the knowledge of the divine
government, universal nature, primal providence, prophetic inspiration,
the divine holy spirit, sublime angels, attaining to the certainty
of the Creator’s being beyond all partnership and similitude [i.e.
recognizing the truth that polytheism and anthropomorphism, are to be
rejected]; and attaining to the knowledge of what rewards await the
righteous, and what punishments impend the wicked, of the delight and
the pain overtaking souls after their abandoning the bodies.
Further, this power which conceives these ideas does at times gain
from sense forms mental, imaginative, and innate in (instinctive to)
itself; and in such a case it does this in that it lays before itself
the forms that are in the conceiving power and in the remembering
(preserving) power, by employing the imaginative and the conjecturing
power, and then contemplates them, and finds them to have participated
in some forms and to have differed in some other forms; and finds some
amongst the forms that are in these powers to be essential, and others
to be accidental. And as to their participation in forms, it is like
the participation of the form Richard and an ass, in the conceiver’s
mind, in the idea of Life; and the differing of the two in the idea of
speaking (rational), and non-speaking (brute). As to the essential
form, it is e.g. like the life that is in them both; as for the
accidental, it is e.g. like their blackness and whiteness. So that
if we find the two aforesaid on this wise--i.e., as stated,--[the
mind] makes each one of these essential and accidental, participated
and peculiar forms, one universal mental form singly and alone, and
thus through this working-over process, it gets at mental genera,
species, differentia, properties, accidens; then it combines these
single notions into particular combinations; then into syllogistic
argumentative combinations and deduces from them corollaries from the
results--all which it gets through the service of the animal powers,
with the help of universal mind, after the manner that we shall
set forth later on, and through the intermediary of such necessary
self-evident mental axioms as it has been endowed with.
Moreover this power, although it derives help from the sensuous power
when getting out single mental forms from the sensuous forms, yet it
does not need the sensuous power for conceiving these ideas (notions)
within itself and for setting up syllogisms out of them, neither
when affirming, nor when conceiving the two dicta [of abstraction &
generalization], as we shall afterwards explain. And to whatever extent
it derives sensuous corollaries, for which there shall be need, through
the said working-over process, yet it dispenses with the employment
of the sensuous powers, nay it is even sufficient for and in itself,
for the carrying on of all its manifold activities. And just as the
sensuous powers perceive solely and wholly through an assimilation
of that which is felt, so also do the mental powers perceive solely
through and wholly through an assimilation of the mentally-grasped;
and this assimilation is the abstraction of the form from matter,
and the adhering to it; only that the feeling power does not get the
sensuous form through willed motion and voluntary action on its part,
but through the arrival of the very thing felt unto it, either by
chance or through the intermediary of the motion-promoting power, and
laying bare of the forms unto it (abstraction) through the help of
the media that connect the forms with it; whereas, in the case of the
mental power, (Reason Understanding) this process is otherwise; for
by and through itself it at times does itself perform the abstraction
(laying bare) of the form from matter as often as it wills, and then
clings unto it. And for this reason it is said that the sentient power
is more or less passive in its conception [or, that the feeling power
is after a fashion acted upon when it conceives], and that the mental
(understanding) power is active; nay rather it is said, for this
reason, that the sentient power cannot do without instruments (organs),
and has in itself no efficiency; and how is it possible to apply such
a statement (proposition) to the mental (understanding) power?
The mind (Understanding, Reason) is in fact and deed wholly and
solely nothing else than the forms of mentally-grasped things, if
these be arrayed in the very mind potentially, and through it they
are brought out to effective action; and hence it is said that the
mind is in fact and deed at once both understanding and understood.
Amongst the properties of the understanding power is this, that it
unifies the many and multiplies the one through analysis and synthesis.
As to multiplication, it is such as the analysis of one man into
essence, body, nourishment-getting, animal, speaking (rational). As to
unification of the many, it is such as the composition (synthesis) of
this one man out of essence, body, animal, speaking (rational) into one
notion which is mankind (human being).
Moreover the mind, although it applies its activity within a duration
of time in arranging syllogisms, through using reflection, yet the
result itself, which this reflection obtains, and which is the fruit of
thought and the end sought after, is not dependant upon time, nor is
it obtained save at an instant; nay more than this, the mind itself is
wholly above and beyond all time.
And the reasoning (speaking) soul, if it engages itself upon the
sciences, its activity is called mind or intellect, and it is
accordingly called speculative or theoretical mind: which I have
already described. And if it engages itself upon overcoming blameworthy
powers, that entice unto wrongdoing through their excess, unto folly
through their abandonment, unto impetuosity through their agitation,
unto cowardice through their indifference or lukewarmness, or unto
wickedness through their excitement, or unto degeneration through
their smouldering, and leads them over into the paths of wisdom,
endurance, chastity--in short unto righteousness, then its activity
is called ruling or governing, and it is accordingly called practical
mind or reason. Again, the reasoning (speaking) power is sometimes
so fitted out in a few persons through [K]vigils and conjunction with
the universal mind as to be quite independent of taking refuge unto
syllogistic argument and reflection, but rather is sufficiently stored
with inspiration and revelation to render it wholly absolved from
such ordinary means as mental ratiocination: this peculiar property
of the reasoning mind is called hallowedness or sanctity, and it is
accordingly called Holy Ghost. Unto such a favoured rank and degree
none shall attain save prophets and apostles, upon whom be peace and
blessing.