History of the inductive sciences, from the earliest to the present timeWhewell, William
History
History of the inductive sciences, from the earliest to the present time
Whewell, William
Science -- History
The conclusion of the work is,[42\4] as might be supposed, upon the
approach to, union with, and fruition of God. The author refers
again to the analogy between the movements of the soul and those of
the heavens. "We move round him like a choral dance; even when we
{214} look from him we revolve about him: we do not always look at
him, but when we do, we have satisfaction and rest, and the harmony
which belongs to that divine movement. In this movement, the mind
beholds the fountain of life, the fountain of mind, the origin of
being, the cause of good, the root of the soul."[43\4] "There will
be a time when this vision shall be continual; the mind being no
more interrupted, nor suffering any perturbation from the body. Yet
that which beholds is not that which is disturbed; and when this
vision becomes dim, it does not obscure the knowledge which resides
in demonstration, and faith, and reasoning; but the vision itself is
not reason, but greater than reason, and before reason."[44\4]
[Note 42\4: vi. Enn. ix. 8.]
[Note 43\4: vi. Enn. ix. 9.]
[Note 44\4: vi. Enn. ix. 10.]
The fifth book of the third Ennead has for its subject the Dæmon
which belongs to each man. It is entitled "Concerning Love;" and the
doctrine appears to be, that the Love, or common source of the
passions which is in each man's mind, is "the Dæmon which they say
accompanies each man."[45\4] These dæmons were, however (at least by
later writers), invested with a visible aspect and with a personal
character, including a resemblance of human passions and motives. It
is curious thus to see an untenable and visionary generalization
falling back into the domain of the senses and the fancy, after a
vain attempt to support itself in the region of the reason. This
imagination soon produced pretensions to the power of making these
dæmons or genii visible; and the Treatise on the Mysteries of the
Egyptians, which is attributed to Iamblichus, gives an account of
the secret ceremonies, the mysterious words, the sacrifices and
expiations, by which this was to be done.
[Note 45\4: Ficinus, _Comm._ in v. Enn. iii.]
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