Le retour de l’âme à son lieu d’origine après la mort et sa descente ici-bas selon Numénius

Abstract

In only one context does Numenius tackle the return of soul to its divine origin: the description of the migration of souls after death. His thought is transmitted to us through Porphyry’s and Proclus’(s) testimonies (De antro nympharum, §10, §§ 21-23 and In Remp. II p. 129. 4-130. 2 Kroll). The analysis of these texts shows that even though Numenius seems to conceive incarnation as bad for Soul, he also views its descent here below as the effect of an attraction for the intellect that governs the world and penetrates it. In this case, the soul concerned is not irrational soul or the irrational part of soul. It is the intellect that comes into this world to fill it up in its turn with its rational and divine presence. Soul then would not find again its spiritual source and its fellow from a superior order only when it leaves this world; Soul would find it again also when it descends into it. Hence its pleasure to become incarnate, a rational pleasure this time. In this specific context, such a view may have led Numenius to read both passages from Heraclites (22 B 77a et b DK = 102 Pradeau) that oppose the life of soul and our own in a different manner from what we usually do.

Keywords

• Numenius
• Porphyry
• Heraclites
• Soul’s ascent and descent
• intellect