The Rationalists: Spinoza
Human Beings
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
1
Outline
1. Reminder and Introduction
2. Thought and Extension
3. Mind and Body in Human beings
4. Knowledge
5. Conclusion: Freedom and Well-Being within the Realm
of Necessity
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
2
Reminder:
Spinoza’s Metaphysics
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Montana
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Introduction
The problem of the fundamental constituents of reality:
Bodies and Ideas
MONISM
One kind of stuff
DUALISM
Two kinds of stuff
Materialism (Hobbes)
Mind-Body dualism (Descartes)
Idealism (Berkeley)
Problem: how to reduce?
Problem: how do they interact?
Example: I raise my arm / seeing an eagle fly
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Reminder and Introduction
2. Thought and Extension
3. Mind and Body in Human beings
4. Knowledge
5. Conclusion: Freedom and Well-Being within the Realm
of Necessity
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
5
Thought and Extension:
Attributes of the Substance
Two faces of the same coin:
- Attributes: ways of comprehending the unique substance
- Ex: the circle
Consequence
There is an idea for everything in God – everything has a
“soul”
The thought – extension problem (dis)solved:
The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order
and connection of things
Note on “Parallelism”
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Reminder and Introduction
2. Thought and Extension
3. Mind and Body in Human beings
4. Knowledge
5. Conclusion: Freedom and Well-Being within the Realm
of Necessity
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
7
Humans, their Soul and Body
Mode, Modes of the Attributes
Humans:
Not substances, hence must be modes of the substance
Body and Soul: the two faces of the same coin
PERSON (Mode)
Conceived as:
Extension:
BODY
Thought:
SOUL
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Montana
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Humans, their Soul and Body
Inertia and Conatus
Essential characteristics of every being:
The strive to persevere in its being
Conceived as:
Extension:
INERTIA
Thought:
CONATUS
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Montana
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Humans, their Soul and Body
Individuality
Problem:
How do we conceive ourselves as ONE?
What is an individual?
Spinoza’s basic physics:
- Simple bodies: not atoms – ideas in God
- Composed bodies
Individuals:
- Bodies: distinguished through the difference in movement
- Individual: Group of bodies with coordinated movement
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Montana
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Human Beings
Faculties
Our lives = Affections:
- Affections: both in our body and our mind
- Body and Soul work in parallel causal orders
- Passions vs. Actions – decrease or increase our power
No Free will
Just like any other mode: necessary consequence of God’s
nature
Imagination:
- Faculty of representation
- Source of error
- Positive power: to transform passions into actions
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Montana
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Outline
1. Reminder and Introduction
2. Thought and Extension
3. Mind and Body in Human beings
4. Knowledge
5. Conclusion: Freedom and Well-Being within the Realm
of Necessity
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
12
Knowledge (1)
First kind – Imagination or opinion
- Method: sense-perception, words, induction
- Object: general properties
- Result: Confuse and inadequate
- Example: ourselves as limited in space and time
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Montana
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Knowledge (2)
Second Kind – Reason
- Method: common notions, logical inferences
- Object: common properties of things (sciences)
- Result: knowledge of necessary truths, adequate ideas
Adequate idea: Object understood
(1) in its true necessity;
(2)“sub specie aeternitatis”
Example: ourselves as necessary modes
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Montana
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Knowledge (3)
Third Kind -- Intuition
- Method: immediate knowledge
- Object: essence of particulars
- Result: understanding of the necessity of everything, of the
infinite
Prospects:
-If attainable, then mystical experience
-If attained, then highest blessedness
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
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Outline
1. Reminder and Introduction
2. Thought and Extension
3. Mind and Body in Human beings
4. Knowledge
5. Conclusion: Freedom and Well-Being within the Realm
of Necessity
Soazig Le Bihan - University of
Montana
16
Conclusion
Practical advantages
1. Love against Hate
Affection
Joy
Increase in power
Sadness
Decrease in power
Reaction
toward cause
Love
Hate
2. Understanding and the tranquility of the mind -- Actions
3. Servitude = arrogance and despotism
4. Intellectual love of God = us as adequate causes and true
blessedness
5. Free Republic
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Montana
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