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第4章

the ethics(part v)-第4章

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comparison of our own power with the power of an external cause。 Now the



power of the mind is defined by knowledge only; and its infirmity or passion



is defined by the privation of knowledge only: it therefore follows; that



that mind is most passive; whose greatest part is made up of inadequate



ideas; so that it may be characterized more readily by its passive states



than by its activities: on the other hand; that mind is most active; whose



greatest part is made up of adequate ideas; so that; although it may contain



as many inadequate ideas as the former mind; it may yet be more easily



characterized by ideas attributable to human virtue; than by ideas which



tell of human infirmity。 Again; it must be observed; that spiritual



unhealthiness; and misfortunes can generally be traced to excessive love for



something which is subject to many variations; and which we can never become



masters of。 For no one is solicitous or anxious about anything; unless he



loves it; neither do wrongs; suspicions; enmities; &c。 arise; except in



regard to things whereof no one can be really master。



 



We may thus readily conceive the power which clear and distinct knowledge;



and especially that third kind of knowledge (II:xlvii。Note); founded on the



actual knowledge of God; possesses over the emotions: if it does not



absolutely destroy them; in so far as they are passions (V:iii。 and



V:iv。Note); at any rate; it causes them to occupy a very small part of the



mind (V:xiv。)。 Further; it begets a love towards a thing immutable and



eternal (V:xv。); whereof we may really enter into possession (II:xlv。);



neither can it be defiled with those faults which are inherent in ordinary



love; but it may grow from strength to strength; and may engross the greater



part of the mind; and deeply penetrate it。 And now I have finished with all



that concerns this present life: for; as I said in the beginning of this



note; I have briefly described all the remedies against the emotions。 And



this everyone may readily have seen for himself; if he has attended to



what is advanced in the present note; and also to the definitions of the



mind and its emotions; and; lastly; to Propositions III:i。 and III:iii。 It



is now; therefore; time to pass on to those matters; which appertain to the



duration of the mind; without relation to the body。











Prop。 XXI。 The mind can only imagine anything;



or remember what is past; while the body endures。







Proof。… The mind does not express the actual existence of its body; nor does



it imagine the modifications of the body as actual; except while the body



endures (II:viii。Coroll。); and; consequently (II:xxvi。); it does not imagine



any body as actually existing; except while its own body endures。 Thus it



cannot imagine anything (for definition of Imagination; see II:xvii。Note);



or remember things past; except while the body endures (see definition of



Memory; II:xviii。Note)。 Q。E。D。











Prop。 XXII。 Nevertheless in God there is necessarily an idea;



which expresses the essence of this or that human body under



the form of eternity。







Proof。… God is the cause; not only of the existence of this or that human



body; but also of its essence (I:xxv。)。 This essence; therefore; must



necessarily be conceived through the very essence of God (I:Ax。iv。); and be



thus conceived by a certain eternal necessity (I:xvi。); and this conception。



must necessarily exist in God (II:iii。)。 Q。E。D。











Prop。 XXIII。 The human mind cannot be absolutely



destroyed with the body; but there remains of it



something which is eternal。







Proof。… There is necessarily in God a concept or idea; which expresses the



essence of the human body (last Prop。); which; therefore; is necessarily



something appertaining to the essence of the human mind (II:xiii。)。 But we



have not assigned to the human mind any; duration; definable by time; except



in so far as it expresses the actual existence of the body; which is



explained through duration; and may be defined by time … that is



(II:viii。Coroll。); we do not assign to it duration; except while the body



endures。 Yet; as there is something; notwithstanding; which is conceived by



a certain eternal necessity through the very essence of God (last Prop。);



this something; which appertains to the essence of the mind; will



necessarily be eternal。 Q。E。D。







Note。… This idea; which expresses the essence of the body under the form of



eternity; is; as we have said; a certain mode of thinking; which belongs to



the essence of the mind; and is necessarily eternal。 Yet it is not possible



that we should remember that we existed before our body; for our body can



bear no trace of such existence; neither can eternity be defined in terms of



time; or have any relation to time。 But; notwithstanding; we feel and know



that we are eternal。 For the mind feels those things that it conceives by



understanding; no less than those things that it remembers。 For the eyes of



the mind; whereby it sees and observes things; are none other than proofs。



Thus; although we do not remember that we existed before the body; yet we



feel that our mind; in so far as it involves the essence of the body; under



the form of eternity; is eternal; and that thus its existence cannot be



defined in terms of time; or explained through duration。 Thus our mind can



only be said to endure; and its existence can only be defined by a fixed



time; in so far as it involves the actual existence of the body。 Thus far



only has it the power of determining the existence of things by time; and



conceiving them under the category of duration。











Prop。 XXIV。 The more we understand particular



things; the more do we understand God。







Proof。… This is evident from I:xxv。Coroll。











Prop。 XXV。 The highest endeavour of the mind;



and the highest virtue is to understand things



by the third kind of knowledge。







Proof。… The third kind of knowledge proceeds from an adequate idea of



certain attributes of God to an adequate knowledge of the essence of things



(see its definition III:xl。Note。ii。); and; in proportion as we understand



things more in this way; we better understand God (by the last Prop。);



therefore (IV:xxviii。) the highest virtue of the mind; that is IV:Def。viii。)



the power; or nature; or (III:vii。) highest endeavour of the mind; is to



understand things by the third kind of knowledge。 Q。E。D。











Prop。 XXVI。 In proportion as the mind is



more capable of understanding things by



the third kind of knowledge; it desires



more to understand things by that kind。







Proof。… This is evident。 For; in so far as we conceive the mind to be



capable of conceiving things by this kind of knowledge; we; to that extent;



conceive it as determined thus to conceive things; and consequently (Def。 of



the Emotions:i。); the mind desires so to do; in proportion as it is more



capable thereof。 Q。E。D。











Prop。 XXVII。 From this third kind of



knowledge arises the highest possible



mental acquiescence。







Proof。… The highest virtue of the mind is to know God (IV:xxviii。); or to



understand things by the third kind of knowledge (V:xxv。); and this virtue



is greater in proportion as the mind knows things more by the said kind of



knowledge (V:xxiv。): consequently; he who knows things by this kind of



knowledge passes to the summit of human perfection; and is therefore



(Def。 of the Emotions:ii。) affected by the highest pleasure; such pleasure



being accompanied by the idea of himself and his own virtue; thus (Def。 of



the Emotions:xxv。); from this kind of knowledge arises the highest possible



acquiescence。 Q。E。D。











Prop。 XXVIII。 The endeavour or desire to



know things by the third kind of knowledge



cannot arise from the first; but from the



second kind of knowledge。







Proof。… This proposition is self…evident。 For whatsoever we understand



clearly and distinct we understand either through itself; or through that



which is conceived through itself; that is; ideas which are clear and



distinct in us; or which are referred to the third kind of knowledge



(II:xl。Note。ii。) cannot follow from ideas that are fragmentary; and



confused; and are referred to knowledge of the first kind; but must follow



from adequate ideas; or ideas of the second and third kind of knowledge;



therefore (Def。 of the Emotions:i。); the desire of knowing things by the



third kind of knowledge cannot arise from the first; but from the second



kind。 Q。E。D。











Prop。 XXIX。 Whatsoever the mind understands



under the form of eternity; it does not



understand by virtue of conceiving the



present actual existence of the body;



but by virtue of conceiving the essence of



the body under the form of eternity。







Proof。… In so far as the mind conceives the present existence of its body;



it to that extent conceives duration which can be determined by time; and to



that extent only; has it the power of conceiving things in relation to time



(V:xxi。; II:xxvi。)。 But eternity cannot be explained in terms of duration



(I:Def。viii。 and explanation)。 Therefore to this extent the mind has not the



power of conceiving things under the form of eternity; but it possesses such



power; because it is of the nature of reason to conceive things under the



form of eternity (II:xliv。Coroll。ii。); and also because it is of the nature



of the mind to conceive the essence of the body under the form of eternity



(V:xxiii。); for besides these two there is nothing which belongs to the



essence of mind (II:xiii。)。 Therefore this power of conceiving things under



the form of eternity only belongs to the mind in virtue of the mind's



conceiving the essence of the body under the form of eternity。 Q。E。D。







Note。… Things are conceived by us as actual in two ways; either as existing



in relation to a given time and place; or as contained in God and following



from the necessity of the divine nature。 Whatsoever we conceive in this



second way as true or real; we conceive under the form of eternity; and



their ideas involve the eternal and infinite essence of God; as we showed



in II:xlv。&Note; which see。











Prop。 XXX。 Our mind; in so far as it knows itself and the body



under the form of eternity; has to that extent necessarily a



knowledge of God; and knows that it is in God; and is conceived



through God。







Proof。… Eternity is the very essence of God; in so far as this involves



necessary existence (I:Def。viii。)。 Therefore to conceive things under the



form of eternity; is to conceive things in so far as they are conceived



through thp essence of God as real entities; or in so far as they involve

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