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Contents - Ethics 2,
Of the Nature and Origin of the Mind

E2PREF PREFACE. I now pass on to explaining the results, which must necessarily follow...
E2D1 DEF. 1. By body I mean a mode which expresses in a certain determinate manner the essence of God, in so far...
E2D2 DEF. 2. I consider as belonging to the essence of a thing that, which being given, the thing is necessarily...
E2D3 DEF. 3. By idea, I mean the mental conception which is formed by the mind as a thinking thing.
E2D4 DEF. 4. By an adequate idea, I mean an idea which, in so far as it is considered in itself, without relatio...
E2D5 DEF. 5. Duration is the indefinite continuance of existing.
E2D6 DEF. 6. Reality and perfection I use as synonymous terms.
E2D7 DEF. 7. By particular things, I mean things which are finite and have a conditioned existence; but if sever...
E2A1 AXIOM. 1. The essence of man does not involve necessary existence, that is, it may, in the order of nature, c...
E2A2 AXIOM. 2. Man thinks.
E2A3 AXIOM. 3. Modes of thinking, such as love, desire, or any other of the passions, do not take place, unless th...
E2A4 AXIOM. 4. We perceive that a certain body is affected in many ways.
E2A5 AXIOM. 5. We feel and perceive no particular things, save bodies and modes of thought.
E2P1 PROP. 1. Thought is an attribute of God, or God is a thinking thing.
E2P2 PROP. 2. Extension is an attribute of God, or God is an extended thing.
E2P3 PROP. 3. In God there is necessarily the idea not only of his essence, but also of all things which necessar...
E2P4 PROP. 4. The idea of God, from which an infinite number of things follow in infinite ways, can only be one.
E2P5 PROP. 5. The actual being of ideas owns God as its cause, only in so far as he is considered as a thinking t...
E2P6 PROP. 6. The modes of any given attribute are caused by God, in so far as he is considered through the attri...
E2P6C PROP. 6, Cor. Hence the actual being of things, which are not modes of thought, does not follow from the divine n...
E2P7 PROP. 7. The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things.
E2P7C PROP. 7, Cor. Hence God's power of thinking is equal to his realized power of action--that is, whatsoever follows...
E2P8 PROP. 8. The ideas of particular things, or of modes, that do not exist, must be comprehended in the infinit...
E2P8C PROP. 8, Cor. Hence, so long as particular things do not exist, except in so far as they are comprehended in the...
E2P9 PROP. 9. The idea of an individual thing actually existing is caused by God, not in so far as he is infinite...
E2P9C PROP. 9, Cor. Whatsoever takes place in the individual object of any idea, the knowledge thereof is in God, in so...
E2P10 PROP. 10. The being of substance does not appertain to the essence of man--in other words, substance does not...
E2P10C PROP. 10, Cor. Hence it follows, that the essence of man is constituted by certain modifications of the attributes...
E2P11 PROP. 11. The first element, which constitutes the actual being of the human mind, is the idea of some partic...
E2P11C PROP. 11, Cor. Hence it follows, that the human mind is part of the infinite intellect of God.
E2P12 PROP. 12. Whatsoever comes to pass in the object of the idea, which constitutes the human mind, must be perce...
E2P13 PROP. 13. The object of the idea constituting the human mind is the body, in other words a certain mode of ex...
E2P13C PROP. 13, Cor. Hence it follows that man is composed of mind and body, and that the human body exists as we percei...
E2P13Aa1 P13, AXIOM. a1. All bodies are either in motion or at rest.
E2P13Aa2 P13, AXIOM. a2. Every body is moved sometimes more slowly, sometimes more quickly.
E2P13L1 P13, LEMMA. 1. Bodies are distinguished from one another in respect of motion and rest, quickness and slowness, an...
E2P13L2 P13, LEMMA. 2. All bodies agree in certain respects.
E2P13L3 P13, LEMMA 3. A body in motion or at rest must be determined to motion or rest by another body, which other body...
E2P13L3C P13, LEMMA 3, Cor. Hence it follows, that a body in motion keeps in motion, until it is determined to a state of rest...
E2P13Ab1 P13, AXIOM. b1. All modes, wherein one body is affected by another body, follow simultaneously from the nature of t...
E2P13Ab2 P13, AXIOM. b2. When a body in motion impinges on another body at rest, which it is unable to move, it recoils, in...
E2P13D P13, DEF. So far we have been speaking only of the most simple bodies, which are only distinguished one from...
E2P13Ab3 P13, AXIOM. b3. In proportion as the parts of an individual, or a compound body, are in contact over a greater or l...
E2P13L4 P13, LEMMA. 4. If from a body or individual, compounded of several bodies, certain bodies be separated, and if, at...
E2P13L5 P13, LEMMA. 5. If the parts composing an individual become greater or less, but in such proportion, that they all...
E2P13L6 P13, LEMMA. 6. If certain bodies composing an individual be compelled to change the motion, which they have in one...
E2P13L7 P13, LEMMA. 7. Furthermore, the individual thus composed preserves its nature, whether it be, as a whole, in motio...
E2POST1 POST. 1. The human body is composed of a number of individual parts, of diverse nature, each one of which is...
E2POST2 POST. 2. Of the individual parts composing the human body some are fluid, some soft, some hard.
E2POST3 POST. 3. The individual parts composing the human body, and consequently the human body itself, are affected...
E2POST4 POST. 4. The human body stands in need for its preservation of a number of other bodies, by which it is cont...
E2POST5 POST. 5. When the fluid part of the human body is determined by an external body to impinge often on another...
E2POST6 POST. 6. The human body can move external bodies, and arrange them in a variety of ways.
E2P14 PROP. 14. The human mind is capable of perceiving a great number of things, and is so in proportion as its bo...
E2P15 PROP. 15. The idea, which constitutes the actual being of the human mind, is not simple, but compounded of a...
E2P16 PROP. 16. The idea of every mode, in which the human body is affected by external bodies, must involve the na...
E2P16C1 PROP. 16, Cor. 1. Hence it follows, first, that the human mind perceives the nature of a variety of bodies, together...
E2P16C2 PROP. 16, Cor. 2. It follows, secondly, that the ideas, which we have of external bodies, indicate rather the constit...
E2P17 PROP. 17. If the human body is affected in a manner which involves the nature of any external body, the human...
E2P17C PROP. 17, Cor. The mind is able to regard as present external bodies, by which the human body has once been affect...
E2P18 PROP. 18. If the human body has once been affected by two or more bodies at the same time, when the mind afte...
E2P19 PROP. 19. The human mind has no knowledge of the body, and does not know it to exist, save through the ideas...
E2P20 PROP. 20. The idea or knowledge of the human mind is also in God, following in God in the same manner, and be...
E2P21 PROP. 21. This idea of the mind is united to the mind in the same way as the mind is united to the body.
E2P22 PROP. 22. The human mind perceives not only the modifications of the body, but also the ideas of such modific...
E2P23 PROP. 23. The mind does not know itself, except in so far as it perceives the ideas of the modifications of t...
E2P24 PROP. 24. The human mind does not involve an adequate knowledge of the parts composing the human body.
E2P25 PROP. 25. The idea of each modification of the human body does not involve an adequate knowledge of the exter...
E2P26 PROP. 26. The human mind does not perceive any external body as actually existing, except through the ideas o...
E2P26C PROP. 26, Cor. In so far as the human mind imagines an external body, it has not an adequate knowledge thereof.
E2P27 PROP. 27. The idea of each modification of the human body does not involve an adequate knowledge of the human...
E2P28 PROP. 28. The ideas of the modifications of the human body, in so far as they have reference only to the huma...
E2P29 PROP. 29. The idea of the idea of each modification of the human body does not involve an adequate knowledge...
E2P29C PROP. 29, Cor. Hence it follows that the human mind, when it perceives things after the common order of nature, ha...
E2P30 PROP. 30. We can only have a very inadequate knowledge of the duration of our body.
E2P31 PROP. 31. We can only have a very inadequate knowledge of the duration of particular things external to ourse...
E2P31C PROP. 31, Cor. Hence it follows that all particular things are contingent and perishable.
E2P32 PROP. 32. All ideas, in so far as they are referred to God, are true.
E2P33 PROP. 33. There is nothing positive in ideas, which causes them to be called false.
E2P34 PROP. 34. Every idea, which in us is absolute or adequate and perfect, is true.
E2P35 PROP. 35. Falsity consists in the privation of knowledge, which inadequate, fragmentary, or confused ideas in...
E2P36 PROP. 36. Inadequate and confused ideas follow by the same necessity, as adequate or clear and distinct ideas...
E2P37 PROP. 37. That which is common to all (cf. E2P13L2), and which is equally in a part and in the whole, do...
E2P38 PROP. 38. Those things, which are common to all, and which are equally in a part and in the whole, cannot be...
E2P38C PROP. 38, Cor. Hence it follows that there are certain ideas or notions common to all men.
E2P39 PROP. 39. That, which is common to and a property of the human body and such other bodies as are wont to affe...
E2P39C PROP. 39, Cor. Hence it follows that the mind is fitted to perceive adequately more things, in proportion as its b...
E2P40 PROP 40. Whatsoever ideas in the mind follow from ideas which are therein adequate, are also themselves adeq...
E2P41 PROP. 41. Knowledge of the first kind is the only source of falsity, knowledge of the second and third kinds...
E2P42 PROP. 42. Knowledge of the second and third kinds, not knowledge of the first kind, teaches us to distinguish...
E2P43 PROP. 43. He, who has a true idea, simultaneously knows that he has a true idea, and cannot doubt of the trut...
E2P44 PROP. 44. It is not in the nature of reason to regard things as contingent, but as necessary.
E2P44C1 PROP. 44, Cor. 1. Hence it follows, that it is only through our imagination that we consider things, whether in respe...
E2P44C2 PROP. 44, Cor. 2. It is in the nature of reason to perceive things under a certain form of eternity (sub quadam aeter...
E2P45 PROP. 45. Every idea of every body, or of every particular thing actually existing, necessarily involves the...
E2P46 PROP. 46. The knowledge of the eternal and infinite essence of God which every idea involves is adequate and...
E2P47 PROP. 47. The human mind has an adequate knowledge of the eternal and infinite essence of God.
E2P48 PROP. 48. In the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a...
E2P49 PROP. 49. There is in the mind no volition or affirmation and negation, save that which an idea, inasmuch as...
E2P49C PROP. 49, Cor. Will and understanding are one and the same.