Saturday, February 6, 2021

Spinoza's Ethics: II.A4: Body

Spinoza sets as axiomatic that the body is experienced as a unity, as a certain one thing. The body is a mode of extending (II.D1) and is a composite of many parts but identified as a singular thing (II.D7).

The mode of the body as a thinking thing is expressed here as feeling. Feelings are a part of the mind not of the brain. Typically we are accustomed to view the feelings are part of our physical selves and our thoughts as part of our mental selves. Not so for Spinoza. Feelings are thoughts which are part of the attribute of thinking. This is a crucial distinction. 

Our physical body is a mode which is made up of and affected by many modes within the attribute of extending. Similarly the mind experiences the body within the attribute of thinking as made up of and affected by many modes. These sometimes diverse and contrarian parts are felt through the unifying experience of the body. As a result, it is clear that problems of confusion arise. For example, Catullus famously writes odi et amo to describe an experience of such confusion.

Nos corpus quoddam multis modis affici sentimus.

Translated as,

We feel the body as a certain thing which is affected by many modes.

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