I took Spinoza's definition of substance - that which is conceived through itself - and
argued that this definition is a definition of mind
this was a spin-off of the Spinoza discussion
mind conceives itself
mind - that which conceives - conceives that which conceives
and argued that this view - while true - cannot be explicated
as it stands it is to define the source as its product - or action
and so the definition collapses on itself
mind is greater than its conceptions
therefore if mind conceives itself
the conception (of mind) is lesser than mind
which is to say x is lesser than x
alright
the question is how do we get into this mess?
what all the above points to is that mind reflects
that reflectivity is the essential characteristic of mind
and so to the next and obvious question
what is it?
what is reflectivity?
now I have argued we cannot say
for to answer this question - we have to use concepts of mind
like subject / object for example
to explicate mind
it is again to attempt to use the product of mind to account for mind
and further
behind this idea - the belief - or hope that in some way we may be able to step out of
mind - to see mind - to explain mind
that an extra-mind objectivity is possible
now it is clear at this point that such is absurd
but the thing is absurd yes - but at the same time - it seems like the natural route to
take
why is this?
I think it is because of reflectivity
that is - we reflect on mind
or at least think we can
we can't - we can only reflect within -
but it is reflectivity that suggests that we can
and what are we to say here?
that the fundamental process of mind leads us astray -
that there is - or should be some limit or boundary to reflection -
that we discover - you guessed it - on reflection?
reflectivity - just seems to me to be a process - an action if you like
it is what mind does - just what it does
and like any other natural process - it is just what happens
just what happens in this world
our decisions about it - reflections - on reflectivity - are arguments of reflection
essentially no different from any other reflection - on the world or on mind
we make decisions - for reasons - in this case - for reasons of metaphysics
we never actually get out of it
the fact that we might want to - or think we can
is just another reflection
which from the point of view of logic
makes no sense
this is no great problem so long as it is realized that at such a point we are not actually
doing anything logical
imagination begins were logic ends
