| Meaning | finitus: finite.
The existence of
finite things is conditional and has a limited
duration. Things that are not
finite are called infinite. It follows
that infinite things
are eternal
and thus satisfy Ethica's hub
mantra (essentia
involvit existentiam). There are two types
of infinite/eternal
things: absolutely infinite
and in suo genere infinitus (infinite in its
kind). God =
natura-sense 2 =
substance =
causa sui is
absolutely infinite. It "involves
no negation": nothing can be NOT part of it. The
attribute of thought and the
attribute of extension
are infinite each in their own kind:
they are infinite since there is no
thought that is NOT part of the
attribute of thought, there is no
extended thing that is NOT part of
the attribute of
extension. But these
attributes are infinite
only in their kinds, since
they do have negations:
thought and extension
are negations of each other. In suo genere finitus always means the same as finitus (in suo genere is redundant in this expression). Absolutus (where linked, see field NOT linked below) always means the same as absolute infinitus (infinitus is redundant in this expression). |
| Mantras [what is] |
{1p31} "...absolutam
cogitationem...." (absolute
means absolutely
infinite) Dei aeternam et infinitam essentiam "infinita...infinitis modis ....sequi..." (modus is here used colloquial, as "manner, way" NOT as {1d05 modus} |
| Related concepts |
Causa per se
=
[mng-eqv]
causa sui =
[prf eqv]
absolute infinitus implies
[hence]
infinitus =
[prf eqv]
aeternus {2p34} ...absoluta sive [prf-eqv] adaequata et [prf-eqv] perfecta... these three terms used as equivalents. |
| Occurrence | [geomap] First occurrence of absolute: {1d06}, suo genere: rare. Dense occurrence of finite/infinite in {1p15s Deum hominis corpore et mente} |
| NOT linked: |
A. colloquial use: "totally", "completely": In {1p16c3} absolute causam primam: God = natura-sense 2 = substance is the "absolutely first" cause, colloquial {2p48} voluntas absoluta, equated to libera voluntas {1p32c2} ...absolutely all natural phenomena,.... ....et absolute ut omnia naturalia ... {3p28} absolute conamur (colloquial "totally dedicated to") {4p29} absolute res nulla {5p23} ...Mens humana non potest cum corpore absolute ("totally, completely") destrui... B. pleonastic use (related to pp1a03 necessario(pleonastic) and to vero-pleonastic (see veritas under NOT linked) In {1p17} etc "...absolutely follow..." = follow {3p02} {3p02} ... absolute quicquid...absolutely everything... = everything {4p23} non potest absolute dici ex absoluta natura attributis = ex natura attributis C. Other non-linked uses: {2L02} bodies ....may be absolutely in motion or at rest. "Deis absoluta natura" is a mantra in which "absolute" is redundant. |
| {1d02 in suo genere finita^absoluta infinita} .... in suo genere (^absolutus) is redundant here: something finite can by definiton not be absolutus (^in suo genere) ... that explains why in suo genere is simply omitted in many loci, such as {1p08}, see below ... | |
| ... A thing is called finite after its kind, when it can be limited by another thing of the same nature; for instance, a body is called finite because we always conceive another greater body. So, also, a thought is limited by another thought, but a body is not limited by thought, nor a thought by body. | ... Ea res dicitur in suo genere finita quae alia ejusdem naturae terminari potest. Exempli gratia corpus dicitur finitum quia aliud semper majus concipimus. Sic cogitatio alia cogitatione terminatur. At corpus non terminatur cogitatione nec cogitatio corpore. |
| {1d06 deus} ... introduces absolutus and first use of infinitus, negation of finite... | |
| ... By God, I mean a being absolutely infinite-that is, a substance consisting in infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality. | ... Per Deum intelligo ens absolute infinitum hoc est substantiam constantem infinitis attributis quorum unumquodque aeternam et infinitam essentiam exprimit. |
| 1d06e absolutus-suo genere infinitus ... absolutus explained ... to mean NOT-in-suo-genere ... | |
| ... I say absolutely infinite, not infinite after its kind: for, of a thing infinite only after its kind, infinite attributes may be denied; but that which is absolutely infinite, contains in its essence whatever expresses reality, and involves no negation. | ... Dico absolute infinitum, non autem in suo genere; quicquid enim in suo genere tantum infinitum est, infinita de eo attributa negare possumus; quod autem absolute infinitum est, ad ejus essentiam pertinet quicquid essentiam exprimit et negationem nullam involvit. |
| {1p08 substantia infinita} ... a reductio ad absurdum starting from finitus, explicitly referring to {1d02}, with the redundant "in suo genere" is indeed omitted ... showing awareness of the redundancy ... | |
| ... It does not exist as finite, for (by Def. ii.) it would then be limited by something else of the same kind ... | ... existere ... non finita. Nam (per definitionem 2 {1d02}) deberet terminari ab alia ejusdem naturae ... |
| 1p08s1 absoluta affirmatio ... finitum is partial negation, and infinitum absolute affirmation of existence of some given nature ... | |
| ... finite is partial negation, and infinite is absolute affirmation of the existence of some given nature ... | ... finitum esse ... sit ex parte negatio et infinitum absoluta affirmatio existentiae alicujus naturae ... |
| 1p10s attributa non entia sive substantias distincta ... why there must be an infinite number of attributes (though we perceive things only in two) ... note the absence of absolute when dealing with (infinite) attributes ... | |
| ... each and every entity must be conceived under some attribute, and ... its reality or being is in proportion to the number of its attributes expressing necessity or eternity and infinity. Consequently it is abundantly clear, that an absolutely infinite being must necessarily be defined as consisting in infinite attributes, each of which expresses a certain eternal and infinite essence ... | ... unumquodque ens sub aliquo attributo debeat concipi et quo plus realitatis aut esse habeat eo plura attributa quae et necessitatem sive aeternitatem et infinitatem exprimunt, habeat et consequenter nihil etiam clarius quam quod ens absolute infinitum necessario sit definiendum (ut definitione 6 tradidimus) ens quod constat infinitis attributis quorum unumquodque aeternam et infinitam certam essentiam exprimit ... |
| {1p16 infinita infinitis modis sequi} ... introduction of the infinite intellect ... | |
| ... From ... divine nature must follow an infinite number of things in infinite ways-that is, all things which can fall within the sphere of infinite intellect. | ... Ex ... divinae naturae infinita infinitis modis (hoc est omnia quae sub intellectum infinitum cadere possunt) sequi debent. |
| {1p21 Omnia sequuntur infinita aeterna} ... attributes have been said (1d06}-quote above) infinite but not absolutely infinite, they now are said to have an absolute nature ... | |
| ... All things which follow from the absolute nature of any attribute of God must always exist and be infinite, or, in other words, are eternal and infinite through the said attribute. | ... Omnia quae ex absoluta natura alicujus attributi Dei sequuntur, semper et infinita existere debuerunt sive [mng eqv] per idem attributum aeterna et infinita sunt. |
| {1p21 Omnia sequuntur infinita aeterna} ... and this absolute nature of attributes is where things eternal and infinite through that attribute follow from ... | |
| ... All things which follow from the absolute nature of any attribute of God must always exist and be infinite, or, in other words, are eternal and infinite through the said attribute. | ... Omnia quae ex absoluta natura alicujus attributi Dei sequuntur, semper et infinita existere debuerunt sive [mng eqv] per idem attributum aeterna et infinita sunt. |
| ... the proof of {1p21} implies that finitus means: ... has a conditioned existence or [prf eqv] duration ... the attribute of thought again called infinite, it is called absolute thought, but it is NOT called absolutely infinite (infinite thought does have a negation: infinite extension, hence neither are absolutely infinite) ... | |
|
... Conceive, if it be possible ... that something in some attribute of God can follow from the
absolute nature of the said attribute, and that at the same time it is
finite, and has a conditioned existence or duration ... ... thought, in so far as it is supposed to be an attribute of God, is ... infinite ... ...in so far as it is absolute thought ... |
... Concipe
si fieri potest ... aliquid in aliquo Dei
attributo ex
ipsius absoluta
natura sequi quod
finitum sit et determinatam habeat
existentiam sive
[prf eqv]
durationem ... ... cogitatio quandoquidem Dei attributum supponitur, est ... infinita ... ...quatenus est absoluta cogitatio ... |
| {1p28 nisi alia causa finita} ... all finite things are connected in infinite chains of causation ... | |
| ... Every individual thing, or everything which is finite and has a conditioned existence, cannot exist or be conditioned to act, unless it be conditioned for existence and action by a cause other than itself, which also is finite, and has a conditioned existence; and likewise this cause cannot in its turn exist, or be conditioned to act, unless it be conditioned for existence and action by another cause, which also is finite, and has a conditioned existence, and so on to infinity. | ... Quodcunque singulare sive [mng eqv] quaevis res quae finita est et determinatam habet existentiam, non potest existere nec ad operandum determinari nisi ad existendum et operandum determinetur ab alia causa quae etiam finita est et determinatam habet existentiam et rursus haec causa non potest etiam existere neque ad operandum determinari nisi ab alia quae etiam finita est et determinatam habet existentiam, determinetur ad existendum et operandum et sic in infinitum. |
| {1p30 Intellectus comprehendere} ... {1p16} introduced infinite intellect, here paired to finite intellect ... | |
| ... Intellect, in function (actu) finite, or in function infinite... | ... Intellectus actu finitus aut [excl exh] actu infinitus ... |
| {1p31 Intellectus naturatam naturantem} ... even infinite intellect (not to be confused with absoluta cogitatio) is passive nature ... | |
| ... The intellect in function, whether finite or infinite, just like will, desire, love, &c., should be referred to passive nature and not to active nature. | ... Intellectus actu sive [excl exh] is finitus sit sive [excl exh] infinitus, ut et voluntas, cupiditas, amor etc. ad Naturam naturatam, non vero ad naturantem referri debent. |
| ... By the intellect we ... do not mean absolute thought, but only a certain mode of thinking, differing from other modes, such as love, desire, &c., and therefore ... requiring to be conceived through absolute thought ... | ... Per intellectum enim ... non intelligimus absolutam cogitationem sed certum tantum modum cogitandi, qui modus ab aliis scilicet cupiditate, amore, etc. differt adeoque ... per absolutam cogitationem concipi debet ... |
| {2p34 absoluta sive adaequata et perfecta vera} ... ideas can be absolute ... absoluta, adaequata, perfecta ... used as equivalents... | |
| ... Every idea, which in us is absolute or adequate and perfect, is true. | ... Omnis idea quae in nobis est absoluta sive [prf-eqv] adaequata et [prf-eqv] perfecta, vera est. |
| Equivalence claims involving in suo genere finitus ^ absoluta finitus | ||
| {1d02} [notes] | 1. finite in its kind 2, That thing which can be limited by another thing of the same nature. | 1. in suo genere finita 2. [Ea res] quae alia ejusdem naturae terminari potest. |
| {1d06} [notes] | 1. God 2. a being absolutely infinite-that is, a substance consisting in infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality. | 1. Deum 2. ens absolute infinitum hoc est substantiam constantem infinitis attributis quorum unumquodque aeternam et infinitam essentiam exprimit. |
| {1p21} | 1. always exist and be infinite 2. are eternal and infinite | 1. semper et infinita existere debuerunt 2. aeterna et infinita sunt. |
| {1p28} | 1. Every individual thing 2. everything which is finite and has a conditioned existence | [about res] 1. singulare 2. quae finita est et determinatam habet existentiam |
| {1p28} | 1. Wherefore it must follow from 2. be conditioned for, existence and action by God or one of his attributes, in so far as the latter are modified by some modification which is finite, and has a conditioned existence. | 1. sequi 2. ad existendum et operandum determinari a Deo vel [excl exh] aliquo ejus attributo quatenus modificatum est modificatione quae finita est et determinatam habet existentiam. |
| {2p34} | [About ideas in us] 1. absolute 2. adequate 3. perfect | [De ideis in nobis] 1. absoluta 2. adaequata 3. perfecta |