'For the person or persons that hold dominion, can no more combine with the keeping up of majesty the running with harlots drunk or naked about the streets, or the performances of a stage player, or the open violation or contempt of laws passed by themselves than they can combine existence with non-existence'.

- Benedict de Spinoza. Political Treatise. 1677.




Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Spinoza: reflection and argument


substance or reality – independent of description is unknown

there are any number of ways reality can be conceived – can be described – an infinity of ways –

for Spinoza there are two fundamental descriptions – physical – extension –
or ideational – mind

we can order our ‘experience’ – in physical terms – or in terms of ideas

question: is not physics an idea?

can we talk of extension as separate from the mind?

well for Spinoza – yes – for an idea must have an object – and the object of an idea is a body

I take the view that the ‘body’ – is just an ideational description

and that the ‘mind’ is too

that the fundamental is – unknown

that the object of knowledge is the unknown

which is to say that the reality that we experience – is the reality – we describe – in whatever way

this is not to say that we start with nothing

the world that we come into is described

we are in the world and of it –

descriptions – in description

what is given – is given – but without description – is unknown

now as to extension and mind

these are possible descriptions

how do we describe ourselves?

Spinoza says – in terms of body and mind

and what are we – without these descriptions – without description?

unknowns


© greg t. charlton. 2013.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Spinoza: The Strength of the Emotions: Definitions


good


that which we certainly know to be  useful to us

we have no certain knowledge –

all knowledge is  open to question – open to doubt –

uncertain

‘good’ – is an unknown –

we expect will resolve our doubts

however any such result –

will be open to question –

open to doubt –

uncertain


bad


that which we certainly know will prevent us partaking any good

we have no certain knowledge –

‘bad’ is an unknown

regarding that which will prevent us from resolving our doubts –

we  will have an expectation

whatever the result –

it will be open to question –

open to doubt –

uncertain


contingent


individual things as contingent

in so far as we  regard their essence alone –

we find no necessity

what exists is a function of description –

to be is to be described

any description –

is open to question –

open to doubt –

uncertain


possible


individual things –

as to the causes by which they must be produced –

we know not whether they are determined to produce them

yes – we don’t know what is possible

any statement of what is possible –

is speculation

what is contingent –

is a statement of what is

what is possible –

is a statement of what could be

any statement is open to question –

open to doubt –

is uncertain


contrary emotions


those which draw a man in different directions

this is uncertainty

short of pretence and delusion –

we are always –

in a state of uncertainty


emotion towards a thing future past or present


from PROP. XVIII Proof –

that is the disposition of the body or emotion is the same whether the image of the thing be present past or future

perhaps there is what Wittgenstein called a ‘family resemblance’ –

but the same? – that is a stretch –

is anyone going to seriously suggest –

 that the disposition of the body –

remains the same through time?

the real point is –

what meaning we give to an image –

regardless of time and place –

will be open to question –

open to doubt –

uncertain


end


by end with which we do anything I understand a desire

yes


virtue and power


the same thing

virtue in so far as it has reference to man is his essence or nature –

in so far as he has the power of effecting something which can only be understood by the laws of his nature

in the words of Paul Feyerabend –

‘anything goes’


© greg t. charlton. 2013.

Spinoza: Origin and Nature of Emotions: Definitions


adequate / inadequate cause


adequate: whose effect can be clearly and distinctly be perceived through it

inadequate: whose effect cannot be perceived through it

‘perception’ for Spinoza – is what is given to the mind –

as distinct from the action of the mind

that which is given to the mind – independent of interpretation – is undefined –

is unknown

any interpretation is open to question – open to doubt – is uncertain –

whether ‘clear and distinct’ – or not

an inadequate cause –

as that which is not given

that is to say – unknown

any so called cause of an effect –

is an hypothesis


active / passive


active:

when something takes place within us or outside of us –

whose adequate cause we are –

when from our nature follows in us or outside us which can be clearly and distinctly understood through that alone

any such ‘understanding’ –

is open to question – open to doubt –

is uncertain


passive:

we suffer or are passive –

when something takes place in us or follows from our nature of which we are the partial cause

any ‘cause’ – partial or not –

is an hypothesis –

open to question open to doubt –

uncertain

suffering then is the interpretation

that we are the partial cause

this is hardly an adequate account of suffering

the reality is –

we can and will suffer –

however we interpret the world


emotion


modifications of the body by which the power or action in the body is increased or diminished

and at the same time the ideas of these modifications

if we can be the adequate cause of these modifications –

then the emotion is action –

otherwise a passion

we can make this interpretation – active / passive – action / emotion (effect)

Spinoza here puts this as an interpretative model –

and it may indeed be a useful model –

yes – we may imagine we are the ‘adequate cause’ of our actions –

or that we are not

whatever the case –

we are always in the realm of interpretation –

my own view is –

an action is a reaching out to the word in whatever way

an emotion is a sense of oneself in relation to the world

there is no action without emotion

a passionate response to the world –

is an intense engagement of the self with the world –

passion is active


© greg t. charlton. 2013.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Spinoza: Nature and Origin of the Mind: Definitions



body


the conception of extension


essence


that without which a thing can neither exist or be conceived –

a conception

a thing exists –

in terms of its conception –

in terms of a description


idea


a conception


adequate idea


the idea of idea


duration


the conception of continuation


reality and perfection


the unknown

all knowledge is imperfect –

and therefore perfection is –

the absence of knowledge


individual thing


finite and determinate existence

a thing exists –

in terms of its description


© greg t. charlton. 2013.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Spinoza: Concerning God: Definitions




cause of itself


‘that which cannot be conceived without existing’

is that for which no account can be given


finite in its kind


conceived as a ‘kind of thing’

and as such – limited by  its kind


substance


as that which is conceived through itself

‘conceived through itself’?

a conception – conceiving – conception –

a pure conception –

it is the logical place

for conception


attribute


that which the intellect perceives as constituting the essence of a substance

attribute –

a perception of essence –

‘perceives’ for Spinoza –

is passive –

i.e. – what is ‘given’ –

however what is perceived –

without being conceived

is unknown

that is to say the unknown –

is given description –

i.e. as ‘extension’ or ‘mind’ – or whatever


mode


modifications – effects of a substance – of conception –

through which it may be further conceived


(mode and attribute – the difference?

both are conceptions of substance –

conceptions of conception

the attribute is a more general conception)                                              


God


God = substance –

or the fact – the logical fact –

of conception


(substance – is the logical place for conception

attribute – a conception –

mode – a modification – of a conception

‘God’ – substance)


free


the necessity of its own nature?

that which exists independent of conception –

of account – of explanation –

that which is unknown


eternity


existence itself

that for which no conception

can be given –

or is required


© greg t. charlton. 2013.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Spinoza & mind - a quick thought


the mind as one conception of a thing –

the body as another

goes to –

the mind as one description of a thing –

the body as another

the thing independent of description is?

unknown

as to the mind –

any account –

a description of – itself?

that would be –

a description – of a description

so what is the ‘object’ here?

a description

and the subject is –

a description

description of description

the body –

another description –

of that which –

independent of description –

is unknown

so basically we begin with description –

description of the unknown

and what we operate with – is description –

what we create –

is description

what we describe –

is description

‘knowing’ then –

is describing

the ‘mind’ – a noun –

for the verb


© greg t. charlton. 2013.