Book 6, ΠΕΡΙ ΤΑΓΑΘΟΥ Η ΤΟΥ ΕΝΟΣ.

ἆῤ οὖν ἑκάστῳ μὲν τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἓν οὐ ταὐτὸν ἡ οὐσία αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἕν, ὅλῳ δὲ τῷ ὄντι καὶ τῇ οὐσίᾳ ταὐτὸν ἡ οὐσία αὐτοῦ ʽκαὶ τὸ ὂν̓ καὶ τὸ ἕν; ὥστε τὸν ἐξευρόντα τὸ ὂν ἐξευρηκέναι καὶ τὸ ἕν, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸ ἕν: οἷον, εἰ νοῦς ἡ οὐσία, νοῦν καὶ τὸ ἓν εἶναι πρώτως ὄντα ὂν καὶ πρώτως ἕν, μεταδιδόντα δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῦ εἶναι οὕτω καὶ κατὰ τοσοῦτον καὶ τοῦ ἑνός. τί γὰρ ἄν τις καὶ παῤ αὐτὸ εἶναι αὐτὸ φήσαι; ἢ γὰρ ταὐτὸν τῷ ὄντι: ἄνθρωπος γὰρ καὶ εἷς ἄνθρωπος ταὐτόν: ἢ οἷον ἀριθμός τις ἑκάστου, ὥσπερ εἰ δύο τινὰ ἔλεγες, οὕτως ἐπὶ μόνου τινὸς τὸ ἕν. εἰ μὲν οὖν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ὄντων, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἕν: καὶ ζητητέον τί ἐστιν. εἰ δὲ ψυχῆς ἐνέργημα τῷ ἀριθμεῖν ἐπεξιούσης, οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι τὸ ἕν. ἀλλ̓ ἔλεγεν ὁ λόγος, εἰ ἀπολεῖ ἕκαστον τὸ ἕν, μηδ̓ ἔσεσθαι τὸ παράπαν. ὁρᾶν οὖν δεῖ, εἰ ταὐτὸν τὸ ἓν ἕκαστον καὶ τὸ ὄν, καὶ τὸ ὅλως ὂν καὶ τὸ ἕν. ἀλλ̓ εἰ τὸ ὂν τὸ ἑκάστου πλῆθός ἐστι, τὸ δὲ ἓν ἀδύνατον πλῆθος εἶναι, ἕτερον ἂν εἴη ἑκάτερον. ἄνθρωπος γοῦν καὶ ζῷον λογικὸν καὶ πολλὰ μέρη καὶ συνδεῖται ἑνὶ τὰ πολλὰ ταῦτα: ἄλλο ἄρα ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἕν, εἰ τὸ μὲν μεριστόν, τὸ δὲ ἀμερές. καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ ὅλον ὂν πάντα ἐν αὑτῷ ἔχον τὰ ὄντα πολλὰ μᾶλλον ἂν εἴη καὶ ἕτερον τοῦ ἑνός, μεταλήψει δὲ ἔχον καὶ μεθέξει τὸ ἕν. ἔχει δὲ καὶ ζωὴν καὶ νοῦν τὸ ὄν: οὐ γὰρ δὴ νεκρόν: πολλὰ ἄρα τὸ ὄν. εἰ δὲ νοῦς τοῦτο εἴη, καὶ οὕτω πολλὰ ἀνάγκη εἶναι. καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον, εἰ τὰ εἴδη περιέχοι: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ ἰδέα ἕν, ἀλλ̓ ἀριθμὸς μᾶλλον καὶ ἑκάστη καὶ ἡ σύμπασα, καὶ οὕτως ἕν, ὥσπερ ἂν ὁ κόσμος ἕν. ὅλως δὲ τὸ μὲν ἓν πρῶτον, ὁ δὲ νοῦς καὶ τὰ εἴδη καὶ τὸ ὂν οὐ πρῶτα. εἶδός τε γὰρ ἕκαστον ἐκ πολλῶν καὶ σύνθετον καὶ ὕστερον: ἐξ ὧν γὰρ ἕκαστόν ἐστι, πρότερα ἐκεῖνα. ὅτι δὲ οὐχ οἷόν τε τὸν νοῦν τὸ πρῶτον εἶναι, καὶ ἐκ τῶνδε δῆλον ἔσται: τὸν νοῦν ἀνάγκη ἐν τῷ νοεῖν εἶναι καὶ τόν γε ἄριστον καὶ τὸν οὐ πρὸς τὰ ἔξω βλέποντα νοεῖν τὸ πρὸ αὑτοῦ: εἰς ἑαυτὸν γὰρ ἐπιστρέφων εἰς ἀρχὴν ἐπιστρέφει. καὶ εἰ μὲν αὐτὸς τὸ νοοῦν καὶ τὸ νοούμενον, διπλοῦς ἔσται καὶ οὐχ ἁπλοῦς οὐδὲ τὸ ἕν: εἰ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἕτερον βλέπει, πάντως πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ. εἰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς αὑτὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον, καὶ οὕτω δεύτερον. καὶ χρὴ τὸν νοῦν τοιοῦτον τίθεσθαι, οἷον παρεῖναι μὲν τῷ ἀγαθῷ καὶ τῷ πρώτῳ καὶ βλέπειν εἰς ἐκεῖνο, συνεῖναι δὲ καὶ ἑαυτῷ νοεῖν τε καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ νοεῖν ἑαυτὸν ὄντα τὰ πάντα. πολλοῦ ἄρα δεῖ τὸ ἓν εἶναι ποικίλον ὄντα. οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ τὸ ἓν τὰ πάντα ἔσται, οὕτω γὰρ οὐκέτι ἓν εἴη: οὐδὲ νοῦς, καὶ γὰρ ἂν οὕτως εἴη τὰ πάντα τοῦ νοῦ τὰ πάντα ὄντος: οὐδὲ τὸ ὄν: τὸ γὰρ ὂν τὰ πάντα.