Spinoza is building on this wild idea that the mind is operating within a parallel but not causal relationship with the body. Here the mind observes the body as present and thus imagines connections and, from this, imagines an increase or decrease in power. It has always amazed me the extent to which I could envision a problem in a love relationship could actually put me in a bad space. Spinoza is stating that this is an imagination and it has causal power on my mind, despite its lack of bodily reality.
Mens quantum potest ea imaginari conatur quæ corporis agendi potentiam augent vel juvant.
The mind as much as it is able to imagine things tries what things increases or helps the power of the body for acting
DEMONSTRATIO: Quamdiu humanum corpus affectum est modo qui naturam corporis alicujus externi involvit tamdiu mens humana idem corpus ut præsens contemplabitur (per propositionem 17 partis II) et consequenter (per propositionem 7 partis II) quamdiu mens aliquod externum corpus ut præsens contemplatur hoc est (per ejusdem propositionis 17 scholium) imaginatur tamdiu humanum corpus affectum est modo qui naturam ejusdem corporis externi involvit atque adeo quamdiu mens ea imaginatur quæ corporis nostri agendi potentiam augent vel juvant tamdiu corpus affectum est modis qui ejusdem agendi potentiam augent vel juvant (vide postulatum 1 hujus) et consequenter (per propositionem 11 hujus) tamdiu mentis cogitandi potentia augetur vel juvatur ac proinde (per propositionem 6 vel 9 hujus) mens quantum potest eadem imaginari conatur. Q.E.D.
As long as the human body is affected by a mode which involves the nature of an external body so long as the human mind contemplates the body as present (by IIP17) and consequently (by IIP7) as long as the mind contemplates some external body as present, that is (by IIP17S) imagines so long as the human body is affected by a mode which involves the nature of the same external body and to such a degree as long as the mind imagines that which increases or helps the power of our body for acting for so long is the body affected by modes which increase or help its power for acting (see Postulate 1) and consequently (by IIIP11) so long is the power of the mind for thinking increased or helped and next (by IIIP6 or IIIP9) the mind tries as much as it is able to imagine the same things.
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