| Disambiguation |
In Ethica, necessarius is used in 3 senses, dealt with on 3
different notes pages. 1. necessarius(^liber) necessary, as opposed to free. Dealt with on notes page 1d07 liber^necessarius 2. necessarius (^contingens) necessary, as opposed to contingent. Dealt with on this notes page. 3. necessarius (pleonastic) necessary where used pleonastic. Dealt with on notes page pp1d07 necessarius (pleonastic) Note: Nowhere in Ethica "necessary" is used in the (non-causal) sense of modern logic and mathematics, where the following 4 expressions are equivalent: 1. B is necessary for A 2. if not-B then not-A 3. if A then B 4. A is sufficient for B. |
| Meaning | necessary(^contingent). Necessary
= NOT contingent. The definition of contingens
(nihil invenimus essentiam quod earum
existentiam
ponat - we find nothing which asserts their existence) links up the
complementary pair
necessary^contingent
to Ethica's hub
mantra (essentia
involvit existentiam) and
renders necessary^contingent
equivalent to the pair
infinite^finite, rendering
necessary(^contingent)
equivalent to
eternal. Note that the
definition ranges over particular things (res
singulares) only. A thing's essence may not involve its existence, yet the essence of an encompassing idea of which the thing is a part may involve its existence. Having arrived at such an encompassing idea, the mind can no longer (but such is no impotence, instead, it is potentia) conceive it as non-existent. (Similarly when that idea excludes the thing's existence). In the course of understanding nature, in other words,on the road to perfection, , in other words, in the process of power-acquisition of the mind, this geometrical certainty about existence and non-existence gradually spreads over more and more things. The logical limit, an absolutely perfect mind would certainly know of every thing whether or not it exists: from that point of view every existing thing exists necessarily, or when not, necessarily does not exist). |
| Mantras [what is] | necessario
existit
(existit is
redundant), similarly datur
necessario, similarly necessario
est (where
meaning necessarily exists, NOT where meaning is necessary). et necessario et [mng eqv] infinita ... existit (both infinita and existit are redundant) necessario vera (necessarily true as opposed to accidentally true) |
| Related concepts | Related to contingens: per accidens |
| Occurrence | [geomap] Contingens^necessarius Starting {1p08} dense proccurrence in the mantra necessario existere (in which existere is redundant). {1p29} preoccurrence: "Nothing in the universe is contingent" "In rerum natura nullum datur contingens". |
| NOT linked: | necessarius where used in oppostion to liber,
linked to 1d07
liber^necessarius.html
necessario, necessitas, where used pleonastic, linked to pp1d07 necessarius (pleonastic) Colloquial uses like: "Aliquid contingere aliquo", "something happens to something" |
| {1p08 substantia infinita} ... in necessario infinita, necessario is used pleonastic ... Spinoza is aware of this: it is omitted in the Q.E.D. repeat routine ... further down: in necessario existere, necessario means: its existence follows from its essence (hence in necessario existere, the verb existere is redundant). Hence necessario is used in the {4d03}-sense, not the {1d07}-sense ... This is the start of dense occurrence of the {4d03}-sense existere-pleonastic expression: necessario existere ... | |
| ... Every substance is necessarily infinite. | ... Omnis substantia est necessario infinita. |
| ...There can only be one substance with an identical attribute, and existence follows from its nature ... its nature, therefore, involves existence, either as finite or infinite. It does not exist as finite, for ... it would then be limited by something else of the same kind, which would also necessarily exist ... and there would be two substances with an identical attribute, which is absurd .... It therefore exists as infinite. Q.E.D. | DEMONSTRATIO: Substantia unius attributi non nisi unica existit ... et ad ipsius naturam pertinet existere ... Erit ergo de ipsius natura vel [excl exh] finita vel [excl exh] infinita existere. At non finita. Nam ... deberet terminari ab alia ejusdem naturae quae etiam necessario deberet existere ... adeoque darentur du substantiae ejusdem attributi, quod est absurdum ... Existit ergo infinita. Q.E.D. |
| 1p33s1 contingentes ... preoccurrence in scholium: contingens merely refers to the imperfection of our knowledge of the thing, not to the thing itself ... | |
|
....
there is ...nothing to justify us in calling things contingent...A thing is called necessary either in respect to its essence or in
respect to its cause; for the existence of a thing necessarily follows,
either from its essence and definition, or from a given efficient cause.
For similar reasons a thing is said to be impossible; namely, inasmuch
as its essence or definition involves a contradiction, or because no
external cause is granted, which is conditioned to produce such an
effect; but a thing can in no respect be called contingent, save in
relation to the imperfection of our knowledge. A thing of which we do not know whether the essence does or does not involve a contradiction, or of which, knowing that it does not involve a contradiction, we are still in doubt concerning the existence, because the order of causes escapes us,-such a thing, I say, cannot appear to us either necessary or impossible. Wherefore we call it contingent or possible. |
...nihil ...in rebus dari propter quod contingentes dicantur...Res aliqua necessaria dicitur vel ratione suae essentiae vel ratione causae. Rei enim alicujus existentia vel ex ipsius essentia et definitione vel ex data causa efficiente necessario sequitur. Deinde his etiam de causis res aliqua impossibilis dicitur; nimirum quia vel ipsius essentia seu definitio contradictionem involvit vel quia nulla causa externa datur ad talem rem producendam determinata. At res aliqua nulla alia de causa contingens dicitur nisi respectu defectus nostrae cognitionis. Res enim cujus essentiam contradictionem involvere ignoramus vel de qua probe scimus eandem nullam contradictionem involvere et tamen de ipsius existentia nihil certo affirmare possumus propterea quod ordo causarum nos latet, ea nunquam nec ut necessaria nec ut impossibilis videri nobis potest ideoque eandem vel contingentem vel possibilem vocamus. |
| {2p31c omnes res contingentes et corruptibiles} ...preoccurrence, local sense contingentes et corruptibiles NOT contingens(^necessarius). But at the end of the corrolarium in nullum datur contingens, contingens means again contingens(^necessarius)... | |
| ....all particular things are contingent and perishable.... For we can have no adequate idea of their duration...and this is what we must understand by the contingency and perishableness of things. ...For ...except in this sense, nothing is contingent. | ...omnes res particulares contingentes et corruptibiles esse... Nam de earum duratione nullam adaequatam cognitionem habere possumus ...hoc est id quod per rerum contingentiam et corruptionis possibilitatem nobis est intelligendum ...Nam ...praeter hoc nullum datur contingens. |
| {2p41 primi generis falsitatis, secundi tertii vera} ...knowledge first kind (imaginatio) can (though does not necessarily - you can be "lucky") produce false ideas, with the other two other kinds of knowledge this is - by their meanings - impossible... | |
| ...Knowledge of the first kind is the only source of falsity, knowledge of the second and third kinds is necessarily true. | ...Cognitio primi generis unica est falsitatis causa, secundi autem et tertii est necessario vera. |
| {4d03 contingens^necessarius} ... the definition dealt with on this notes page, a definition of res singulares only, using necessario twice but both times NOT in the sense of the defined term but in the sense of necessarius (pleonastic) ... the definition links up to to Ethica's hub mantra (essentia involvit existentiam) and renders necessary^contingent equivalent to the pair infinite^finite, rendering necessary(^contingent) equivalent to eternal ... | |
| ..Particular things I call contingent in so far as, while regarding their essence only, we find nothing therein, which necessarily asserts their existence or excludes it. | ..Res singulares voco contingentes quatenus dum ad earum solam essentiam attendimus, nihil invenimus quod earum existentiam necessario ponat vel [excl non-exh] quod ipsam necessario secludat. |
| {4d04 possibile} ...the quoted scholium 1p33s1 contingentes is also quoted above...starting from {2d03} and {4d04} possibility is about our lack of knowledge, but the meaning of contingency is no longer as in 1p33s1: from here some thing's necessity/contingency follows from (what is/is NOT part of) the essence (essentia) of a thing ... | |
| ...Particular things I call possible in so far as, while regarding the causes whereby they must be produced, we know not, whether such causes be determined for producing them. (In I. xxxiii. note. i., I drew no distinction between possible and contingent, because there was in that place no need to distinguish them accurately.) | ...Easdem res singulares voco possibiles quatenus dum ad causas ex quibus produci debent, attendimus, nescimus an ipsae determinatae sint ad easdem producendum. In scholio I propositionis 33 partis I inter possibile et contingens nullam feci differentiam quia ibi non opus erat haec accurate distinguere. |
| (4p11 Affectus rem necessariam intensior quam possibilem} ... a distinction only in imaginatio ... | |
| ...An emotion towards that which we conceive as necessary is, when other conditions are equal, more intense than an emotion towards that which possible, or contingent, or non-necessary. | ...Affectus erga rem quam ut necessariam imaginamur, caeteris paribus intensior est quam erga possibilem vel [non-excl non-exh] contingentem sive [mng eqv] non necessariam. |
| {2p44c1 sola imaginatione contingentes} ...contingency only in imagination ... | |
| ...only through our imagination that we consider things, whether in respect to the future or the past, as contingent. | ...a sola imaginatione pendere quod res tam respectu praeteriti quam futuri ut contingentes contemplemur. |
| {4p62 ex rationis futurae praeterit praesentis} ...sub aeternitatis specie and sub necessitatis specie mean the same ... | |
| ...under the form of eternity or necessity... | sub ... aeternitatis seu [mng-eqv] necessitatis specie ... |
| Equivalence claims involving contingens^necessarius | ||
| {1p19} | 1. God 2. substance, which necessarily exists 3. [that of which] existence appertains to its nature 4. [that of which existence] follows from its definition 5. [that which] is eternal | 1. Deus 2. substantia quae necessario existit 3. cujus naturam pertinet existere 4. ex cujus definitione sequitur ipsum existere 5. est aeternus. |
| {2p12} | [About all that comes to pass in the object of the idea, which constitutes the human mind] 1. [it] must be perceived by the human mind 2. there will necessarily be an idea [of it] in the human mind. | [De quicquid in objecto ideae humanam mentem constituentis contingit] 1. id ab humana mente debet percipi 2. ejus rei dabitur in mente necessario idea |
| {2p12} | 1. Whatsoever comes to pass in the object of the idea, which constitutes the human mind, must be perceived by the human mind, or there will necessarily be an idea in the human mind of the said occurrence. 2. if the object of the idea constituting the human mind be a body, nothing can take place in that body without being perceived by the mind. | 1. uicquid in objecto ideae humanam mentem constituentis contingit, id ab humana mente debet percipi sive [mng eqv] ejus rei dabitur in mente necessario idea 2. si objectum ideae humanam mentem constituentis sit corpus, nihil in eo corpore poterit contingere quod a mente non percipiatur. |
| {4d03} [notes] | 1. contingent [particular things] 2. [particular things] which, while regarding their essence only, we find nothing therein, which necessarily asserts their existence or excludes it. | 1. [Res singulares] contingentes 2. [Res singulares] quatenus dum ad earum solam essentiam attendimus, nihil invenimus quod earum existentiam necessario ponat vel [excl non-exh] quod ipsam necessario secludat. |
| {4p62} | 1. under the guidance of reason 2.under the form of eternity 3. [under the form of ] necessity | [De
conceptioni] 1. ducente ratione 2. sub aeternitatis specie 3. [sub] necessitatis specie |
|
Appendix
comparing
{4d03 contingens^necessarius}
to {1d07 necessarius^liber}
|
| A RES | which is infinitus absolute |
which is
infinitus in suo genere |
which is finitus |
| necessarius^liber | is liber | is necessarius-1d07 | is necessarius-1d07 |
| necessarius^contingens | is necessarius-4d03 | is necessarius-4d03 | is contingens |