Kinds of Knowledge
Table of Contents
38. Those things, which are common to all, and which are equally in a part and in the whole, cannot be conceived except adequately.
Proof: Let A be something, which is common to all bodies, and which is equally present in the part of any given body and in the whole.
I say A cannot be conceived except adequately.
For the idea thereof in God will necessarily be adequate (2.7. Coroll.), both in so far as God has the idea of the human body, and also in so far as he has the idea of the modifications of the human body, which (2.16, 25, 27) involve in part the nature of the human body and the nature of external bodies.
That is (2.12,13), the idea in God will necessarily be adequate, both in so far as he constitutes the human mind, and in so far as he has the ideas, which are in the human mind.
Therefore the mind (2.11 Coroll.) necessarily perceives A adequately, and has this adequate perception, both in so far as it perceives itself, and in so far as it perceives its own or any external body, nor can A be conceived in any other manner. Q.E.D.
Corollary: It follows that there are certain ideas or notions common to all men.
39. That, which is common to and a property of the human body and such other bodies as are wont to affect the human body, and which is present equally in each part of either, or in the whole, will be represented by an adequate idea in the mind.
Corollary= Hence it follows that the mind is fitted to perceive adequately more things, in proportion as its body has more in common with other bodies.
40. Ideas that spring from adequate ideas in the human mind are also adequate themselves.
- Knowledge of the first kind is the only source of falsehood.
- Knowledge of the second and third kinds teaches us to distinguish the true from the false.