Spinoza's concept of substance -
'in itself and conceived through itself' -
'that the conception of which does not depend upon the
conception of another thing through which it must be formed'
in short - existence per se
it is to say - existence exists
and it cannot be otherwise
(how could it be?)
the question though - what is this existence
- apart from itself?
is there anything to be said?
yes -
we know it expresses itself - as the material world -
and as mind
how do we know this?
we see - reflect - this - primarily in ourselves
(expression of existence)
in mind and body
the seeing is only possible - given consciousness
but mind on this view is no accident - no epiphenomenon
it is existence
on this view - mind - one of an infinite number of
possible expressions of existence
as is matter - the material world
could things be so constituted that existence was not
known via these expressions matter and mind?
yes
it would seem
the reality is of course that such is not the case
but on Spinoza's view is it necessary that existence
reveals itself in these attributes?
good question
perhaps not - given that there are an infinite number
of attributes we don't see
(this though is not to take away from the reality
of what we do see - it is real - not illusory)
the expression of existence in matter and mind
why?
is it some accident of necessity?
could the world be otherwise?
it is not - true
but there is some sense - (the infinite attributes
of substance) - in which there is possibility
not so much possible worlds as possible expressions
it seems though without mind we could not know this -
unless there are within this
range of infinite attributes - something like other
ways of knowing)
the idea of the infinity of attributes in a sense
destroys the idea of substance
be careful what you wish for
for what does infinity come to - in any substantial
sense?
that is where is the substance in infinity?
to say x is infinite defines x formally or
mathematically - not in terms of content - its
reality - its substance - what does an infinite
thing come to - anything?
such seems to be a contentless notion
