| Disambiguation |
In Ethica, necessarius is used in 3 senses, dealt with on 3
different notes pages: 1. necessarius(^liber) necessary, as opposed to free, in the sense of 1d07. Subject of this notes page. 2. necessarius (^contingens) necessary, as opposed to contingent. Dealt with on notes page 4d03 contingens^necessarius 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. In Ethica, liber is used in 2 senses, dealt with on 2 different notes pages: 1. liber (^necessarius) free as opposed to necessary, in the sense of 1d07. Subject of this notes page. 2. liberus (^servus) a free man, as opposed to a slave. Dealt with on notes page pp4p67 liberus^servus |
| Meaning |
a thing is free if with geometrical certainty not liable
ever in the least to be influenced by anything else, the smallest
possible exception renders a thing necessary. |
| Related concepts | The term coactus is, {1d07} states, better (potius) than necessarius, but equally rare in Ethica. It means "forced", there is no connotation (of "co-") whatsoever to "together", or something else indicating the determination would be partial |
| Occurrence | [geomap]
Subdistribution of
occurrences: necessario
(^liber) :4, coactus :3,
liber (^necessario) :14 contingens^necessarius average necessarius (pleonastic) average Before {4d03}, while liber^necessarius occurs well below average, there are 60 preoccurrences of contingens^necessarius. Before {4p47}, liber consistently has the sense liber (^necessarius). Between {4p47} and {5p05}, "liber" is consistently used in the sense of pp4p67 liberus^servus. But at the very last occurrence of "liber", in {5p05}, liber^necessarius is used again. |
| NOT linked: | necessarius where used in opposition to contingens, linked to 4d03
contingens^necessarius necessario, necessitas, where used pleonastic, linked to pp1d07 necessarius (pleonastic) liber where used in opposition to servus, linked to pp4p67 liberus^servus |
| {1d07 liber^necessarius} ...The definiton: you are necessary if you do not exist by the necessity of your own nature alone, hence except God, everything is necessary...in its first occurrence in this quote of its definition, the term is NOT used in the sense in which it is on its way of being defined but in the sense of necessarius (contingens) ... | |
| ...That thing is called free, which exists solely by the necessity of its own nature, and of which the action is determined by itself alone. On the other hand, that thing is necessary, or rather constrained, which is determined by something external to itself to a fixed and definite method of existence or action. | ...Ea res libera dicitur quae ex sola suae naturae necessitate existit et a se sola ad agendum determinatur. Necessaria autem vel potius coacta quae ab alio determinatur ad existendum et operandum certa ac determinata ratione. |
| {1p17c2 solum Deum causam liberam} | |
| ... It follows ... That God is the sole free cause ... | ... Sequitur ... solum Deum esse causam liberam ... |
| {1p32 Voluntas causa necessaria} | |
| ... Will cannot be called a free cause, but only a necessary cause. | ... Voluntas non potest vocari causa libera sed tantum necessaria. |
| {1p32c1 Deum non libertate voluntatis} | |
| ...Hence ... God does not act according to freedom of the will. | ... sequitur ... Deum non operari ex libertate voluntatis. |
| {2p48 In mente nulla est absoluta sive libera voluntas} ... Your will can't be liber(^necessarius) ... but you can be a liberus (^servus) : that different type of freedom of the human mind is possible and the very purpose of life ... | |
| ...In the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause.... | ...In mente nulla est absoluta sive [mng-eqv] libera voluntas sed mens ad hoc vel [excl non-exh] illud volendum determinatur a causa... |
| {3p49 erga quam liberam imaginamur} ... imaginamur ... | |
| ... Love or hatred towards a thing, which we conceive to be free, must, other conditions being similar, be greater than if it were felt towards a thing acting by necessity. | ... Amor et odium erga rem quam liberam esse imaginamur, major ex pari causa uterque debet esse quam erga necessariam. |
| {3de27 paenitentia} ... credimus ... | |
| ... Repentance is pain accompanied by the idea of some action, which we believe we have performed by the free decision of our mind. | ... Paenitentia est tristitia concomitante idea alicujus facti quod nos ex libero mentis decreto fecisse credimus. |
| Appendix: comparing {1d07 necessarius^liber} to {4d03 contingens^necessarius} |
In {4d03 contingens^necessarius}, necessarius is linked 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
| RES | infinitus absolute |
infinitus in suo genere |
finitus |
| necessarius^liber | liber | necessarius-1d07 | necessarius-1d07 |
| necessarius^contingens | necessarius-4d03 | necessarius-4d03 | contingens |