the ethics(part ii)-第3章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
so far as he is a thing thinking absolutely; only in so far as
he is considered as affected by another mode of thinking; and he
is the cause of this latter; as being affected by a third; and
so on to infinity。 Now; the order and connection of ideas is
(by Prop。 vii。 of this book) the same as the order and connection
of causes。 Therefore of a given individual idea another
individual idea; or God; in so far as he is considered as
modified by that idea; is the cause; and of this second idea God
is the cause; in so far as he is affected by another idea; and
so on to infinity。 Q。E。D。
ProofWhatsoever takes place in the object of any idea; its
idea is in God (by Prop。 iii。 of this part); not in so far as he
is infinite; but in so far as he is considered as affected by
another idea of an individual thing (by the last Prop。); but (by
Prop。 vii。 of this part) the order and connection of ideas is
the same as the order and connection of things。 The knowledge;
therefore; of that which takes place in any individual object
will be in God; in so far only as he has the idea of that
object。 Q。E。D。
X。 The being of substance does not appertain to the essence of
manin other words; substance does not constitute the actual
being (forma) of man。
》》》》》ProofThe being of substance involves necessary existence
(Part i。; Prop。 vii。)。 If; therefore; the being of substance
appertains to the essence of man; substance being granted; man
would necessarily be granted also (II。 Def。 ii。); and;
consequently; man would necessarily exist; which is absurd (II。
Ax。 i。)。 Therefore &c。 Q。E。D。
*****NoteThis proposition may also be proved from I。v。; in
which it is shown that there cannot be two substances of the
same nature; for as there may be many men; the being of
substance is not that which constitutes the actual being of man。
Again; the proposition is evident from the other properties of
substancenamely; that substance is in its nature infinite;
immutable; indivisible; &c。; as anyone may see for himself。