What did Spinoza identify as an attribute of substance?

An attribute, according to Spinoza, is just the essence of substance under some way of conceiving or describing the substance (E1d4). When we consider substance one way, then we conceive of its essence as extension. When we consider substance another way, then we conceive of its essence as thought.

What is substance according to Descartes?

Descartes defines a substance as a thing that does not depend on anything else for its existence. That is to say, substance is a self-subsisting thing. There is no such thing as a substance without its principal attribute. Body cannot exist without extension, and mind cannot exist without thought.

What is substance according to Leibniz?

According to Leibniz, substances are not only essentially unities, but also active. As he says in the opening line of the Principles of Nature and Grace: “A Substance is a being capable of action” (G VI 598/AG 207).

What are attributes and modes according to Spinoza?

To explain the variety of existence Spinoza formulates the doctrine of Attributes and Modes. Spinoza defines attributes as that “which the intellect perceives as constituting the essence of substance”. God or Substance consists of infinite number of “attributes of which each expresses an eternal and infinite essence”.

What are the different levels of knowledge according to Spinoza?

Spinoza claims in the Ethics to have shown that there are altogether three ways of knowing or forming ideas of things, that is, three kinds of knowledge, knowledge by imagination (first kind), by reason (second kind), and by intuition (third kind) (cf. 2P40Sch2).

What is the meaning of Spinoza?

Spinozism (also spelled Spinozaism) is the monist philosophical system of Baruch Spinoza that defines “God” as a singular self-subsistent substance, with both matter and thought being attributes of such.

Does time have substance?

Kant holds that neither space nor time are substance, entities in themselves, or learned by experience; he holds, rather, that both are elements of a systematic framework we use to structure our experience.

How many substances are there according to Leibniz?

Leibniz says that there is only one necessary substance, and that this is God. A necessary substance is one whose existence is logically necessary.

What is substance according to Aristotle?

Aristotle defines substance as ultimate reality, in that substance does not belong to any other category of being, and in that substance is the category of being on which every other category of being is based. Substance is both essence (form) and substratum (matter), and may combine form and matter.

What is an infinite substance?

an infinite substance has the most reality and more reality than. a finite substance, which in turn has more reality than. a mode.

What is the meaning of Spinozism?

Definition of Spinozism. : the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza who taught that reality is one substance with an infinite number of attributes of which only thought and extension are capable of being apprehended by the human mind.

What is an attribute according to Spinoza?

Spinoza defines the term “attribute” thus: “ By attribute I understand what the intellect perceives of substance as constituting its essence” (1D4). This definition is reminiscent of Descartes’ notion of attributes as it appears in the Principle of Philosophy insofar as attributes are related to the essence (or essences) of substance.

What does Spinoza say about substance monism?

The following proposition expresses Spinoza’s commitment to substance monism: Except God, no substance can be or be conceived. (E1P14) Spinoza takes this proposition to follow directly from everything he says prior to it. Spinoza’s monism is contrasted with Descartes’ dualism and Leibniz’s pluralism.

What is Spinoza’s theory of metaphysics?

Spinoza’s metaphysics consists of one thing, Substance, and its modifications (modes). Early in The Ethics Spinoza argues that there is only one Substance, which is absolutely infinite, self-caused, and eternal.