Ethics. Part 1 Flashcards
extended substance - physical space substance - reality, existence, essence or basic significance perfect - complete ideal - object objectively - subjectively formally - objectively good - joy pleasure - joy evil - sadness pain - sadness -- cause - cause or explanation causes - explains caused - explained self-caused - self-explained finite - finite or limited by substance - reality or existence substances - realities or existences attribute
Ethics
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DEFINITION 1
By that which is self-caused or self-explained I mean that of which the essence involves existence, or that of which the nature is only conceivable as existent.
Ethics
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DEFINITION 2
A thing is called finite or limited by its nature when it can be limited by another thing of the same nature; for instance, a body is called finite or limited because we always conceive another greater body. So, also, a thought is finite or limited by another thought, but a body is not limited by thought, nor a thought limited by body.
Ethics
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DEFINITION 3
By reality or existence I mean that which is in itself, and is conceived through itself; in other words, that of which a conception can be formed independently of any other conception.
Ethics
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DEFINITION 4
By attribute or featural aspect I mean that which the intellect perceives as constituting the essence of reality or existence.
Ethics
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DEFINITION 5
By ‘mode’ I mean the modifications, manifestations, or arrangements of being of reality or existence, or that which exists in, and is conceived through, something other than itself.
Ethics
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DEFINITION 6
By God, I mean a being absolutely infinite–that is, a substance consisting in infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality.
Ethics
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EXPLANATION
DEFINITION 6
By Nature I mean a being absolutely infinite or limitless—that is, a reality consisting in infinite attributes or featural aspects, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality
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DEFINITION 7
That thing is called ‘free,’ which exists solely by the necessity of its own nature, and of which the action is determined by itself alone. On the other hand, that thing is necessary, or rather constrained, compelled or forced toward a certain course of action, which is determined by something external to itself to a fixed and definite method of existence or action.
Ethics
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DEFINITION 8
By ‘eternity’ I mean existence itself, in so far as it is conceived necessarily to follow solely from the definition of that which is eternal.
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AXIOM 1
Everything which exists, exists either in itself or in something else.
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AXIOM 3
From a given definite cause an effect necessarily follows; and, on the other hand, if no definite cause be granted, it is impossible that an effect can follow.
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AXIOM 4
The knowledge of an effect depends on and involves the knowledge of a cause (or explanation.)
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AXIOM 2
That which cannot be conceived through anything else must be conceived through itself.
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AXIOM 5
Things which have nothing in common cannot be understood, the one by means of the other; the conception of one does not involve the conception of the other.
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AXIOM 7
If a thing can be conceived as non-existing, its essence does not involve existence.
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AXIOM 6
A true idea must correspond with its ideate or object.
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PROPOSITION 1
Prop. I. Reality is by nature prior to its modifications.
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PROPOSITION 2
Prop. II. Two substances, whose attributes are different, have nothing in common.
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PROPOSITION 3
Prop. III. Things which have nothing in common cannot be one the cause or explanation of the other.
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PROPOSITION 4
Prop. IV. Two or more distinct things are distinguished one from the other, either by the difference of the attributes or featural aspects of the realities or existences, or by the difference of their modifications, manifestations, or arrangements of being.
