22. This was what Plato meant, when he said, enigmatically,
"Intelligence contemplates the Ideas contained within the perfect
living Organism; it sees what they are, and to how many they
amount."[333] Indeed, the (universal) Soul, which ranks immediately
after Intelligence, possesses the Ideas in herself inasmuch as she is
a soul; but she sees them better in the Intelligence which is above
her.[334] Likewise, our own intelligence, which also contains the
ideas, sees them better when it contemplates them in the superior
Intelligence; for, in itself, it can only see; but in the superior
Intelligence it sees that it sees.[335] Now this intelligence that
contemplates the ideas is not separated from the superior Intelligence,
for it proceeds therefrom; but as it is the plurality that has
proceeded from the unity, because it adds difference (to identity),
it becomes manifold unity. Being thus both unity and plurality,
Intelligence, by virtue of its multiple nature, produces the plurality
(of beings). Besides, it would be impossible to discover therein
anything that was numerically unitary, or anything that might be called
individual. Whatever be contemplated in it, it is always a form, for
it contains no matter. That is why, again, Plato, referring to this
truth, said that "being" was divided to infinity.[336] Descending from
genus to species, we have not yet arrived at infinity; for that which
thus arises is defined by the species that have been begotten by a
genus; the name of infinity applies better to the last species, which
can no longer be divided into species. That is why (as Plato teaches),
"when one has arrived at individuals, they must be abandoned to
infinity."[337] Thus, the individuals are infinite so far as they are
considered in themselves; but, in so far as they are embraced by unity,
they are reduced to a number.
Intelligence therefore embraces what comes after it, the Soul; so that
the Soul, till the last of her powers, is contained by a number; as to
the last power (matter), it is entirely infinite[338] Considered in
this condition (where, turning towards what is below it, it begets the
Soul), Intelligence is a part (because it applies itself to something
particular), though it possess all things, and though, in itself, it
be universal; the intelligences which compose it are each a part (each
constituting a particular intelligence by virtue of the actualization
of Intelligence which exists (and thus exists in itself). As to the
Soul, she is the part of a part (that is, a part of the Intelligence
which itself is a part, as has just been said), but exists by virtue
of the actualization of the Intelligence which acts outside of itself.
Indeed, when Intelligence acts in itself, the actualizations it
produces are the other intelligences; when it acts outside of itself,
it produces the Soul. When in her turn, the Soul acts as genus or
species, she begets the other souls which are her species. These souls
themselves have two actualizations; the one, directed towards what is
above them, constitutes their intelligence; the other, directed towards
what is below them, gives birth to the other rational powers, and even
to a last power which is in contact with matter, and which fashions
it.[339] The inferior part of the soul does not hinder the whole
remainder from remaining in the superior region.[340] Besides, this
inferior part is only the very image of the soul; it is not separated
from her,[341] but it resembles the image reflected by a mirror, an
image which persists only so long as the model remains before the
mirror. What should be our conception of the model placed before the
mirror? Down through what is immediately above the image (that is, down
through the soul herself), we have the intelligible world, composed
of all the intelligible entities, where everything is perfect. The
sense-world is no more than the imitation thereof, and it imitates
that intelligible world so far as it can, in that it itself is a
living organism which is the image of the perfect living Organism. The
sense-world imitates it as the portrait that is painted, or reflected
by the surface of water reproduces the person situated before the
painter, or above the water. This portrait obtained by the painting, or
reflected by the surface of the water is not the image of the composite
which constitutes the man (the soul and body), but of one or two parts
only, the body which was fashioned by the soul. Likewise, therefore,
the sense-world, which was made to resemble the intelligible world,
offers us images, not of its creator, but of the (essences) contained
within its creator, among which is man, along with all other animals.
Now, in common with its creator, each living organism possesses life,
though each possess it differently; both, besides, equally form part of
the intelligible world.