DETERMINISM IMPLIES DEGENERATION OF RACES. Does the "reason" of each individual contain both his "actions" and "reactions"[215] in a way such that these are neither accidental nor fortuitous, but necessary?[255] Are these produced by the reasons? Or do the reasons know them, without producing them? Or does the soul, which contains the generative "reasons,"[256] know the effects of all her works by reasoning according to the following principle, that the concourse of the same circumstances must evidently produce the same effects? If so, the soul, understanding or foreseeing the effects of her works, by them determines and concatenates all the events that are to happen. She, therefore, considers all the antecedents and consequents, and foresees what is to follow from what precedes.[257] It is (because the beings thus proceed from each other) that the races continually degenerate. For instance, men degenerate because in departing continually and unavoidably (from the primitive type) the ("seminal) reasons" yield to the "passions" of matter.[258] THE SOUL DOES NOT CAUSE PASSIONS, WHICH ARISE FROM THE SEMINAL REASONS. Is the soul the cause of these passions, because she begets the beings that produce them? Does the soul then consider the whole sequence of events, and does she pass her existence watching the "passions" experienced by her works? Does she never cease thinking of the latter, does she never put on them the finishing touch, regulating them so that they should always go well?[259] Does she resemble some farmer who, instead of limiting himself to sowing and planting, should ceaselessly labor to repair the damage caused by the rains, the winds, and the storms? Unless this hypothesis be absurd, it must be admitted that the soul knows in advance, or even that the ("seminal)[260] reasons" contain accidents which happen to begotten beings, that is, their destruction and all the effects of their faults.[261] In this case, we are obliged to say that the faults are derived from the ("seminal) reasons", although the arts and their reasons contain neither error, fault, nor destruction of a work of art.[262] THE UNIVERSE IS HARMONY,[207] IN SPITE OF THE FAULTS IN THE DETAILS.