result. For the controller of heaven and earth
and the circle of the world is either the wise and
good soul, or the foolish and vicious soul, working
in them. ‘What do you mean?’ If we
say that the whole course and motion of heaven and
earth is in accordance with the workings and reasonings
of mind, clearly the best soul must have the care
of the heaven, and guide it along that better way.
‘True.’ But if the heavens move wildly
and disorderly, then they must be under the guidance
of the evil soul. ’True again.’
What is the nature of the movement of the soul?
We must not suppose that we can see and know the soul
with our bodily eyes, any more than we can fix them
on the midday sun; it will be safer to look at an
image only. ‘How do you mean?’ Let
us find among the ten kinds of motion an image of
the motion of the mind. You remember, as we said,
that all things are divided into two classes; and
some of them were moved and some at rest. ‘Yes.’
And of those which were moved, some were moved in the
same place, others in more places than one. ‘Just
so.’ The motion which was in one place
was circular, like the motion of a spherical body;
and such a motion in the same place, and in the same
relations, is an excellent image of the motion of
mind. ‘Very true.’ The motion
of the other sort, which has no fixed place or manner
or relation or order or proportion, is akin to folly
and nonsense. ‘Very true.’ After
what has been said, it is clear that, since the soul
carries round all things, some soul which is either
very good or the opposite carries round the circumference
of heaven. But that soul can be no other than
the best. Again, the soul carries round the sun,
moon, and stars, and if the sun has a soul, then either
the soul of the sun is within and moves the sun as
the human soul moves the body; or, secondly, the sun
is contained in some external air or fire, which the
soul provides and through which she operates; or, thirdly,
the course of the sun is guided by the soul acting
in a wonderful manner without a body. ‘Yes,
in one of those ways the soul must guide all things.’
And this soul of the sun, which is better than the
sun, whether driving him in a chariot or employing
any other agency, is by every man called a God?
’Yes, by every man who has any sense.’
And of the seasons, stars, moon, and year, in like
manner, it may be affirmed that the soul or souls from
which they derive their excellence are divine; and
without insisting on the manner of their working,
no one can deny that all things are full of Gods.
‘No one.’ And now let us offer an
alternative to him who denies that there are Gods.
Either he must show that the soul is not the origin
of all things, or he must live for the future in the
belief that there are Gods.


