Is the expression of the essence of something simultaneously the
expression of its unity, so that it possesses as much unity as it
possesses essence? Or does this simultaneousness exist without any
direct proportion between the amount of unity and essence? Yes; for it
is possible that something have less unity without, on that account,
having any the less essence; an army, a choric ballet have not less
essence than a house, though far less unity. The unity present in
each thing seems therefore to aspire to the Good, which has the most
unity;[311] for the closer something approaches the Good, the greater
unity does it achieve; that is the criterion of greater or less unity.
Indeed, every (being) desires not only merely to be (alive), but to
enjoy the Good. That is why everything, so far as it can, hastens to
become one, and those (beings) which by nature possess unity naturally
trend towards Him by desiring to unite with themselves. For every
(being) hastens not to separate from others, but on the contrary their
tendency is to tend towards each other and themselves. That is why all
souls, while preserving their individual nature, would like to fuse
into a single soul. The One reigns everywhere in the sense-world, as
well as in the Intelligible. It is from Him that everything originates,
it is towards Him that everything trends. In Him do all (beings) seek
their principle and their goal; for only therein do they find their
good; only by that does each (being) subsist, and occupies its place
in the universe; once that it exists, no (being) could help trending
towards the One. This occurs not only in nature, but even in the arts;
where each art seeks, to the extent of its ability, to conform its
works to unity, to the extent of its ability, and to the possibilities
of its works. But that which succeeds best, is Essence itself, which is
quite close to unity.