Dialogue Text

Timaios (Continued) However, if some larger movements remain, depending on where they are located, images similar to those that arose within will appear, along with their respective forms and numbers. These will manifest before the awakened ones from outside, becoming remembered images.

Timaios (Continued) It is not difficult to understand how a mirror creates an image, or about all things that appear smooth. Because the fire within and the fire without interact with each other, and become one around a smooth surface, such phenomena inevitably occur. In other words, the fire surrounding the face merges with the fire surrounding vision, becoming one at the point of the smooth, shining surface.

Timaios (Continued) The reason why what appears on the right side manifests as being on the left is because the part of vision that corresponds to the opposite side touches the opposite side of the object, which is different from the normal way light works. Conversely, there are also cases where the right side appears on the right and the left side appears on the left. This happens when the visual perception changes direction, and if a mirror has protrusions on both sides of its surface that reflect light, it pushes the right side of vision to the left and shifts one to the other. When the orientation is changed along the length of the face, the same image appears upside down because the lower part of the light is pushed upwards and the upper part downwards.

Timaios (Continued) These are all things that God uses as auxiliary causes in order to bring about the best possible state. However, many people consider them not as auxiliary causes, but as the primary causes of everything. This is because they cool or warm, solidify or liquefy, and produce other such effects. But none of them possess any reason or intelligence. Of all that exists, only what possesses intelligence should be called a soul. The soul is invisible, while fire, water, earth, and air are all visible as physical bodies.

Timaios (Continued) Those who love intelligence and knowledge must first investigate the natural causes that possess intelligence. Next, they must investigate the causes that arise from things that are moved by something else, while necessarily moving yet other things in turn. We too should speak according to this distinction. There are two kinds of causes: those that create beautiful and good things with intelligence, and those that lack wisdom and produce disorder at each instance. These must be described separately.