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Translated by Frederick Crombie.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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128 Pages
Page 111
Chapter VIII.--On the Soul (Anima).
1. The order of our arrangement now requires us, after the discussion of the preceding subjects, to institute a general inquiry regarding the soul; [2180] and, beginning with points of inferior importance, to ascend to those that are of greater. Now, that there are souls [2181] in all living things, even in those which live in the waters, is, I suppose, doubted by no one. For the general opinion of all men maintains this; and confirmation from the authority of holy Scripture is added, when it is said that "God made great whales, and every living creature [2182] that moveth which the waters brought forth after their kind." [2183] It is confirmed also from the common intelligence of reason, by those who lay down in certain words a definition of soul. For soul is defined as follows: a substance phantastike and hormetike, which may be rendered into Latin, although not so appropriately, sensibilis et mobilis. [2184] This certainly may be said appropriately of all living beings, even of those which abide in the waters; and of winged creatures too, this same definition of animamay be shown to hold good. Scripture also has added its authority to a second opinion, when it says, "Ye shall not eat the blood, because the life [2185] of all flesh is its blood; and ye shall not eat the life with the flesh;" [2186] in which it intimates most clearly that the blood of every animal is its life. And if any one now were to ask how it can be said with respect to bees, wasps, and ants, and those other things which are in the waters, oysters and cockles, and all others which are without blood, and are most clearly shown to be living things, that the "life of all flesh is the blood," we must answer, that in living things of that sort the force which is exerted in other animals by the power of red blood is exerted in them by that liquid which is within them, although it be of a different colour; for colour is a thing of no importance, provided the substance be endowed with life. [2187] [2180] Anima.
[2181] Animae.
[2182] Animam animantium.
[2183] Gen. i. 21: pasan psuchen zoon, Sept.
[2184] Erasmus remarks, that phantastike may be rendered imaginitiva, which is the understanding: hormetike, impulsiva, which refers to the affections (Schnitzer).
[2185] Animam.
[2186] Lev. xvii. 14: he psuche pases sarkos aima autou esti, Sept.
[2187] Vitalis.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/principia.asp?pg=111
