Table of Contents
Except for the more technical use in 020, 036, 041 (praedicare), 'zeggen' has its broader 17th century sense of put orally or in any other way ocurring in discursive reasoning and debating. Sometimes (161, 280) the text in the margin is more explicit; promise, describe. With 'al vooren' etc. it is used for internal references. 'Aanzeggen' and 'toezeggen seem to be influenced by biblical use.
| lexical field | 100%=672 |
| betogen | 01%=4(3+0+1) |
| betonen | 02%=17(15+2) |
| aanwijzen | 08%=53(47+5+3) |
| bewijzen | 08%=53(47+5+3) |
| zeggen | 48%=331(280+26+25) |
| besluiten | 05%=32(25+5+2) |
| noemen | 10%=68(56+9+3) |
| spreken | 07%=44(40+3+1) |
| stellen | 10%=70(56+8+6) |
Mention or call: 'benaming' (denomination; naam, benoemen ~KV) only occcurs in the notes and the margin. 'Noemen' is remarkably frequent in the dialogues, where the terminological uncertainty is greatest. According to Spinoza's semantics there is no pressing reason for the choise of any specific denomination for specific contents. Therefore traditional names like God's son, sinn, renaissance etc. can be filled with Spinozistic content (347sqq.).
Related concepts: zeggen.
To put without the necessity of proof or enunciation. 'Daarstellen' (028, 091) is used for (causally) bringing into being. 'Stelling' (101) is not used in the technical sense of proposition. The term proposition only occurs in the appendix.
Related concepts: zeggen.
Used for treat, write. Less frequent for speak.
Related concepts: betonen, betogen.
For demonstrations (bewijsreden: syllogisme (Stevin); Kók: sluitreden (~KV)) 'aanwijzen, tonen, aantonen, betonen, betogen and bewijzen' are used indifferently. They often substitude each other in the margin and function in doublets with each other. All six terms seem to relate to their Latin examples without being influenced by them in the concept 'demonstrate' they stand for. 'Bewijzen' is used in the proofs of the existence of God apriori and aporsteriori in a logical (Cartesian; cf.265) way, whereas '(be)tonen and betogen' are the regular terms for dialectical reasoning. 'Aanwijzen' is both used in non technical sens for indicate (068, 186) and for the Cartesian concept of self evident knowledge (175sqq.).
Related concepts: gedaante.
In technical sense 'beschrijving' is used for definition (122sqq.). Spinoza denies the epistemologic validity of the Scholastic Neo-Aristotelian method of defining for his theory of knowledge (288, 151, 129sqq.). The translator of the KV uses 'beschrijven' in Spinozistic sense for any philosophic explanation. The alternative term 'bepaling' is not used for definition in the KV (cf.1,10cs).
Originally the term 'besluit' is used for the conclusion of (syllogistic) reasoning (163: formeeel besluit). By extension conclude applies to any conclusion reached by reasoning; e.g. in accordance with the rules of the Cartesian method as Spinoza applies them. The term thus always is used in technical sense, but sometimes covers a different content. The use of 'besluit' in 363 for God's decree seems contradictory as far as one does not realize that in Spinoza's concept of God he is present in every reasoning.
Related concepts: bewijzen.
'Betonen' and 'betogen' are the most usual terms for discursive reasoning in KV; Kók: "Be-tóóghing óft Be-tóóning noemen de Latijnen Demonstratio". 'Betonen' is the most frequent. Often the terms are used for internal references and in 175, 178, 186 and 306 the editor gives interpeting parafrases of the text in the margin.
As in the Ethics the proof from the impossible also plays an important role in the KV. Signals for this kind of argumentation are provided by the terminology in this lemma. The transalator here closely follows the oral trdition of his time.
Realated concepts: kennis, idee, geloof.
KV177 (cf.158) distinguishes between three kinds of knowledge: klare en onderscheidenlijke reden (120n) or geloof (156) is the second kind of knowledge and ware reden (156) the third one. KV is not consequent in its use of the terms 'reden, redenen and redenering' for the second kind of knowledge. Reden is used in non technical sense for reason as well as for the faculty of reasoning in general together with 'redenering'. In the technical term 'wezen van reden' (ens rationis) reden is used as antonym of dadelijk wezen. For KV115 (zaken van reden) cf. causas breviter addam ex quibus termini transcendentales dicti suam duxerunt originem ut Ens, Res, Aliquid.... Ex similibus deinde causis ortæ sunt notiones illæ quas universales vocant ut Homo, Equus, Canis etc, 2,50s1;
Related concepts: ens rationis.
'Opzicht' and 'aanzien' can be used alternately in the same syntagmas in KV. Meyer mentions 'opzichtig' as a translation of 'respectivus'; antonym: absolute (076).
Related concepts: beschrijving
KV uses the logical terms genus (geslacht), species (gedaante) and figura (gestalte) the way Kok translated them (Kók p.XLIn2; XL), be it not consequently: 'gedaante' and 'geslacht' are both used for genus and species. KV explicitly denies the usefulness for Spinoza's philosophy of the Scholastic Neo-Aristotelian epistemologic theory by defining in genus and differentia specifica (128, 288, 122sqq.). Instead Spinoza adds the proportion of motion and rest of his epistemology as a quantitative content to the term figura (slag, gestalte) and by substitution of slag en gedaante also to concept of species (323, 148sqq.). The ordinary language term disturbance (ontsteltenis) thus became disproportionation of motion and rest as a second interpretation (207sqq.).
Related concepts: geheel, algemeen.
In technical sense partition does not take place in the attribute, but in its modification (052). Logically the distinction between whole (geheel) and general (algemeen) applies to it (083, 071sqq.). The example of the partition of water (047sqq.) also occurs in 1,15s. 'Delen, afdelen, verdelen' in ordinary sense are used for distinguishing under some more general category.