the ethics(part ii)-第4章

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the　knowledge　　thereof　is　necessarily　in　God　（II。　ix。　Cor。）；　in



so　far　as　he　is　considered　as　affected　by　　the　idea　of　the　said



object；　that　is　（II。　xi。）；　in　so　far　as　he　constitutes　the　mind



of　anything。　　　Therefore；　whatsoever　takes　place　in　the　object



constituting　the　idea　of　the　human　mind；　　the　knowledge　thereof



is　necessarily　in　God；　in　so　far　as　he　constitutes　the　essence　of



the　　human　mind；　that　is　（by　II。　xi。　Cor。）　the　knowledge　of　the



said　thing　will　necessarily　be　　in　the　mind；　in　other　words　the



mind　perceives　it。







*****NoteThis　proposition　is　also　evident；　and　is　more　clearly



to　be　understood　from　　II。　vii。；　which　see。







XIII。　　The　object　of　the　idea　constituting　the　human　mind　is　the



body；　in　other　words　a　　certain　mode　of　extension　which　actually



exists；　and　nothing　else。







》》》》》ProofIf　indeed　the　body　were　not　the　object　of　the　human



mind；　the　ideas　of　the　　modifications　of　the　body　would　not　be　in



God　（II。　ix。　Cor。）　in　virtue　of　his　constituting　　our　mind；　but



in　virtue　of　his　constituting　the　mind　of　something　else；　that　is



（II。　xi。　Cor。）　　the　ideas　of　the　modifications　of　the　body　would



not　be　in　our　mind：　　now　（by　II。　Ax。　iv。）　　we　do　possess　the　idea



of　the　modifications　of　the　body。　　Therefore　the　object　of　the　



idea　constituting　the　human　mind　is　the　body；　and　the　body　as　it



actually　exists　（II。　xi。）。　　　Further；　if　there　were　any　other



object　of　the　idea　constituting　the　mind　besides　body；　　then；　as



nothing　can　exist　from　which　some　effect　does　not　follow　（I。



xxxvi。）　there　would　　necessarily　have　to　be　in　our　mind　an　idea；



which　would　be　the　effect　of　that　other　object　　（II。　xi。）；　but



（I。　Ax。　v。）　there　is　no　such　idea。　　Wherefore　the　object　of　our



mind　is　the　body　　as　it　exists；　and　nothing　else。　　Q。E。D。







*****NoteWe　thus　comprehend；　not　only　that　the　human　mind　is



united　to　the　body；　　but　also　the　nature　of　the　union　between



mind　and　body。　　However；　no　one　will　be　able　　to　grasp　this



adequately　or　distinctly；　unless　he　first　has　adequate　knowledge



of　the　nature　　of　our　body。　　The　propositions　we　have　advanced



hitherto　have　been　entirely　general；　　applying　not　more　to　men



than　to　other　individual　things；　all　of　which；　though　in



different　　degrees；　are　animated　（animata）。　　For　of　everything



there　is　necessarily　an　idea　in　God；　of　　which　God　is　the　cause；



in　the　same　way　as　there　is　an　idea　of　the　human　body；　thus　



whatever　we　have　asserted　of　the　idea　of　the　human　body　must



necessarily　also　be　asserted　　of　the　idea　of　everything　else。　



Still；　on　the　other　hand；　we　cannot　deny　that　ideas；　like　



objects；　differ　one　from　the　other；　one　being　more　excellent　than



another　and　containing　　more　reality；　just　as　the　object　of　one



idea　is　more　excellent　than　the　object　of　another　idea；　　and



contains　more　reality。







Wherefore；　in　order　to　determine；　wherein　the　human　mind　differs



from　other　things；　and　　wherein　it　surpasses　them；　it　is



necessary　for　us　to　know　the　nature　of　its　object；　that　is；　　of



the　human　body。　　What　this　nature　is；　I　am　not　able　here　to



explain；　nor　is　it　necessary　　for　the　proof　of　what　I　advance；



that　I　should　do　so。　　I　will　only　say　generally；　that　in　



proportion　as　any　given　body　is　more　fitted　than　others　for　doing



many　actions　or　receiving　　many　impressions　at　once；　so　also　is



the　mind；　of　which　it　is　the　object；　more　fitted　than　　others　for



forming　many　simultaneous　perceptions；　and　the　more　the　actions



of　the　body　　depend　on　itself　alone；　and　the　fewer　other　bodies



concur　with　it　in　action；　the　more　fitted　　is　the　mind　of　which



it　is　the　object　for　distinct　comprehension。　　We　may　thus



recognize　　the　superiority　of　one　mind　over　others；　and　may



further　see　the　cause；　why　we　have　only　a　　very　confused



knowledge　of　our　body；　and　also　many　kindred　questions；　which　I



will；　in　　the　following　propositions；　deduce　from　what　has　been



advanced。　　Wherefore　I　have　　thought　it　worth　while　to　explain



and　prove　more　strictly　my　present　statements。　　In　order　　to　do



so；　I　must　premise　a　few　propositions　concerning　the　nature　of



bodies。







…Axiom　I。　　All　bodies　are　either　in　motion　or　at　rest。







…Axiom　II。　　Every　body　is　moved　sometimes　more　slowly；



sometimes　more　quickly。







Lemma　I。　　Bodies　are　distinguished　from　one　another　in　respect　of



motion　and　rest；　　quickness　and　slowness；　and　not　in　respect　of



substance。







》》》》》ProofThe　first　part　of　this　proposition　is；　I　take　it；



self…evident。　　That　bodies　are　　not　distinguished　in　respect　of



substance；　is　plain　both　from　I。　v。　and　I。　viii。　　It　is　brought　



out　still　more　clearly　from　I。　xv。；　Note。







Lemma　II。　　All　bodies　agree　in　certain　respects。







》》》》》ProofAll　bodies　agree　in　the　fact；　that　they　involve　the



conception　of　one　and　the　　same　attribute　（II。；　Def。　i。）。　



Further；　in　the　fact　that　they　may　be　moved　less　or　more　



quickly；　and　may　be　absolutely　in　motion　or　at　rest。







Lemma　III。　　A　body　in　motion　or　at　rest　must　be　determined　to



motion　or　rest　by　another　　body；　which　other　body　has　been



determined　to　motion　or　rest　by　a　third　body；　and　that　　third



again　by　a　fourth；　and　so　on　to　infinity。







》》》》》ProofBodies　are　individual　things　（II。；　Def。　i。）；　which



（Lemma　i。）　are　distinguished　　one　from　the　other　in　respect　to



motion　and　rest；　thus　（I。　xxviii。）　each　must　necessarily　be　



determined　to　motion　or　rest　by　another　individual　thing；　namely



（II。　vi。）　by　another　body；　　which　other　body　is　also　（Ax。　i。）　in



motion　or　at　rest。　　And　this　body　again　can　only　have　　been　set



in　motion　or　caused　to　rest　by　being　determined　by　a　third　body



to　motion　or　rest。　　　This　third　body　again　by　a　fourth；　and　so　on



to　infinity。　　Q。E。D。