Single Idea 21804

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 1. Faculties]

Full Idea

Faculties are either complete fictions, or nothing but metaphysical beings or universals, which are used to forming from particulars (as 'stoneness' is to a stone).

Gist of Idea

Faculties are either fictions, or the abstract universals of ideas

Source

Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], II Pr 48S), quoted by Stephan Schmid - Faculties in Early Modern Philosophy 3

Book Reference

'The Faculties: a history', ed/tr. Perler,Dominic [OUP 2015], p.170


A Reaction

So they are, at best, the sources of our concepts. Does that mean one faculty for each concept, or one huge concept-generating faculty?