Spinoza's dynamics of being: the concept of power and its role in Spinoza's metaphysics

Contents ......Page 6
1. Introduction ......Page 9
PART I: Causation and Power ......Page 15
2.1. The key tenets ......Page 16
2.2. The final, the material, and the efficient cause ......Page 18
2.3. Su?rez on formal cause and emanation ......Page 21
2.4. Spinoza, formal causality, and geometry ......Page 28
2.5. Spinoza and the essentialist model of causation ......Page 35
3.1.1. Scholastics on substantial form and power ......Page 47
3.1.2. Descartes and the problem of power ......Page 49
3.2. The general position of the concept of power in Spinoza’s system ......Page 53
4.1. Power introduced as power of existing ......Page 65
4.2. Existing \"in itself in Descartes and Spinoza ......Page 66
4.2.1. \"From itself’ in Descartes ......Page 67
4.2.2. \"In itself’ and Spinoza’s God ......Page 68
4.2.3. Finite things’ power to exist in itself ......Page 70
4.2.4. God’s omnipotence and finite things’ power ......Page 73
5.1. Spinoza on activity and passivity ......Page 76
5.1.1. Spinoza’s definition of action and passion ......Page 77
5.1.2. The historical context of Spinoza’s definition ......Page 78
5.1.3. Problems in interpreting Spinoza’s definition ......Page 82
5.2. Agendipotenth and its role in Spinoza’s system ......Page 90
5.3. The dam model of causal power ......Page 96
6.1. Spinoza’s dynamic essentialism ......Page 103
6.2. Spinozas dynamism and contemporary essentialism ......Page 108
7. Power and Extended Universe ......Page 116
7.1. Space and bodies: the field metaphysical interpretation ......Page 117
7.2. Field metaphysic of power ......Page 121
7.3. Physical individuality and field metaphysic ......Page 128
PART II: Power as Striving ......Page 135
8.1. Historical sources of the doctrine ......Page 136
8.2. Power as conatus in Spinoza ......Page 144
9.1. Some influential interpretations ......Page 148
9.2. The impossibility of self-destruction ......Page 151
9.3. Power and expression ......Page 157
9.4. The argument reconstructed ......Page 160
10.1. Conatus as the metaphysical principle of inertia ......Page 166
10.2. Explaining human agency: appetite and efficient causation ......Page 170
10.3. The inertial reading criticized ......Page 176
11. The Teleological Reading of the Conatus Doctrine ......Page 183
11.1. Bennett, Spinoza, and the causal inefficacy of representational content ......Page 186
11.2. Teleology and the appendix of De Deo ......Page 198
11.3. Conatus as a teleological principle ......Page 200
11.4. Explaining human agency: appetite ard thoughtful teleology ......Page 204
11.5. The teleological reading criticized ......Page 207
12.1. Conatus as the principle of essence realizing ......Page 217
12.2.1. Conatus, appetite, and desire ......Page 226
12.2.2. Directed striving ......Page 228
12.2.3. Human agency reconceived: resistances, emotions, and power ......Page 230
12.3. Essentialism and teleology ......Page 235
13.1. Formal and actual essences ......Page 243
13.2. The actual individual constituted ......Page 253
13.3. Power, individuation, and explanation ......Page 260
13.4. Conatus, thought, and reason ......Page 264
14. Summary and Conclusion ......Page 276
Bibliography ......Page 285