Points on Spinoza

1. Mechanical understanding of mind and body
Understanding, for Spinoza, means to grasp the causal relations. Everything in nature (and there is no outside) follows from necessity (Determinism). Thus, human life can be examined in the same way: "I shall consider human actions and appetites just as if it were a question of lines, planes, and bodies.” (Preface, III)

2. Differentiation between Action and Passion
- "The human body can be affected in many ways in which its power of acting is increased or diminished." (IIIPost.1)
- "The human body can undergo many changes, and nevertheless retain impressions, or traces, of the objects, and consequently, the same images of things." (IIIPost.2)
Having established the human body as a physical object among others, following the same logic, Spinoza introduces the differentiation between action (where the cause lies within ourselves) and passions (where there is an external cause):
- "Therefore, if we can be the adequate cause of any of these affections, I understand by the affect an action; otherwise, a passion." (IIId3)
In the first case, the reason is in control of the passions, in the second case the emotions are in charge.

3. How is the transformation of a passion through reason possible?
An example is given in IVp46, where Spinoza recommends to repay hate with love, not out of charity, but rather because of the ability to increase the power. (See IVp46d/s)

4. Good and Perfect
Spinoza understands "by good what we know certainly is a means by which we may approach nearer and nearer to the model of human nature we set before ourselves." (IVpref)
- "Men are more perfect or imperfect, insofar as they approach more or less near to this model." (IVpref)
- "by perfection ... I shall ... understand reality, that is, the essence of each thing" (IVpref)
Having stated these quotes of Spinoza, we see the Aristotlian outlook of his theory. I suggests in the whole of his ethics, not just a metaphysics, but a anthropology (discussing God, mind, affects, power of affects, and power of mind).

5. Again: Descartes vs. Spinoza
Descartes: mind acts on -> animal spirit -> influences emotions -> control of entire human being
Spinoza: Against the ability to control without conditions. To increase our power is not a matter of "pure moral will" but rather "a feat in applied medicine or engineering" (Bennett, p. 330)*

6. Three kinds of knowledge
a) Accidental knowledge of singular facts
b) Scientific knowledge
c) True insight into the essence and causality of the universe/nature (sub specie aeternitatis, under a species of eternity)
This knowledge of nature is knowledge - even love - of God, and the highest virtue and form of joy.

Notes:
- A good summary of Spinoza's ethics can be found at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/spinoza/#2)

- For further information on the background of Spinoza and the other parts of the ethics please see my presentation "Introduction to Spinoza"

- *For good discussion and explanation of Spinoza's text I suggest: Bennett, Jonathan, A Study of Spinoza's Ethics, Indianapolis: Hackett, 1984