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"I am indeed of Opinion, that the Ancients called Man 'Phos', that is 'Light', so that from the Affinity of their Natures, strong desires are bred in Mankind, of continually seeing and being seen to each other: Nay some Philosophers hold the Soul it self to be essentially LIGHT, which among other arguments they would prove, for that nothing is equally insupportable to the Mind of Man, as ignorance and obscurity."

— Plutarch (c. 46-120)

Author

Plutarch (c. 46-120)

Work Title

Whether 'Twere Rightly Said, Live Conceal'd [from Plutarch's Morals]

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

William Taylor

Date

1718 [first published 1684-1694]

Metaphor

"I am indeed of Opinion, that the Ancients called Man 'Phos', that is 'Light', so that from the Affinity of their Natures, strong desires are bred in Mankind, of continually seeing and being seen to each other: Nay some Philosophers hold the Soul it self to be essentially LIGHT, which among other arguments they would prove, for that nothing is equally insupportable to the Mind of Man, as ignorance and obscurity."

Metaphor in Context

It doth as 'twere bring the World together again, and with his returned light calls up and excites all Mankind to Thought and Action; and as Democritus tells us, Men setting themselves every new spring day, to endeavours of mutual Beneficence and Service one towards another, as if they were fastned in the straightest Tye together, do all of them some from one, some from another quarter of the World, rouse up and awake to action: For my own part, I am fully perswaded, that Life it self, and our being born at the rate we are and the Origen we share in common with all Mankind were vouchsafed us by God, to the intent we should be known to one another. 'Tis true, whilst Man, in that little part of him, his Soul, lies struggling and scattered in the vast Womb of the Universe, he is an obscure and unknown Being; but when once he gets hither into this World, and puts a Body on, he grows illustrious, and from an obscure becomes a conspicuous Being; from an hidden, an apparent one: For the way to make a right Judgment of the Essences of things is not (as some maintain) from our first sight or knowledge of them; but the Essences of things are previous, and conduct us into the knowledge and understanding thereof. For the Birth or Generation of Individuals, gives not any being to them which they had not before, but brings that individual into view; as also the corruption or death of any Creature, is not its annihilation or reduction into mere nothing, but rather a sending the dissolved Being into an invisible state: Hence is it that many Persons (conformably to their ancient Country Laws) taking the Sun to be Apollo, gave him the Names of DELIUS and PYTHIUS (that is, Conspicuous and Known.) But for him, be he either God or Daemon, who hath Dominion over the opposite Portion, the Infernal Regions, they call him Hades, that is invisible, Emperor of gloomy Night and lazy Sleep: For that at our Death and Dissolution, we pass into a state of Invisibility, and beyond the reach of mortal Eyes, I am indeed of Opinion, that the Ancients called Man Phos, that is Light, so that from the Affinity of their Natures, strong desires are bred in Mankind, of continually seeing and being seen to each other: Nay some Philosophers hold the Soul it self to be essentially LIGHT, which among other arguments they would prove, for that nothing is equally insupportable to the Mind of Man, as ignorance and obscurity. Whatever is destitute of Light she avoids, and darkness the harbour of Fears and Suspicions is uneasie to her; Whereas on the other hand, light is so delicious, so desirable a thing, that without that, and wrapt in darkness, none of the Delectables in Nature are pleasing to her: This makes all our very Pleasures, all out Divisions and Enjoyments charming and grateful to us; like some universary relishing of ingredients, mixt with the others to make them palatable: [...]
(pp. 39-41)