"Spinoza's Way of Ideas" Open Access

Abstract

Abstract
Spinoza's Way of Ideas
By Matthew Homan

One of Spinoza's most important, yet elusive, philosophical innovations is his concept of an adequate idea, which he defines as one with the intrinsic marks of its truth. My dissertation explores adequacy at the intersection of Spinoza's theories of ideas and knowledge.

In the first part of the dissertation, I develop an interpretation of adequacy, according to which an idea is adequate if it is thought through its cause, such that all the properties of the object can be deduced therefrom. I highlight the difficulties this epistemic model must face when applied to the knowledge of natural things (and not just mathematical objects), and I discuss Spinoza's arguments against skepticism.

In the second part of the dissertation, I develop successive interpretations of Spinoza's three kinds of knowledge from the standpoint of his theory of adequacy. I show how the second and third kinds of knowledge (reason and intuitive science) exhibit the scope for adequate knowledge of natural things.

Throughout the dissertation I explain and argue for the sophistication of Spinoza's methodology. I show that Spinoza is sensitive to the need to balance an a priori conception of the nature of knowledge with a naturalistic understanding of human cognitive capacities; and as such, Spinoza exemplifies an approach avant la lettre to the problem of naturalizing epistemology.

Spinoza's Way of Ideas
By
Matthew Homan
University of Memphis, M.A. 2006
University of Richmond, B.A. 2004
Advisor: Ursula Goldenbaum, Ph.D.
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the
James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies of Emory University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in Philosophy
2012

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Abbreviations and Notes on Texts...1
Introduction...2
Chapter 1 Spinoza's Theory of Adequacy...22

I. The Form of the True
II. "Physical and Real Beings"
III. Truth and Parallelism
IV. 2p11c

Chapter 2 Imagination, or the First Kind of Knowledge...78

I. The Human Mind as the Idea of the Body
II. The Perception of External Things
III. The Inadequacy of Imagination
IV. Error

Chapter 3 Reason, or the Second Kind of Knowledge...106

I. The Foundations of our Reasoning
II. Synthesis and Analysis
III. Our Reasoning
IV. Conclusions with Premises
V. The Origins of Reason in Spinoza

Chapter 4 Intuitive Science, or the Third Kind of Knowledge...142

I. Scientia Intuitiva: The Terms of the Definition
II. Scientia Intuitiva: Relating the Terms of the Definition
III. The Intuitive Aspect of Intuitive Science
IV. The Adequate Knowledge of the Essence of Things
Appendix: Some Reflections on Spinoza's Idea of God

Conclusion...189
Bibliography...198

Document Outline

Distribution Agreement.pdf
Approval Sheet.pdf
Abstract Cover Page.pdf
Abstract Page.pdf
Cover Page.pdf
Table of Contents.pdf
Spinoza's Way of Ideas (Final Version).pdf

About this Dissertation

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School	Laney Graduate School
Department	Philosophy
Degree	PhD
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Philosophy
Keyword	Idea Spinoza Epistemology Knowledge Method
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Goldenbaum, Ursula, Emory University
Committee Members	Jack, Zupko, University of Winnipeg Curley, Edwin, University of Michigan Flynn, Thomas R, Emory University McCauley, Robert, Emory University

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