We have thus succeeded in establishing the most important point of
the discussion, namely, that all souls proceed from a single Soul,
that from being one they become manifold, as is the case with the
intelligences, divided in the same way, and similarly undivided.
The Soul that dwells in the intelligible world is the one and
indivisible reason (born) of intelligence, and from this Soul proceed
the particular immaterial "reasons," in the same manner as on high
(the individual intelligences proceed from the one and absolute
Intelligence).
WHY SHOULD CREATION BE PREDICATED OF THE UNIVERSAL SOUL AND NOT OF THE
HUMAN?
6. If there be similarity between the universal Soul and the individual
souls, how does it happen that the former created the world, while
the others did not do so, though each of them also contain all things
within herself, and since we have already shown that the productive
power can exist simultaneously in several beings? By explaining its
"reason" we can thus examine and discover how the same nature ("being")
can act or experience, or act and experience, in a different manner in
different beings.
THE WORLD-SOUL ALONE CREATES BECAUSE SHE REMAINS NEAREST THE
INTELLIGIBLE WORLD.
How and why did the universal Soul make the universe, while the
individual souls only manage a part thereof? That is not more
surprising than to see, among men who possess the same knowledge, some
command a greater number, and others a lesser. This is the case because
there is a great difference between souls. Some, instead of separating
from the universal Soul, have remained in the intelligible world,
and still contain the body (of the universal), while others, when
the body (of the universe) already existed, and while the universal
Soul, their sister, governed it, accepted destinies assigned them by
fate, as if (the universal Soul) had prepared for them dwellings to
receive them.[106] Besides, the universal Soul contemplates universal
Intelligence, and the individual souls rather contemplate individual
intelligences. These souls might indeed possibly have also been capable
of making the universe; but that is no longer possible to them now that
the universal Soul has already done it, and has preceded them. Besides,
the very same question would have arisen even if an entirely different
soul had first made the universe. Perhaps it is better to state that if
the universal Soul has created the universe, it is chiefly because she
is more closely related to intelligible entities, for the souls that
are nearest thereto are the most powerful. Maintaining themselves in
this quiet region, they act with greater facility; for to act without
suffering is the sign of a greater power. Thus the power depending on
the intelligible world abides within itself, and by abiding within
itself, produces. The other souls, descending towards the body,
withdraw from the intelligible world, and fall into the abyss (of
matter). Perhaps also the element of manifoldness within them, finding
itself drawn towards the lower regions, along with it dragged the
conceptions of those souls, and made them descend hither. Indeed the
distinction of the second or third rank for souls must be understood in
this sense that some are nearer, and some further from the intelligible
world. Likewise, among us, all souls are not equally disposed in regard
to this world. Some succeed in uniting with it, others approach it by
their aspirations; others do not quite succeed, because they do not all
use the same faculties, and some use the first, others the second, and
some the third, though they all equally possess all faculties.