Kitap 10
904
Ath. The way I am describing is, I believe, that in which supervision of all things is most easy for the gods. For if one were to shape all things, without a constant view to the Whole, by transforming them (as, for instance, fire into water), instead of merely converting one into many or many into one, then when things had shared in a first, or second, or even third generation,This seems to refer to three stages of the soul’s incarnation; see p. 367, n. 2. they would be countless in number in such a system of transformations; but as things are, the task before the Supervisor of the All is wondrous easy.
904
Clin. How do you mean?
904
Ath. Thus:—Since our King saw that all actions involve soul, and contain much good and much evil, and that body and soul are, when generated, indestructible but not eternal,Cp.Plat. Tim 37c ff. as are the gods ordained by law (for if either soul or body had been destroyed, there would never have been generation of living creatures), and since He perceived that all soul that is good naturally tends always to benefit, but the bad to injure,—observing all this, He designed a location for each of the parts, wherein it might secure the victory of goodness in the Whole and the defeat of evil most completely, easily, and well. For this purpose He has designed the rule which prescribes what kind of character should be set to dwell in what kind of position and in what regions;Cp.Plat. Tim 42b ff. where it is said that the soul of the good man returns at death to its native star, while that of the bad takes the form of a woman in its second, and that of a beast in its third incarnation. but the causes of the generation of any special kind he left to the wills of each one of us men.Cp. Plat. Rep. 617e. For according to the trend of our desires and the nature of our souls, each one of us generally becomes of a corresponding character.
904
Clin. That is certainly probable.
