the ethics(part v)-第6部分

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whereby　God；　in　so　far　as　he　can　be　explained　through　the　human　mind；



regards　himself　accompanied　by　the　idea　of　himself；　therefore　（by　the　last



Prop。）；　this　love　of　the　mind　is　part　of　the　infinite　love　wherewith　God



loves　himself。　Q。E。D。







Corollary。…　Hence　it　follows　that　God；　in　so　far　as　he　loves　himself；　loves



man；　and；　consequently；　that　the　love　of　God　towards　men；　and　the



intellectual　love　of　the　mind　towards　God　are　identical。







Note。…　From　what　has　been　said　we　clearly　understand；　wherein　our　salvation；



or　blessedness；　or　freedom；　consists：　namely；　in　the　constant　and　eternal



love　towards　God；　or　in　God's　love　towards　men。　This　love　or　blessedness　is；



in　the　Bible；　called　Glory　and　not　undeservedly。　For　whether　this　love　be



referred　to　God　or　to　the　mind；　it　may　rightly　be　called　acquiescence　of



spirit；　which　（Def。　of　the　Emotions：xxv。；　and　xxx。）　is　not　really



distinguished　from　glory。　In　so　far　as　it　is　referred　to　God；　it　is



（V：xxxv。）　pleasure；　if　we　may　still　use　that　term；　accompanied　by　the　idea



of　itself；　and；　in　so　far　as　it　is　referred　to　the　mind；　it　is　the　same



（V：xxvii。）。







Again；　since　the　essence　of　our　mind　consists　solely　in　knowledge；　whereof



the　beginning　and　the　foundation　is　God　（I：xv。；　&II：xlvii。Note）；　it　becomes



clear　to　us；　in　what　manner　and　way　our　mind；　as　to　its　essence　and



existence；　follows　from　the　divine　nature　and　constantly　depends　on　God。　I



have　thought　it　worth　while　here　to　call　attention　to　this；　in　order　to　show



by　this　example　how　the　knowledge　of　particular　things；　which　I　have　called



intuitive　or　of　the　third　kind　（II：xl。Note。ii。）；　is　potent；　and　more



powerful　than　the　universal　knowledge；　which　I　have　styled　knowledge　of　the



second　kind。　For；　although　in　Part　I　showed　in　general　terms；　that　all



things　（and　consequently；　also；　the　human　mind）　depend　as　to　their　essence



and　existence　on　God；　yet　that　demonstration；　though　legitimate　and　placed



beyond　the　chances　of　doubt；　does　not　affect　our　mind　so　much；　as　when　the



same　conclusion　is　derived　from　the　actual　essence　of　some　particular　thing；



which　we　say　depends　on　God。











Prop。　XXXVII。　There　is　nothing　in　nature；



which　is　contrary　to　this　intellectual　love；



or　which　can　take　it　away。







Proof。…　This　intellectual　love　follows　necessarily　from　the　nature　of　the



mind；　in　so　far　as　the　latter　is　regarded　through　the　nature　of　God　as　an



eternal　truth　（V：xxxiii。　and　V：xxix。）。　If；　therefore；　there　should　be



anything　which　would　be　contrary　to　this　love；　that　thing　would　be



contrary　to　that　which　is　true；　consequently；　that；　which　should　be　able　to



take　away　this　love；　would　cause　that　which　is　true　to　be　false；　an　obvious



absurdity。　Therefore　there　is　nothing　in　nature　which；　&c。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　The　Axiom　of　Part　IV。　has　reference　to　particular　things；　in　so　far



as　they　are　regarded　in　relation　to　a　given　time　and　place：　of　this；　I



think；　no　one　can　doubt。











Prop。　XXXVIII。　In　proportion　as　the　mind　understands　more



things　by　the　second　and　third　kind　of　knowledge；　it　is　less



subject　to　those　emotions　which　are　evil；　and　stands　in　less



fear　of　death。







Proof。…　The　mind's　essence　consists　in　knowledge　（II：xi。）；　therefore；　in



proportion　as　the　mind　understands　more　things　by　the　second　and　third　kinds



of　knowledge；　the　greater　will　be　the　part　of　it　that　endures　（V：xxix。　and



V：xxiii。）；　and；　consequently　（by　the　last　Prop。）；　the　greater　will　be　the



part　that　is　not　touched　by　the　emotions；　which　are　contrary　to　our　nature；



or　in　other　words；　evil　（IV：xxx。）。　Thus；　in　proportion　as　the　mind



understands　more　things　by　the　second　and　third　kinds　of　knowledge；　the



greater　will　be　the　part　of　it；　that　remains　unimpaired；　and；　consequently；



less　subject　to　emotions；　&c。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　Hence　we　understand　that　point　which　I　touched　on　in　IV：xxxix。Note；



and　which　I　promised　to　explain　in　this　Part；　namely；　that　death　becomes



less　hurtful；　in　proportion　as　the　mind's　clear　and　distinct　knowledge　is



greater；　and；　consequently；　in　proportion　as　the　mind　loves　God　more。　Again；



since　from　the　third　kind　of　knowledge　arises　the　highest　possible



acquiescence　（V：xxvii。）；　it　follows　that　the　human　mind　can　attain　to



being　of　such　a　nature；　that　the　part　thereof　which　we　have　shown　to



perish　with　the　body　（V：xxi。）　should　be　of　little　importance　when　compared



with　the　part　which　endures。　But　I　will　soon　treat　of　the　subject　at　greater



length。











Prop。　XXXIX。　He；　who　possesses　a　body　capable



of　the　greatest　number　of　activities；　possesses



a　mind　whereof　the　greatest　part　is　eternal。







Proof。…　He；　who　possesses　a　body　capable　of　the　greatest　number　of



activities；　is　least　agitated　by　those　emotions　which　are　evil　（IV：xxxviii。）



that　is　（IV：xxx。）；　by　those　emotions　which　are　contrary　to　our　nature；



therefore　（V：x。）；　he　possesses　the　power　of　arranging　and　associating　the



modifications　of　the　body　according　to　the　intellectual　order；　and；



consequently；　of　bringing　it　about；　that　all　the　modifications　of　the　body



should　be　referred　to　the　idea　of　God；　whence　it　will　come　to　pass　that



（V：xv。）　he　will　be　affected　with　love　towards　God；　which　（V：xvi）　must　occupy



or　constitute　the　chief　part　of　the　mind；　therefore　（V：xxxiii。）；　such　a　man



will　possess　a　mind　whereof　the　chief　part　is　eternal。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　Since　human　bodies　are　capable　of　the　greatest　number　of　activities；



there　is　no　doubt　but　that　they　may　be　of　such　a　nature；　that　they　may　be



referred　to　minds　possessing　a　great　knowledge　of　themselves　and　of　God；　and



whereof　the　greatest　or　chief　part　is　eternal；　and；　therefore；　that　they



should　scarcely　fear　death。　But；　in　order　that　this　may　be　understood　more



clearly；　we　must　here　call　to　mind；　that　we　live　in　a　state　of　perpetual



variation；　and；　according　as　we　are　changed　for　the　better　or　the　worse；　we



are　called　happy　or　unhappy。







For　he；　who；　from　being　an　infant　or　a　child；　becomes　a　corpse；　is　called



unhappy；　whereas　it　is　set　down　to　happiness；　if　we　have　been　able　to　live



through　the　whole　period　of　life　with　a　sound　mind　in　a　sound　body。　And；　in



reality；　he；　who；　as　in　the　case　of　an　infant　or　a　child；　has　a　body　capable



of　very　few　activities；　and　depending；　for　the　most　part；　on　external



causes；　has　a　mind　which；　considered　in　itself　alone；　is　scarcely　conscious



of　itself；　or　of　God；　or　of　things；　whereas；　he；　who　has　a　body　capable　of



very　many　activities；　has　a　mind　which；　considered　in　itself　alone；　is



highly　conscious　of　itself；　of　God；　and　of　things。　In　this　life；　therefore；



we　primarily　endeavour　to　bring　it　about；　that　the　body　of　a　child；　in　so



far　as　its　nature　allows　and　conduces　thereto；　may　be　changed　into　something



else　capable　of　very　many　activities；　and　referable　to　a　mind　which　is



highly　conscious　of　itself；　of　God；　and　of　things；　and　we　desire　so　to



change　it；　that　what　is　referred　to　its　imagination　and　memory　may　become



insignificant；　in　comparison　with　its　intellect；　as　I　have　already　said　in



the　note　to　the　last　Proposition。











Prop。　XL。　In　proportion　as　each　thing　possesses



more　of　perfection；　so　is　it　more　active；　and



less　passive；　and；　vice　versa；　in　proportion　as



it　is　more　active；　so　is　it　more　perfect。







Proof。…　In　proportion　as　each　thing　is　more　perfect；　it　possesses　more　of



reality　（II：Def。vi。）；　and；　consequently　（III：iii。and　Note）；　it　is　to　that



extent　more　active　and　less　passive。　This　demonstration　may　be　reversed；　and



thus　prove　that；　in　proportion　as　a　thing　is　more　active；　so　is　it　more



perfect。　Q。E。D。







Corollary。…　Hence　it　follows　that　the　part　of　the　mind　which　endures；　be　it



great　or　small；　is　more　perfect　than　the　rest。　For　the　eternal　part　of　the



mind　（V：xiii。　and　V：xxix。）　the　understanding；　through　which　alone　we　are



said　to　act　（III：iii。）；　the　part　which　we　have　shown　to　perish　is　the



imagination　（V：xxi。）；　through　which　only　we　are　said　to　be　passive　（III：iii。



and　general　Def。　of　the　Emotions）；　therefore；　the　former；　be　it　great　or



small；　is　more　perfect　than　the　latter。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　Such　are　the　doctrines　which　I　had　purposed　to　set　forth　concerning



the　mind；　in　so　far　as　it　is　regarded　without　relation　to　the　body；　whence；



as　also　from　I：xxi。　and　other　places；　it　is　plain　that　our　mind；　in　so　far



as　it　understands；　is　an　eternal　mode　of　thinking；　which　is　determined　by



another　eternal　mode　of　thinking；　and　this　other　by　a　third；　and　so　on　to



infinity；　so　that　all　taken　together　at　once　constitute　the　eternal　and



infinite　intellect　of　God。











Prop。　XLI。　Even　if　we　did　not　know　that



our　mind　is　eternal；　we　should　still



consider　as　of　primary　importance　piety



and　religion；　and　generally　all　things



which；　in　Part　IV。；　we　showed　to　be



attributable　to　courage　and　high…mindedness。







Proof。…　The　first　and　only；　foundation　of　virtue；　or　the　rule　of　right



living　is　（IV：xxii。Coroll。　and　IV：xxiv。）　seeking　one's　own　true　interest。



Now；　while　we　determined　what　reason　prescribes　as　useful；　we　took　no



account　of　the　mind's　eternity；　which　has　only　become　known　to　us　in　this



Fifth　Part。　Although　we　were　ignorant　at　that　time　that　the　mind　is　eternal；



we　nevertheless　stated　that　the　qualities　attributable　to　courage　and　high…



mindedness　are　of　primary　importance。　Therefore；　even　if　we　were　still



ignorant　of　this　doctrine；　we　should　yet　put　the　aforesaid　precepts　of



reason　in　the　first　place。　Q。E。D。







Note。…　The　general　belief　of　the　multitude　seems　to　be　different。　Most



people　seem　to　believe　that　they　are　free；　in　so　far　as　they　may　obey　their



lusts；　and　that　they　cede　their　rights；　in　so　far　as　they　are　bound　to