extension and mind
given Spinoza's presuppositions we have to assume
mind as co-extensive with
extension
or as Spinoza put it - the mind as the idea
of the body
the obvious difficulty is that most of nature does
not display mental properties
from Spinoza's point of view - as a matter of logic
mind is infinite and everywhere
now one way around this is to accept the metaphysical
argument - mind - as infinite and everywhere
but to argue that as such it is not obvious - apparent
and there is plausibility here
- as such we do not observe mind - (as we do extension)
in ourselves and others
so why should it be any different - with other
manifestations - modes of substance?
another way of putting it is to say we do not observe
knowing
so - how do we - know?
how do we know that we know?
how do we know mind?
the only answer here I think is that mind is its own
explanation
and you could say here - well this is no explanation
perhaps so -
and if mind is without explanation
this is not too far from Spinoza
if we were to say - well what is extension? - it's
own explanation -
what answer is this?
this is not to paint Spinoza as a sceptic -
just to say that from his point of view
what is - is
and extension - is - what it is
it is not reducible - or explainable -
for Spinoza the thing is to understand it correctly -
to operate within its logic
to think and act in terms of its logic
my own view is that for Spinoza substance is the
backdrop for what is
the concept a necessary given - what is - what exists
Spinoza comes at it from the top down -
but this is just an argument about what is necessary
for unity - for homogeneity -
and of course any metaphysics must get this right
diversity it would seem - must be an outcome -
a manifestation of unity
the question always is how?
at base Spinoza's answer is - that there is no diversity
- just manifestation -
pretty straightforward really -
but for mind -
unless you argue mind is a fundamental - manifestation
(attribute)
perhaps -
mind is - just not observable
- it is - as we know it - the inside of the world -
