... a tree or a speech by the president, are different modes of the attribute of thought or extension. A mode is the particular manner which substance, God, or nature assumes. A tree is a mode of extension, and a speech by the president is the mode of thought. But both are basically attributes, ... for Spinoza, imagine an infinitely long list of qualities. Each attribute on this list can be assigned to only one substance or thing. However, God has already been assigned all attributes on the list, and no attributes are left to assign to other substances. Since a substance can't exist if ... ...

• Word Count: 837
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... in the form of thought and extension. For this reason Spinoza states that "it follows that the human mind is part of the infinite intellect of God (Spinoza, 1992; 70) or put differently, that we are not truly the owners of our thoughts. Proposition sixteen in part one of his Ethics ... " or "judgments" act under a necessity similar to that of a mathematical equation. Freedom, according to Spinoza, is the acceptance and recognition of this necessity-meaning god or nature- which is the basis for Spinoza's reasoning here. What this mode of reasoning leads us to ask is how do we explain our...

• Word Count: 1079
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate