But, in order that this truth may appear in its full light, we shall
first have to clear away all the other opinions, and especially have
to refute the teaching opposite to ours. This is the question asked of
us: "What will be the fruit gathered by him who has the intelligence
necessary to acquire one of these goods (such as existence and life),
if on hearing them named, he be not impressed thereby, because he
does not understand them, either because they seem to him no more
than words, or because his conception of each of these things should
differ (from our view of them), or because in his search for the Good
he seeks some sense-object, such as wealth, or the like?" The person
who thus scorns these things (existence and life), thereby implicitly
recognizes that there is within him a certain good, but that, without
knowing in what it consists, he nevertheless values these things
according to his own notion of the Good; for it is impossible to say,
"that is not the good," without having some sort of knowledge of the
good,[128] or acquaintance therewith. The above speaker seems to betray
a suspicion that the Good in itself is above Intelligence. Besides, if
in considering the Good in itself, or the good which most approaches
it, he do not discern it, he will nevertheless succeed in getting a
conception of it by its contraries; otherwise, he would not even know
that the lack of intelligence is an evil, though every man desire to
be intelligent, and glory in being such, as is seen by the sensations
which aspire to become notions. If intelligence, and especially primary
Intelligence, be beautiful and venerable, what admiration might not
then be felt by him who could contemplate the generating principle,
the Father of Intelligence?[129] Consequently, he who affects to scorn
existence and life receives a refutation from himself and from all
the affections he feels. They who are disgusted of life are those who
consider not the true life, but the life which is mingled with death.