Spinoza puts up a concept which is not
self-contradictory -
and from which he can deduce concepts (mind
and extension) necessary for an explanation
of the world
which is to say - substance
OK - so the concept of substance is used to produce
other concepts - which give substance to the concept
so the concept of substance - as put by Spinoza - is -
self explanatory -
(which is not only its method - but its essential
character)
where Spinoza is clear is that he has put forward
a foundational concept
that is so -
just because it has no foundation
it cannot be regarded as derivative
as coming out of another
it is defined so
it is this - a foundational concept - that is without
foundation itself -
its purpose though is to give foundation to secondary
concepts
so
the trick is
to say there is no foundation to existence
there is only what is -
existence is its own foundation -
so
you might ask
how did existence get into this?
well - what is existence?
that is really the question -
or can be seen so
Spinoza addresses this question
his theory of substance is his attempt to give character -
to the concept of existence
for existence outside of any concept
is the unknown
the description of existence - the giving of content
to the concept is to characterize - define -
a contentless concept
yes you can say what exists exists -
it looks like you are talking about something
but in fact - it is really - language talking about language
another way - it is to say X is X
ontology - the concept of X -
the attempts to describe it - characterize -
does not
create anything
it is only an argument of understanding
how to best describe - what needs to be described
so just a recap -
what I want to say re Spinoza and substance - is
the concept emerges as any - meta principle -
from the unknown -
the unknown is its reason
and any concept just is a concept of existence
of what exists
so
we tend to say what exists exists
and our theories
either hit the mark or don't
this though is not how it is
what exists for all intents and purposes is made
by thought
pre-thought - what is - is - but it is unknown
but we need to know it -
to function -
we create -
our picture of existence
these pictures serve as proxy
it's a necessary proxy
for - there is no - non-proxy picture
there is only our conceptions -
their truth / falsity
again - a concept
each meta concept defines itself as true -
different meta concepts - pictures are not in conflict -
so long as you understand that
they are all valid pictures of the unknown
and the unknown is silent
