I have suggested that the concept of concept cannot
be used in an unrestricted sense
the point is we cannot have a concept of everything
if so Spinoza's concept of substance cannot be
legitimately put -
the idea of everything does not discriminate
what else is there?
what else that is to distinguish everything from?
the problem with this is that it puts in doubt any
discussion of the totality - of the universal
I think we can say that - though we cannot conceive
everything
we can speak of everything in a negative sense
as that which cannot be conceived -
and what is this?
the conception - of - what cannot be conceived
is what -
not really a conception
it is rather the - negative of concept
can we entertain the negative of concept?
that which is outside of concept - is to recognize the
limits of conception
this is essential to the idea of a concept
that is on a meta level
what is in - what is out
I think this is OK -
it doesn't help Spinoza though
he wants substance as a positive conception
not as that which is outside of conception
so in my view - all such positive representations -
are misrepresentations
and another way to see it is to say a concept is always
within a domain
what of the domain
can we conceive domain?
yes - in a sense - domain is defined by the concept -
within it
a concept of x -
the domain of x?
-x?
yes
-x may be the subject of another concept - y
and the domain of y?
-y
so there is no logical limit to conception
the domain of a concept is just its negative
for Spinoza there is no not-substance
therefore the concept of substance is not within a domain
it has no domain
therefore it cannot be formed
Spinoza wants to argue that the concept of substance
is the foundation concept
good idea
except that the concept - that concept cannot be formed
is illogical
and the point is there is no foundation concept
of any kind
there cannot be
no ultimate concept
'ultimate' is stepping over the mark
stepping out of the game
the delusion of stepping out of reality and looking back
the God delusion
perhaps
the mistake of thinking
a negative asserts
