Propositions 9 to 14

9. The mind consciously endeavours to persist in its being for an indefinite period

Proof: The essence of the mind is constituted by adequate and inadequate ideas (3.3).

And so it endeavours to persist in its own being indefinitely (3.8).

The mind (2.23) is necessarily conscious of itself through the ideas of the modifications of the body.

The mind is therefore (3.7) conscious of its own endeavour.

Note: This endeavour is called:

• will, in reference to the mind
• appetite, in reference to the mind in conjunction with the body

Will is man’s essence.

It is the basis of self-preservation and action.

There is no difference between appetite and desire, except desire is generally applied to men.

Desire is a conscious appetite.

Thus, we never:

• strive for, wish for, long for, or desire anything because we deem it to be good.
• deem a thing to be good just because we strive for it, wish for it, long for it, or desire it.

10. We cannot have an idea that excludes the existence of our body.

Proof: Whatever that can destroy our body, cannot be postulated therein (3.5).

Therefore neither can the idea of such a thing occur in God, in so far as he has the idea of our body (2.9. Coroll.).

That is (2.11, 2.13), the idea of that thing cannot be postulated as in our mind, but contrariwise, since (2.11, 2.13) the first element, that constitutes the essence of the mind, is the idea of the human body as actually existing, it follows that the first and chief endeavour of our mind is the endeavour to affirm the existence of our body=

Thus, an idea, which negatives the existence of our body, is contrary to our mind, etc. Q.E.D.

11. Whatever increases helps the power of activity in our body and the power of thought in our mind. Whatever decreases hinders it.

Proof: This proposition is evident from 2.7. or from 2.14.

Note: Thus, the mind can undergo many changes, and can pass sometimes to a state of greater perfection, sometimes to a state of lesser perfection.

These passive states of transition explain to us the emotions of pleasure and pain.

Pleasure signifies a passive state wherein the mind passes to a greater perfection.

I shall call pleasure, in reference to the body and mind together, as stimulation or merriment.

Pain signifies a passive state wherein the mind passes to a lesser perfection.

I shall call pain as suffering or melancholy.

We must remember that stimulation and suffering are attributed to man, when one part of his nature is more affected than the rest, merriment and melancholy, when all parts are alike affected.

I have explained desire in the note to Prop. 9 of this part.

Beyond these three, I recognize no other primary emotion.

I will show that all other emotions arise from these three.

But, before I go further, I should like here to explain at greater length Prop. 10 of this part, in order that we may clearly understand how one idea is contrary to another.

In the note to 2.17 we showed that the idea, which constitutes the essence of mind, involves the existence of body, so long as the body itself exists.

It follows from what we pointed out in the Corollary to 2.8, that our mind’s present existence depends solely on the fact that the mind involves the body’s actual existence.

Lastly, I showed (2.17, 2.18, and note) that the mind’s power in imagining and remembering things, also depends on the fact, that it involves the body’s actual existence.

It follows, that the mind’s present existence and its power of imagining are removed, as soon as the mind ceases to affirm the body’s present existence.

The cause why the mind ceases to affirm the body’s existence cannot be the mind itself (3. 4), nor again the fact that the body ceases to exist.

For (by 2.6) the cause, why the mind affirms the existence of the body, is not that the body began to exist.

Therefore, for the same reason, it does not cease to affirm the body’s existence, because the body ceases to exist.

But (2.17) this result follows from another idea, which excludes the body’s present existence and, consequently, of our mind, and which is therefore contrary to the idea constituting the essence of our mind.