Chapter Sixteen: On the Proofs Uttered by the Sages Concerning the Relation of the Rational Soul to the Body and Its Parts, Being Five Analogies

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as it ought to be. And it is by this circumstance that crafts surpass their likes; and though the training of the limbs assists in this matter, cogitation is greater and more powerful.

On the beautiful and the ugly (1), the precious and the base — Among animals there are those that do not (2) do what is hateful and injurious, like the lion that does not harm its keeper; but this belongs to it not by nature and constitution but by compulsion. Man, however, is not so: rather he knows precious things and base things of himself — and this when the human soul (al-nafs al-insānīyah) does not fall under the rule of the animal faculties (al-quwā al-ḥayawānīyah).

[31] Chapter Sixteen

On the demonstrations which the sages have uttered concerning the relation of the rational soul to the body and its parts; and they are five (3) similitudes

The first similitude — They said: the likeness of the soul is the likeness (4) of a king, and the body is the province of his kingdom; and this (5) king has secretaries and troops and governors, namely the outward and the inward senses. And just as the king is preserved and enjoys ease by means of those mentioned, so the soul gains by means of the senses the knowledge of the true, that it may be guided thereby to the knowledge of the good. For when the senses have apprehended the sensible, the intellect (ʻaql) hastens to separation (6) and discernment, and thereupon there become (29)

the particulars universal things (1), stripped of matters, firmly rooted in the essence of the soul and acquired by it. And just as the king, when he governs his subjects well so that want and weakness may not overtake them and render them unable to pay him his dues and fulfil their obligation to him — so likewise the soul, by governing its body, attains through it [32] the acquisition of the two wisdoms, I mean the theoretical and the practical. And to this state the blessed Būlus pointed in his word to his disciple, that he should govern (2) his body well (3). And just as the king does not put wealth and horses and arms within the reach of the governors and rulers, lest they disobey his command and attempt destruction, so likewise the soul must not put excess within the reach of the bodily faculties, in such a way that they do not overpower it; rather it is incumbent upon it to take care and heed, that it may rise above the bodily members.

The second similitude — They said: the soul is like the king, the intellect is his vizier who attends to his benefits, the appetitive faculty is the preparer of his food, and the irascible is the keeper of his house. Now it may happen (4) that his cook prepares dishes delicious to eat and puts into them (5) a deadly poison; and likewise the keeper at times drives away friends and loved ones from meeting his master, and brings forward the enemies, the haters and the revilers, through dealings with whom the utmost harm and ruin reach [33] the king. And it may occur that the vizier and the cook are of one accord (6) in wearying the king, while the keeper does not agree with them. Therefore the king — I mean the soul — must (30)

be awake to the governance of itself, and examine (1) the states of the members of its body, and prevent them from completing (2) their bodily acts.

The third similitude — They said: the soul is a king, the body is his town, the senses are his soldiers, the organs are his subjects, and the appetitive and the irascible faculties are his enemies who quarrel with him to take his kingdom from him. So if he is awake and fights them and overpowers and weakens them, his kingdom remains secure to him and his rule within it is established; but if he does not do so, they conspire together against him, seize his lands, burn his subjects (3) and kill him.

The fourth similitude — They said: the soul resembles a horseman who has gone out to the hunt; appetite is his steed and anger his dog. So if he is skilled in the craft of hunting, and his steed well trained and his dog taught (4), the hunting goes for him [34] according to his wish. But if the matter is the reverse of what we have mentioned — I mean the horseman lacking the craft (5), the horse far from training and obedience, and the dog untaught and without contentment in it (6) — then his aim and his endeavour are frustrated.

The fifth similitude — They said: the gazing of the intellect resembles the gazing of sense in four respects. The first respect: just as the eye is unable to attain the apprehension (idrāk) of a sensible of excessive radiance, such as the sun, so likewise the intellect with respect to the great things, such as the Creator, exalted be He. The second respect: just as the eye is unable to apprehend what touches it, so likewise the intellect is unable to apprehend

— Notes —

[28] 1) He mentioned nothing in this section about “the beautiful and the ugly”.

[28] 2) Dropped in the original: lā.

[28] 3) In the original: khams.

[28] 4) Dropped in the original: mithl.

[28] 5) In the original: wa-hādhā.

[28] 6) In the original: al-faḍl.

[29] 1) In the original: umūr.

[29] 2) In the original: bi-ḥayth yuḥsin.

[29] 3) The First Epistle of Saint Būlus to Tīmūthāwus 2 and 5:23

[29] 4) In the original: bi-tanfaʻ.

[29] 5) In the original: fīhā.

[29] 6) He means “bi-tawāṭaʼ”.

[30] 1) Dropped in the original: ʻan.

[30] 2) In the original: tamām.

[30] 3) In the original: wa-ilá bilādihi ākhidhīn wa-ilá raʻāyāhu muḥriqīn.

[30] 4) In the original: murtāḍ wa-kalbuhu muʻallam.

[30] 5) In the original: ʻadīm al-ṣināʻah.

[30] 6) In the original: wa-lā ʻindahu qanāʻah.