and what of the nature of modes -
clearly everything is a mode
a modification of substance - that which is
something else - through which it is conceived
here a mode is a reality - a modification of substance
anything that cannot be conceived through itself
(i.e. - substance - the totality -)
therefore any expression of substance
that is conceived - in terms of another expression
of substance
so a mode is something that is not ontologically
independent
any particular - or anything that can be so conceived -
so modes - the world as is - without the abstraction
of substance? why not?
so yes - every thing can be seen in relation to another
must be - to be explained - accounted for
this is what science does
OK
but do you need substance?
i.e. - if you were to say modes are all there is
a nominalist argument?
wherefore substance?
except - as an idea of that which is (or may be)
common to all - to all modes
a concept - is it logically necessary or perhaps
rather psychologically necessary - comforting -
perhaps?
the idea of essence
perhaps we call this - 'existence'?
but here I am suggesting it as a pure idea -
a notion of commonality
an idea that has no real substance
except in terms of ongoing heuristic endeavours
a kind of goal - of scientific endeavour -
or a presupposition - that is not real - except
in a conceptual sense
NB
and just on the idea of essence
it presupposes omniscience -
for to have knowledge of the essence of all -
is in some sense to know all
(this is not possible from a modal point of view)
it is obviously - another reason for Spinoza's substance
but even accepting Spinoza's idea of substance -
can we make sense of omniscience -
of substance - knowing itself?
bluntly - self-knowledge - if self-knowledge -
is an outcome of consciousness - self-consciousness -
there seems to be no prime facie sense in the idea
of the totality - aware - of anything - let alone itself
the point is essence if it has any reality must be unknown
p.s.
modes -
we have the phenomenal reality
and it is the obvious - what presents to consciousness
clearly though for Spinoza - a mode is beyond this a
question of explanation
- what can be understood in terms of -
at this point we leave the obvious -
we go into scientific explanation -
and here the phenomenal world can be seen to dissolve
dissolve into the theoretical - and its world of entities -
always - necessarily - always sub-phenomenal
and here there is no concretness - no stability as such
all is fluid - all is up for grabs
science at this level - is strictly speaking in a constant
state of anarchy
so - in reality - from the point of view of theoretical
science - the individual - the particular is like - substance -
a concept - an idea - a category - a framework
the reality we come to with this framework is - unknown
(hence the framework)
