Plotinus, On Love (III-5)

8/3/2019 Plotinus, On Love (III-5)

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Plotinus

On Love

On Love (EnneadIII.5) is here translated by StephenMacKenna (Boston: Charles T. Branford, 11!). This

doc"#ent is in the p"blic do#ain.

platonic$philosophy.or%

1. &hat is 'oe * +od, a Celestial Spirit, a state of #ind r is it, perhaps, so#eti#es to be tho"%ht of as

a +od or Spirit and so#eti#es #erely as an e-perience *nd hat is it essentially in each of these respects

These i#portant /"estions #a0e it desirable to reie preailin% opinions on the #atter, the

philosophical treat#ent it has receied and, especially, the theories of the %reat lato ho has #any

passa%es dealin% ith 'oe, fro# a point of ie entirely his on.

lato does not treat of it as si#ply a state obsered in so"ls2 he also #a0es it a Spirit$bein%, so that e

read of the birth of 3ros, "nder definite circ"#stances and by a certain parenta%e.

4o eeryone reco%nies that the e#otional state for hich e #a0e this 6'oe7 responsible rises in

so"ls aspirin% to be 0nit in the closest "nion ith so#e bea"tif"l ob8ect, and that this aspiration ta0es to

for#s, that of the %ood hose deotion is for bea"ty itself, and that other hich see0s its cons"##ation

in so#e ile act. B"t this %enerally ad#itted distinction opens a ne /"estion: e need a philosophical

inesti%ation into the ori%in of the to phases.

It is so"nd, I thin0, to find the pri#al so"rce of 'oe in a tendency of the So"l toards p"re bea"ty, in

a reco%nition, in a 0inship, in an "nreasoned conscio"sness of friendly relation. The ile and "%ly is in

clash, at once, ith 4at"re and ith +od: 4at"re prod"ces by loo0in% to the +ood, for it loo0s toards

rder9hich has its bein% in the consistent total of the %ood, hile the "nordered is "%ly, a #e#ber ofthe syste# of eil9and besides 4at"re itself, clearly, sprin%s fro# the diine real#, fro# +ood and

Bea"ty2 and hen anythin% brin%s deli%ht and the sense of 0inship, its ery i#a%e attracts.

e8ect this e-planation, and no one can tell ho the #ental state rises and here are its ca"ses: it is the

e-planation of een cop"latie loe hich is the ill to be%et in bea"ty2 4at"re see0s to prod"ce the

bea"tif"l and therefore by all reason cannot desire to procreate in the "%ly.

Those that desire earthly procreation are satisfied ith the bea"ty fo"nd on earth, the bea"ty of i#a%e

and of body2 it is beca"se they are stran%ers to the *rchetype, the so"rce of een the attraction they feel

toards hat is loely here. There are so"ls to ho# earthly bea"ty is a leadin% to the #e#ory of that in

the hi%her real# and these loe the earthly as an i#a%e2 those that hae not attained to this #e#ory do not

"nderstand hat is happenin% ithin the#, and ta0e the i#a%e for the reality. nce there is perfect self$

control, it is no fa"lt to en8oy the bea"ty of earth2 here appreciation de%enerates into carnality, there is

sin.

"re 'oe see0s the bea"ty alone, hether there is e#iniscence or not2 b"t there are those that feel,

also, a desire of s"ch i##ortality as lies ithin #ortal reach2 and these are see0in% Bea"ty in their de#and

for perpet"ity, the desire of the eternal2 4at"re teaches the# to so the seed and to be%et in bea"ty, to

so toards eternity, b"t in bea"ty thro"%h their on 0inship ith the bea"tif"l. *nd indeed the eternal is

of the one stoc0 ith the bea"tif"l, the 3ternal$4at"re is the first shapin% of bea"ty and #a0es bea"tif"l all

that rises fro# it.


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The less the desire for procreation, the %reater is the content#ent ith bea"ty alone, yet procreation

ai#s at the en%enderin% of bea"ty2 it is the e-pression of a lac02 the s"b8ect is conscio"s of ins"fficiency

and, ishin% to prod"ce bea"ty, feels that the ay is to be%et in a bea"tif"l for#. &here the procreatie

desire is laless or a%ainst the p"rposes of nat"re, the first inspiration has been nat"ral, b"t they hae

dier%ed fro# the ay, they hae slipped and fallen, and they %roel2 they neither "nderstand hither 'oe

so"%ht to lead the# nor hae they any instinct to prod"ction2 they hae not #astered the ri%ht "se of the

i#a%es of bea"ty2 they do not 0no hat the *"thentic Bea"ty is.Those that loe bea"ty of person itho"t carnal desire loe for bea"ty7s sa0e2 those that hae9for

o#en, of co"rse9the cop"latie loe, hae the f"rther p"rpose of self$perpet"ation: as lon% as they are

led by these #oties, both are on the ri%ht path, tho"%h the first hae ta0en the nobler ay. B"t, een in

the ri%ht, there is the difference that the one set, orshippin% the bea"ty of earth, loo0 no f"rther, hile

the others, those of recollection, enerate also the bea"ty of the other orld hile they, still, hae no

conte#pt for this in hich they reco%nie, as it ere, a last o"t%roth, an atten"ation of the hi%her. These,

in s"#, are innocent fre/"enters of bea"ty, not to be conf"sed ith the class to ho# it beco#es an

occasion of fall into the "%ly9for the aspiration toards a %ood de%enerates into an eil often.

So #"ch for loe, the state.

4o e hae to consider 'oe, the +od.

;. The e-istence of s"ch a bein% is no de#and of the ordinary #an, #erely2 it is s"pported by Theolo%ians

(rphic professors) and, oer and oer a%ain, by lato to ho# 3ros is child of *phrodite, #inister of

bea"tif"l children, inciter of h"#an so"ls toards the s"pernal bea"ty or /"ic0ener of an already e-istin%

i#p"lse thither. *ll this re/"ires philosophical e-a#ination. * cardinal passa%e is that in the Sy#posi"#

here e are told 3ros as not a child of *phrodite b"t born on the day of *phrodite7s birth, enia,

oerty, bein% the #other, and oros, ossession, the father.

The #atter see#s to de#and so#e disc"ssion of *phrodite, since in any case 3ros is described as bein%

either her son or in so#e association ith her. &ho then is *phrodite, and in hat sense is 'oe either her

child or born ith her or in so#e ay both her child and her birth$fello

To "s *phrodite is tofold2 there is the heaenly *phrodite, da"%hter of "ranos or ione, this is the *phrodite ho presides oer earthly "nions2 the

hi%her as not born of a #other and has no part in #arria%es, for in iine Mind. 'oe, th"s, is

eer intent "pon that other loeliness, and e-ists to be the #edi"# beteen desire and that ob8ect of

desire. It is the eye of the desirer2 by its poer hat loes is enabled to see the loed thin%. B"t it is first2


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before it beco#es the ehicle of ision, it is itself filled ith the si%ht2 it is first, therefore, and not een in

the sa#e order9for desire attains to ision only thro"%h the efficacy of 'oe, hile 'oe, in its on *ct,

harests the spectacle of bea"ty playin% i##ediately aboe it.

?. That 'oe is a iine Bein%. The 3ros that belon%s to the s"pernal So"l #"st be of one

te#per ith it2 it #"st itself loo0 aloft as bein% of the ho"sehold of that So"l, dependent "pon that So"l,

its ery offsprin%2 and therefore carin% for nothin% b"t the conte#plation of the +ods.

nce that So"l hich is the pri#al so"rce of li%ht to the heaens is reco%nied as an oes each indiid"al So"l, then, contain ithin itself s"ch a 'oe in essence and s"bstantial reality

Since not only the p"re *ll$So"l b"t also that of the Anierse contains s"ch a 'oe, it o"ld be diffic"lt

to e-plain hy o"r personal So"l sho"ld not. It #"st be so, een, ith all that has life.

This indellin% loe is no other than the Spirit (daemon) hich, as e are told, al0s ith eery bein%,the affection do#inant in each seeral nat"re. It i#plants the characteristic desire2 the partic"lar So"l,

strained toards its on nat"ral ob8ects, brin%s forth its on 3ros, the %"idin% spirit realiin% its orth and

the /"ality of its Bein%.

*s the *ll$So"l contains the Aniersal 'oe, so #"st the sin%le So"l be alloed its on sin%le 'oe:

and as closely as the sin%le So"l holds to the *ll$So"l, neer c"t off b"t e#braced ithin it, the to

to%ether constit"tin% one principle of life, so the sin%le separate 'oe holds to the *ll$'oe. Si#ilarly, the

indiid"al loe 0eeps ith the indiid"al So"l as that other, the %reat 'oe, %oes ith the *ll$So"l2 and the

'oe ithin the *ll per#eates it thro"%ho"t so that the one 'oe beco#es #any, shoin% itself here it


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chooses at any #o#ent of the Anierse, ta0in% definite shape in these its partial phases and reealin% itself

at its ill.

In the sa#e ay e #"st conceie #any *phrodites in the *ll, Spirits enterin% it to%ether ith 'oe, all

e#anatin% fro# an *phrodite of the *ll, a train of partic"lar *phrodites dependent "pon the first, and

each ith the partic"lar 'oe in attendance: this #"ltiplicity cannot be denied, if So"l be the #other of

'oe, and *phrodite #ean So"l, and 'oe be an act of a So"l see0in% %ood.

This 'oe, then, leader of partic"lar So"ls to The +ood, is tofold: the 'oe in the loftier So"l o"ldbe a %od eer lin0in% the So"l to the diine2 the 'oe in the #in%lin% So"l ill be a celestial spirit.

5. B"t hat is the 4at"re of this Spirit9of the Celestials in %eneral

The Spirit$Kind is treated in the Sy#posi"# here, ith #"ch abo"t the others, e learn of 3ros

('oe) born to enia (oerty) and oros (ossession) ho is son of Metis (eso"rce) at *phrodite7s birth

feast.

B"t to ta0e lato as #eanin%, by 3ros, this Anierse9and not si#ply the 'oe natie ithin it9

inoles #"ch that is self$contradictory.

@or one thin%, the "nierse is described as a blissf"l %od and as self$s"fficin%, hile this 6'oe7 is

confessedly neither diine nor self$s"fficin% b"t in ceaseless need.

*%ain, this Cos#os is a co#po"nd of body and so"l2 b"t *phrodite to lato is the So"l itself, therefore*phrodite o"ld necessarily be a constit"ent part of 3ros, (indeed the) do#inant #e#ber * #an is the

#an7s So"l, if the orld is, si#ilarly, the orld7s So"l, then *phrodite, the So"l, is identical ith 'oe, the

Cos#os *nd hy sho"ld this one spirit, 'oe, be the Anierse to the e-cl"sion of all the others, hich

certainly are spr"n% fro# the sa#e 3ssential$Bein% "r only escape o"ld be to #a0e the Cos#os a

co#ple- of Celestials.

'oe, a%ain, is called the >ispenser of bea"tif"l children: does this apply to the Anierse 'oe is

represented as ho#eless, bedless and barefooted: o"ld not that be a shabby description of the Cos#os

and /"ite o"t of the tr"th

D. &hat then, in s"#, is to be tho"%ht of 'oe and of his 6birth7 as e are told of itClearly e hae to establish the si%nificance, here, of oerty and ossession, and sho in hat ay the

parenta%e is appropriate: e hae also to brin% these to into line ith the other Celestials, since one spirit

nat"re, one spirit essence, #"st characterie all "nless they are to hae #erely a na#e in co##on.

&e #"st, therefore, lay don the %ro"nds on hich e distin%"ish the +ods fro# the Celestials9that

is, hen e e#phasie the separate nat"re of the to orders and are not, as often in practice, incl"din%

these Spirits "nder the co##on na#e of +ods.

It is o"r teachin% and coniction that the +ods are i##"ne to all passion hile e attrib"te e-perience

and e#otion to the Celestials hich, tho"%h eternal Bein%s and directly ne-t to the +ods, are already a step

toards o"rseles and stand beteen the diine and the h"#an.

B"t by hat process as the i##"nity lost &hat in their nat"re led the# donards to the inferior

*nd other /"estions present the#seles.>oes the Intellect"al eal# incl"de no #e#ber of this spirit order, not een one *nd does the

Cos#os contain only these spirits, +od bein% confined to the Intellect"al r are there +ods in the s"b$

celestial too, the Cos#os itself bein% a +od, the third, as is co##only said, and the oers don to the

Moon bein% all +ods as ell

It is best not to "se the ord 6Celestial7 of any Bein% of that eal#2 the ord 6+od7 #ay be applied to

the 3ssential$Celestial9the a"to$dai#on9and een to the Eisible oers of the Anierse of Sense don

to the Moon2 +ods, these too, isible, secondary, se/"ent "pon the +ods of the Intellect"al eal#,

consonant ith The#, held abo"t The#, as the radiance abo"t the star.


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&hat, then, are these spirits

* Celestial is the representatie %enerated by each So"l hen it enters the Cos#os.

*nd hy, by a So"l enterin% the Cos#os

Beca"se So"l p"re of the Cos#os %enerates not a Celestial Spirit b"t a +od2 hence it is that e hae

spo0en of 'oe, offsprin% of *phrodite the "re So"l, as a +od.

B"t, first, hat preents eery one of the Celestials fro# bein% an 3ros, a 'oe *nd hy are they not

"nto"ched by Matter li0e the +odsn the first /"estion: 3ery Celestial born in the striin% of the So"l toards the %ood and bea"tif"l is

an 3ros2 and all the So"ls ithin the Kos#os do en%ender this Celestial2 b"t other Spirit$Bein%s, e/"ally

born fro# the So"l of the *ll, b"t by other fac"lties of that So"l, hae other f"nctions: they are for the

direct serice of the *ll, and ad#inister partic"lar thin%s to the p"rpose of the Anierse entire. The So"l of

the *ll #"st be ade/"ate to all that is and therefore #"st brin% into bein% spirit poers sericeable not

#erely in one f"nction b"t to its entire char%e.

B"t hat participation can the Celestials hae in Matter, and in hat Matter

Certainly none in bodily Matter2 that o"ld #a0e the# si#ply liin% thin%s of the order of sense. *nd

if, een, they are to inest the#seles in bodies of air or of fire, the nat"re #"st hae already been altered

before they co"ld hae any contact ith the corporeal. The "re does not #i-, "n#ediated, ith body9

tho"%h #any thin0 that the Celestial$Kind, of its ery essence, co#ports a body aerial or of fire.B"t hy sho"ld one order of Celestial descend to body and another not The difference i#plies the

e-istence of so#e ca"se or #edi"# or0in% "pon s"ch as th"s descend. &hat o"ld constit"te s"ch a

#edi"#

&e are forced to ass"#e that there is a Matter of the Intellect"al rder, and that Bein%s parta0in% of it

are thereby enabled to enter into the loer Matter, the corporeal.

F. This is the si%nificance of lato7s acco"nt of the birth of 'oe.

The dr"n0enness of the father oros or ossession is ca"sed by 4ectar, 6ine yet not e-istin%72 'oe is

born before the real# of sense has co#e into bein%: enia had participation in the Intellect"al before the

loer i#a%e of that diine eal# had appeared2 she delt in that Sphere, b"t as a #in%led bein% consistin%partly of @or# b"t partly also of that indeter#ination hich belon%s to the So"l before she attains the

+ood and hen all her 0noled%e of eality is a fore$inti#ation eiled by the indeter#inate and

"nordered: in this state oerty brin%s forth the


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&e "nderstand, no, hy %ood #en hae no other 'oe other 3ros of life9than that for the *bsol"te

and *"thentic +ood, and neer follo the rando# attractions 0non to those ran%ed "nder the loer

Spirit Kind.

3ach h"#an bein% is set "nder his on Spirit$+"ides, b"t this is #ere blan0 possession hen they

i%nore their on and lie by so#e other spirit adopted by the# as #ore closely att"ned to the operatie

part of the So"l in the#. Those that %o after eil are nat"res that hae #er%ed all the 'oe$rinciples

ithin the# in the eil desires sprin%in% in their hearts and alloed the ri%ht reason, hich belon%s to o"r0ind, to fall "nder the spell of false ideas fro# another so"rce.

*ll the nat"ral 'oes, all that sere the ends of 4at"re, are %ood2 in a lesser So"l, inferior in ran0 and in

scope2 in the %reater So"l, s"perior2 b"t all belon% to the order of Bein%. Those for#s of 'oe that do not

sere the p"rposes of 4at"re are #erely accidents attendin% on perersion: in no sense are they eal$

Bein%s or een #anifestations of any eality2 for they are no tr"e iss"e of So"l2 they are #erely

acco#pani#ents of a spirit"al fla hich the So"l a"to#atically e-hibits in the total of disposition and

cond"ct.

In a ord2 all that is tr"ly %ood in a So"l actin% to the p"rposes of nat"re and ithin its appointed order,

all this is eal$Bein%: anythin% else is alien, no act of the So"l, b"t #erely so#ethin% that happens to it: a

parallel #ay be fo"nd in false #entation, notions behind hich there is no reality as there is in the case of

a"thentic ideas, the eternal, the strictly defined, in hich there is at once an act of tr"e 0noin%, a tr"ly0noable ob8ect and a"thentic e-istence9and this not #erely in the *bsol"te, b"t also in the partic"lar

bein% that is occ"pied by the a"thentically 0noable and by the Intellect"al$rinciple #anifest in eery

seeral for#.

In each partic"lar h"#an bein% e #"st ad#it the e-istence of the a"thentic Intellectie *ct and of the

a"thentically 0noable ob8ect9tho"%h not as holly #er%ed into o"r bein%, since e are not these in the

absol"te and not e-cl"siely these9and hence o"r lon%in% for absol"te thin%s: it is the e-pression of o"r

intellectie actiities: if e so#eti#es care for the partial, that affection is not direct b"t accidental, li0e o"r

0noled%e that a %ien trian%"lar fi%"re is #ade "p of to ri%ht an%les beca"se the absol"te trian%le is so.

!. B"t hat are e to "nderstand by this =e"s ith the %arden into hich, e are told, oros or &ealthentered *nd hat is the %arden

&e hae seen that the *phrodite of the Myth is the So"l and that oros, &ealth, is the eason$

rinciple of the Anierse: e hae still to e-plain =e"s and his %arden.

&e cannot ta0e =e"s to be the So"l, hich e hae a%reed is represented by *phrodite.

lato, ho #"st be o"r %"ide in this /"estion, spea0s in the haedr"s of this +od, =e"s, as the +reat

'eader9tho"%h elsehere he see#s to ran0 hi# as one of three9b"t in the hileb"s he spea0s #ore

plainly hen he says that there is in =e"s not only a royal So"l, b"t also a royal Intellect.

*s a #i%hty Intellect and So"l, he #"st be a principle of Ca"se2 he #"st be the hi%hest for seeral

reasons b"t especially beca"se to be Kin% and 'eader is to be the chief ca"se: =e"s then is the Intellect"al

rinciple. *phrodite, his da"%hter, iss"e of hi#, dellin% ith hi#, ill be So"l, her ery na#e *phrodite

(Gthe habra, delicate) indicatin% the bea"ty and %lea# and innocence and delicate %race of the So"l.*nd if e ta0e the #ale %ods to represent the Intellect"al oers and the fe#ale %ods to be their so"ls

9to eery Intellect"al rinciple its co#panion So"l9e are forced, th"s also, to #a0e *phrodite the So"l

of =e"s2 and the identification is confir#ed by riests and Theolo%ians ho consider *phrodite and


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@or, all that lies %athered in the Intellect is natie to it: nothin% enters fro# itho"t2 b"t 6oros

into-icated7 is so#e oer deriin% satisfaction o"tside itself: hat, then, can e "nderstand by this

#e#ber of the S"pre#e filled ith 4ectar b"t a eason$rinciple fallin% fro# a loftier essence to a loer

This #eans that the eason$rinciple "pon 6the birth of *phrodite7 left the Intellect"al for the So"l,

brea0in% into the %arden of =e"s.

* %arden is a place of bea"ty and a %lory of ealth: all the loeliness that =e"s #aintains ta0es its

splendo"r fro# the eason$rinciple ithin hi#2 for all this bea"ty is the radiation of the >iine Intellect"pon the >iine So"l, hich it has penetrated. &hat co"ld the +arden of =e"s indicate b"t the i#a%es of

his Bein% and the splendo"rs of his %lory *nd hat co"ld these diine splendo"rs and bea"ties be b"t the

Ideas strea#in% fro# hi#

These eason$rinciples9this oros ho is the laishness, the ab"ndance of Bea"ty9are at one and

are #ade #anifest2 this is the 4ectar$dr"n0enness. @or the 4ectar of the %ods can be no other than hat

the %od$nat"re essentially de#ands2 and this is the eason po"rin% don fro# the diine Mind.

The Intellect"al rinciple possesses Itself to satiety, b"t there is no 6dr"n0en7 abandon#ent in this

possession hich brin%s nothin% alien to it. B"t the eason$rinciple9as its offsprin%, a later hypostasis9

is already a separate Bein% and established in another eal#, and so is said to lie in the %arden of this =e"s

ho is diine Mind2 and this lyin% in the %arden ta0es place at the #o#ent hen, in o"r ay of spea0in%,

*phrodite enters the real# of Bein%.

1H. 6"r ay of spea0in%79for #yths, if they are to sere their p"rpose, #"st necessarily i#port ti#e$

distinctions into their s"b8ect and ill often present as separate, oers hich e-ist in "nity b"t differ in

ran0 and fac"lty2 they ill relate the births of the "nbe%otten and discri#inate here all is one s"bstance2

the tr"th is coneyed in the only #anner possible, it is left to o"r %ood sense to brin% all to%ether a%ain.

n this principle e hae, here, So"l (s"ccessiely) dellin% ith the diine Intelli%ence, brea0in% aay

fro# it, and yet a%ain bein% filled to satiety ith the diine Ideas9the bea"tif"l abo"ndin% in all plenty, so

that eery splendo"r beco#e #anifest in it ith the i#a%es of hateer is loely9So"l hich, ta0en as

one all, is *phrodite, hile in it #ay be distin%"ished the eason$rinciples s"##ed "nder the na#es of

lenty and ossession, prod"ced by the donflo of the 4ectar of the oer real#. The splendo"rscontained in So"l are tho"%ht of as the %arden of =e"s ith reference to their e-istin% ithin 'ife2 and

oros sleeps in this %arden in the sense of bein% sated and heay ith its prod"ce. 'ife is eternally

#anifest, an eternal e-istent a#on% the e-istences, and the ban/"etin% of the %ods #eans no #ore than

that they hae their Bein% in that ital blessedness. *nd 'oe96born at the ban/"et of the %ods79has of

necessity been eternally in e-istence, for it sprin%s fro# the intention of the So"l toards its Best, toards

the +ood2 as lon% as So"l has been, 'oe has been.

Still this 'oe is of #i-ed /"ality. n the one hand there is in it the lac0 hich 0eeps it crain%: on the

other, it is not entirely destit"te2 the deficient see0s #ore of hat it has, and certainly nothin% absol"tely

oid of %ood o"ld eer %o see0in% the %ood.

It is said then to sprin% fro# oerty and ossession in the sense that 'ac0 and *spiration and the

Me#ory of the Ideal rinciples, all present to%ether in the So"l, prod"ce that *ct toards The +oodhich is 'oe. Its Mother is oerty, since striin% is for the needy2 and this oerty is Matter, for Matter

is the holly poor: the ery a#bition toards the %ood is a si%n of e-istin% indeter#ination2 there is a lac0

of shape and of eason in that hich #"st aspire toards the +ood, and the %reater de%ree of effort

i#plies the loer depth of #ateriality. * thin% aspirin% toards the +ood is an Ideal$rinciple only hen

the striin% (ith attain#ent) ill leae it still "nchan%ed in Kind: hen it #"st ta0e in so#ethin% other

than itself, its aspiration is the present#ent of Matter to the inco#in% poer.

Th"s 'oe is at once, in so#e de%ree a thin% of Matter and at the sa#e ti#e a Celestial, spr"n% of the

So"l2 for 'oe lac0s its +ood b"t, fro# its ery birth, stries toards It.

Documents

Plotinus, On Love (III-5)