Spinoza defines a substance as “what is in itself and is conceived through
itself” (Spinoza, Ethics (1677) 1.D3) by this he establishes the idea of a unified
primary component which forms all things, and needs no reference to anything
else to define it or to produce it, namely that its nature is not contingent on
anything else. This substance is then given form or function by what Spinoza
terms as an attribute defined as “what the intellect perceives of a substance as
constituting its essence” (Spinoza, Ethics (1677) 1.D4), by this Spinoza refers to
the most basic essences of the primary substance, at least as substance’s
essential qualities are perceived by intellectual thought. These essential qualities
are characteristics such as extension, namely having a place in space and time;
or thought, conceptual notions within mentalities such as memory. Due to its
attribute’s substance can be either physical or intangible which allows Spinoza
to form a monistic, or in other words an existence without distinction at the
fundamental level, theory of existence. This monism can arguably be seen as an
attempt to improve on Descartes’ Substance Dualism, by unifying mind and
bodies. According to Spinoza there can be an infinite number of attributes such
as wetness, or having temperature. Modes or ‘states’, conversely to substance,
are defined by reference to other objects or notions and are understood by
Spinoza as “a state of a substance, i.e. something that exists in and is conceived
through something else” (Spinoza, Ethics (1677) 1D5). These modes would
include comparatives such as colour, or relative temperature, and even specific
emotions, these examples show how modes are understood in relation to other
objects or mental states and thereby modify attributes. By Spinoza’s
understanding God is identical with nature, both the physical universe and its
conceptual identity within thought, and comprised of all substance with the
infinity of all possible attributes or as Spinoza proposes “Whatever exists is in
68
Made with FlippingBook HTML5