5. All the productions of nature or art are the works of a certain
wisdom which ever presides over their creation. Art is made possible
only by the existence of this wisdom. The talent of the artist is
derived from the wisdom of nature which presides over the production
of every work. This wisdom is not a sequence of demonstrations, as the
whole of it forms a unity; it is not a plurality reduced to unity,
but a unity which is resolved into a plurality. If we admit that this
wisdom is primary Wisdom, there is nothing to be sought beyond it,
since in this case it is independent of every principle, and is located
within itself. If, on the contrary, we say that nature possesses the
("seminal) reason," and is its principle, we shall have to ask whence
nature derives it.[221] If it be called a superior principle, we
still have to ask the derivation of this principle; if it be derived
from nothing, we need not go beyond it (but return to the above
demonstration). If, on the contrary, it be derived from Intelligence,
we shall have to examine whether Intelligence produced wisdom. The
first objection here will be, how could it have done so? For if
Intelligence itself produced it, Intelligence could not have produced
it without itself being Wisdom. True Wisdom is therefore "being" and,
on the other hand, "being" is wisdom, and derives its dignity from
Wisdom; that is why "being" is veritable "Being." Consequently, the
being (essences) which do not possess wisdom are such beings only
because they were created by a certain wisdom; but they are not true
beings (essences), because they do not in themselves possess Wisdom.
It would, therefore, be absurd to state that the divinities, or the
blessed dwellers in the intelligible world, in that world are engaged
in studying demonstrations. The entities that exist there are beautiful
forms,[222] such as are conceived of as existing within the soul of
the wise man; I do not mean painted forms, but existing (substantial)
forms. That is why the ancients[223] said that ideas are essences and
beings.