 rather if it were possible to assume that the body that is shaded is the same as the one who knows by the occurrence of the shadow and is satisfied it would not be equal to the first for the first is the knower and the agent and his knowledge is the principle of his action. for his knowledge of himself in his being the principle of the whole is the cause of the overflow of the whole for the existing order is subordinate to the intelligible order in the sense that it is situated in it so his being an agent is not in addition to his being knowledgeable of the whole for his knowledge of the whole is the cause of the overflow of the whole from him and his being knowledgeable of the whole does not exceed his knowledge of his self for he does not know his self unless he knows that he is the principle of the whole so that what is known by the first intention is his self and the whole is known to him by the second intention. this is the meaning of his being an agent.
بل لو أمكن أن يفرض كون الجسم المظل بعينه هو العالم بعينه بوقوع الظل وهو الراضي، لم يكن أيضا مساويا للأول فإن الأول هو العالم وهو الفاعل وعلمه هو مبدأ فعله، فإن علمه بنفسه في كونه مبدأ للكل علة فيضان الكل، فإن النظام الموجود تبع للنظام المعقول بمعنى أنه واقع به، فكونه فاعلا غير زائد على كونه عالما بالكل إذ علمه بالكل علة فيضان الكل عنه، وكونه عالما بالكل لا يزيد على علمه بذاته فإنه لا يعلم ذاته ما لم يعلم أنه مبدأ للكل، فيكون المعلوم بالقصد الأول ذاته ويكون الكل معلوما عنده بالقصد الثاني، فهذا معنى كونه فاعلا.