Plotino – Tratado 1,4 (I,6,4) – Afetos ligados ao encontro do belo

4. Quanto às belezas ulteriores, que já não cabe à sensação ver, a alma, sem órgãos, as vê e as proclama: devemos contemplá-las elevando-nos, após deixar que a sensação permaneça aqui em baixo. Assim como, no caso das belezas sensíveis, não era possível àqueles que não as tivessem visto nem percebido como belas pronunciarem-se a seu respeito – os cegos de nascença, por exemplo -, do mesmo modo, não o é, acerca da beleza das ocupações, àqueles que não aceitam a beleza das ocupações, dos conhecimentos e de coisas como essas ¹; nem, acerca do brilho [309] da virtude ², àqueles que nunca imaginaram como é bela “a face da justiça” e da temperança: assim belas, nem mesmo “a estrela da noite ou a da manhã” ³. Mas devemos ver com o que a alma olha as belezas desse tipo e, vendo-as, nos regozijarmos, sermos tomados por tremor e nos excitarmos muito mais do que com as belezas de antes, já que agora tangemos as belezas verdadeiras. Estas afecções devem acontecer ante tudo que seja belo: assombro, doce tremor, desejo, amor e excitação com prazer. É isso que podem experimentar, e experimentam, as almas perante as belezas invisíveis, todas as almas, por assim dizer, mas sobretudo as que são mais apaixonadas, assim como, quando se trata das corpóreas, todos as vêem, embora não sejam igualmente aguilhoados ⁴: mas os que mais o são, são os chamados amantes ⁵.

4. Quanto às belezas mais elevadas, que não podem ser percebidas pelos sentidos, mas que são vistas pela alma e a respeito das quais ela se pronuncia sem o auxílio dos órgãos dos sentidos, para contemplá-las temos nos elevar ainda mais, abandonando os sentidos em baixo. Assim como aqueles que nasceram cegos não podem falar a respeito das belezas sensíveis, assim também não é possível se falar a respeito da beleza das condutas, das ciências e de outras coisas semelhantes sem ter antes se interessado por essas questões, nem é possível falar a respeito do esplendor da virtude sem se ter antes contemplado a bela face da justiça e da temperança, “cuja beleza é maior que a da aurora e a do crepúsculo” .

Tais belezas só podem ser vistas por aqueles que vêem com os olhos da alma. E quando as veem, experimentam um deleite, uma alegria e um assombro bem maiores do que os experimentados diante das belezas precedentes, pois nesse caso contemplam o reino da verdadeira beleza.

Eis o que se experimenta quando se entra em contato com a beleza: o maravilhamento, um súbito deleite, o desejo, o amor e uma alegre excitação. É possível sentir isso ante as belezas invisíveis. E as almas realmente o sentem, praticamente todas as almas, mas especialmente as almas que as amam. O mesmo ocorre no que diz respeito à beleza dos corpos: todos a veem, mas nem todos sentem o mesmo impacto; os que mais o sentem são os que chamamos de amorosos.

4 Acerca de las bellezas ulteriores, que ya no le toca ver a la percepción sensible, sino que es el alma quien sin mediación de órganos las ve y las enjuicia, hay que contemplarlas elevándonos, tras dejar que se quede acá abajo la percepción sensible. Pero así como, en el caso de las bellezas sensibles, no les sería posible hablar sobre ellas a quienes ni las hubieran visto ni las hubieran percibido como bellas — por ejemplo, a los ciegos de nacimiento-, del mismo modo tampoco les es posible hablar sobre la belleza de las ocupaciones, de las ciencias y demás cosas por el estilo a quienes no la hayan acogido, ni sobre el «esplendor» de la virtud a quienes ni siquiera hayan imaginado cuan bello es el «rostro de la justicia» y de la morigeración, tan bello que «ni el lucero vespertino ni el matutino» lo son tanto. Mas es preciso estarse contemplando tales bellezas con lo que el alma las mira y que, al verlas, sintamos un placer, una sacudida, una conmoción mucho más intensos que a la vista de las bellezas anteriores, como quienes están ya en contacto con bellezas reales. Porque he aquí las emociones que deben originarse ante cualquier belleza: estupor, sacudida deleitosa, añoranza, amor y conmoción placentera. Tales son las emociones que es posible experimentar y las que de hecho experimentan, aun ante las bellezas invisibles, todas o poco menos que todas las almas, pero sobre todo las más enamoradizas. Pasa como con la belleza de los cuerpos: verla, todos la ven; mas no todos sienten por igual el aguijón. Hay quienes lo sienten los que más, y de ellos se dice que están enamorados.

4. Quant aux beautés plus élevées, qu’il n’est pas donné à la sensation de percevoir, à celle que l’âme voit et sur lesquelles elle prononce sans les organes des sens, il nous faut remonter plus haut et les contempler en abandonnant la sensation qui doit rester en bas. On ne peut se prononcer sur les beautés sensibles, sans les avoir vues et saisies comme belles, si l’on est, par exemple, aveugle-né ; de la même manière, on ne peut se prononcer sur la beauté des occupations, si l’on n’accueille avec amour cette beauté ainsi que celle des sciences et autres choses pareilles, si l’on ne se représente combien est belle la face de la justice et de la tempérance, si l’on ne sait que ni l’étoile du matin ni l’étoile du soir ne sont aussi belles. On les voit, quand on a une âme capable de les contempler ; et, en les voyant, on éprouve une joie, un étonnement et un effroi bien plus forts que dans le cas précédent, parce qu’on touche maintenant à des réalités. Car ce sont là les émotions qui doivent se produire à l’égard de ce qui est beau, la stupeur, l’étonnement joyeux, le désir, l’amour et l’effroi accompagnés de plaisir. Mais il est possible d’éprouver ces émotions (et l’âme les éprouve en fait) même à l’égard des choses invisibles ; toute âme, pour ainsi dire, les éprouve, mais surtout l’âme qui en est amoureuse. Il en est de même de la beauté des corps ; tous la voient, mais tous n’en sentent pas également l’aiguillon ; ceux qui le sentent le mieux sont ceux qu’on appelle les amoureux.

4. Now we shall leave the senses in their lower sphere, and we shall rise to the contemplation of the beauties of a superior order, of which the senses have no intuition, but which the soul perceives and expresses.

INTERIOR BEAUTIES COULD NOT BE APPRECIATED WITHOUT AN INTERIOR MODEL.

Just as we could not have spoken of sense-beauties if we had never seen them, nor recognized them as such, if, in respect to them, we had been similar to persons born blind, likewise we would not know enough to say anything about the beauty either of the arts or sciences, or of anything of the kind, if we were not already in possession of this kind of beauty; nor of the splendor of virtue, if we had not contemplated the (“golden) face of Justice,” and of temperance, before whose splendor the morning and evening stars grow pale.

MORAL BEAUTIES MORE DELIGHTFUL THAN SENSE-BEAUTIES.

To see these beauties, they must be contemplated by the faculty our soul has received; then, while contemplating them, we shall experience far more pleasure, astonishment and admiration, than in contemplation of the sense-beauties, because we will have the intuition of veritable beauties. The sentiments inspired by beauty are admiration, a gentle charm, desire, love, and a pleasurable impulse.

THEY WHO FEEL THESE SENTIMENTS MOST KEENLY ARE CALLED LOVERS.

Such are the sentiments for invisible beauties which should be felt, and indeed are experienced by all souls, but especially by the most loving. In the presence of beautiful bodies, all indeed see them; but not all are equally moved. Those who are most moved are designated “lovers.” (See Eneada-I-3)

4. But there are earlier and loftier beauties than these. In the sense-bound life we are no longer granted to know them, but the soul, taking no help from the organs, sees and proclaims them. To the vision of these we must mount, leaving sense to its own low place.

As it is not for those to speak of the graceful forms of the material world who have never seen them or known their grace- men born blind, let us suppose- in the same way those must be silent upon the beauty of noble conduct and of learning and all that order who have never cared for such things, nor may those tell of the splendour of virtue who have never known the face of Justice and of Moral-Wisdom beautiful beyond the beauty of Evening and of dawn.

Such vision is for those only who see with the Soul’s sight- and at the vision, they will rejoice, and awe will fall upon them and a trouble deeper than all the rest could ever stir, for now they are moving in the realm of Truth.

This is the spirit that Beauty must ever induce, wonderment and a delicious trouble, longing and love and a trembling that is all delight. For the unseen all this may be felt as for the seen; and this the Souls feel for it, every soul in some degree, but those the more deeply that are the more truly apt to this higher love- just as all take delight in the beauty of the body but all are not stung as sharply, and those only that feel the keener wound are known as Lovers.

IV. But it is now time, leaving every object of sense far behind, to contemplate, a certain ascent, a beauty of a much higher order: a beauty not visible to the corporeal eye, but alone manifest to the brighter eye of the soul, independent of all corporeal aid. However, since, without some previous perception of beauty, it is impossible to express by words the beauties of sense, but we must remain in the state of the blind; so neither can we ever speak of the beauty of offices and sciences, and whatever is allied to these, if deprived of their intimate possession. Thus we shall never be able to tell of virtue’s brightness, unless by looking inward we perceive the fair countenance of justice and temperance, and are convinced that neither the evening nor morning-star, are half so beautiful and bright. But it is requisite to perceive objects of this kind with that eye by which the soul beholds such real beauties. Besides, it is necessary that whoever perceives this species of beauty, should be seized with much greater delight, and more vehement admiration, than any corporeal beauty can excite; as now embracing beauty real and substantial. Such affections, I say, ought to be excited about true beauty ⁶ as admiration and sweet astonishment; desire, also and love, and a pleasant trepidation. For all souls, as I may say, are affected in this manner about invisible objects, but those the most who have the strongest propensity to their love; as it likewise happens about corporeal beauty; for all equally perceive beautiful corporeal forms, yet all are not equally excited, but lovers in the greatest degree.