Life belongs to the soul in act, not to the body in potency
Whatever comes to be comes from the soul. A body that exists only in potency cannot house life by itself. Elsewhere one may possess a power and leave it idle — sight unused — yet the soul admits no such idle possession. Even in sleep psychic work continues: nourishment, growth, imagination, breath, the marks of life. So life is never a mere potency waiting to be switched on; it is always already in act. The soul's form-giving is the soul itself. Life is native to the soul and reaches the body only by share. To treat bodily health as if it were the soul's life is a sophistic slide from body to soul.
Greek
ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὶ γώεσϑαι. εἰ δὲ καὶ σῶμα δυνάμει ἐστὶ, πῶς πὸ δυνάμει σῶμα δυνάμει ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ δύναται ἄλλως τὲ, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων δυνατὸν, ἔχοντά τι, μὴ χρίσϑαι αὐτῷ" οἷον, ὄψιν ἔχοντα, μὴ Χρῆσϑαι αὐτῇ" ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀδύνατον. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ καθεύδων ἄνευ ψυχικῆς ἐνεργείας ἐστί. καὶ γὰρ τρέφεται καὶ αὔξεται καὶ φαντασιοῦται καὶ ἀναπνεῖ, ὅπερ μάλιστα τῆς ζωῦς ἐστι πεκαύριον. ἐκ τούτων οὖν Φανερὲν, ἕτι δυνάμει τὸ ζῆν οὐ φὲ δύναται προςεῖναί τινι, ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐνεργείᾳ. προηγουμέμένως γὰρ τὸ εἰδεποιεῦν τὴν ψυχὴν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐστὶν, αλλ᾽ ἃ ἡ ἐμή. τῇ μὲν γὲρ ψυχῇ σὐμφυτός ἐστῶ ἡ ζωή" τῷ δὲ σώματι κατα μέϑεξω. ὁ λέγων τείνυνι τὴν ὑγείαν ἀνά-.
About this text
Nemesius of Emesa, On Human Nature — tip densify (soul arguments) from Wither 1636 Greek OCR.
English densified from locked Wither 1636 OCR Greek for tip sections 1.1–3.1; apparatus stripped; OCR damage disclosed.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.