But such a life will be higher than mere human nature, because a man
will live thus, not in so far as he is man but in so far as there is in
him a divine Principle: and in proportion as this Principle excels his
composite nature so far does the Working thereof excel that in
accordance with any other kind of Excellence: and therefore, if pure
Intellect, as compared with human nature, is divine, so too will the
life in accordance with it be divine compared with man’s ordinary life.
Yet must we not give ear to those who bid one as man to mind only man’s
affairs, or as mortal only mortal things; but, so far as we can, make
ourselves like immortals and do all with a view to living in accordance
with the highest Principle in us, for small as it may be in bulk yet in
power and preciousness it far more excels all the others.
In fact this Principle would seem to constitute each man’s “Self,”
since it is supreme and above all others in goodness it _would_ be
absurd then for a man not to choose his own life but that of some
other.
And here will apply an observation made before, that whatever is proper
to each is naturally best and pleasantest to him: such then is to Man
the life in accordance with pure Intellect (since this Principle is
most truly Man), and if so, then it is also the happiest.
And second in degree of Happiness will be that Life which is in
accordance with the other kind of Excellence, for the Workings in
accordance with this are proper to Man: I mean, we do actions of
justice, courage, and the other virtues, towards one another, in
contracts, services of different kinds, and in all kinds of actions and
feelings too, by observing what is befitting for each: and all these
plainly are proper to man. Further, the Excellence of the Moral
character is thought to result in some points from physical
circumstances, and to be, in many, very closely connected with the
passions.
Again, Practical Wisdom[17] and Excellence of the Moral character are
very closely united; since the Principles of Practical Wisdom are in
accordance with the Moral Virtues and these are right when they accord
with Practical Wisdom.
These moreover, as bound up with the passions, must belong to the
composite nature, and the Excellences or Virtues of the composite
nature are proper to man: therefore so too will be the life and
Happiness which is in accordance with them. But that of the Pure
Intellect is separate and distinct: and let this suffice upon the
subject, since great exactness is beyond our purpose,