general
| four kinds of knowledge | general | specific |
| unsure | horen seggen | ervarentheid |
| sure | waar geloof | klare kennis |
specific
| COGNITION | 722x | |
| kennis 103x | KENNEN cognosco 31.4% | 227x |
| kennen 101x | ||
| bekennen 23x | ||
| denken 58x | DENKEN cogito 13.2% | 95x |
| denkbeeld 12x | ||
| denking 22x | ||
| bedenken 3x | ||
| weten | WETEN conscius sum 7.8% | 56x |
| gewaarworden | GEWAARWORDEN percipio 4.8% | 35x |
| begrijpen 49x | BEGRIJP concipio 19.7% | |
| begrip 43x | 142x | |
| bevatten 10x | ||
| concept 40x | ||
| verstaan 90x | VERSTA intelligo percipio 23.1% | 167x |
| verstand 77x |
KV distinguishes knowledge according to sure/unsure and general/specific. Spinoza's epistemology has a cartesian background, in which self evidence functions as a criterium for the quality and reliability of the knowledge. Knowing, thinking and conceiving are the principal non-technical epistemological lexical fields.
Related concepts: waan, geloof, begrip, idea (cf.143), denking.
General term for content of consciousness. Epistemologically specified in a spinozistic way in 143sqq. Technical term in 'klare onderscheiden kennis' (152sqq.).
Related concepts: idee.
'Wijze van denken, denkende zaak, denkende eigenschap, denkende zelfstandigheid, denking' are used for the concept 'thinking' (cogitatio) as one of the two attibutes distinguished by Spinoza. The connotation of each of these alternatives is determinant for the choise in a particular context. Less frequent is the use of 'denken' in non technical sense for thinking. 'Denkbeeld' occurs technically as synonym af idea.
The use of 'weten' (conceive) in KV closely follows its biblical idiom. Only in 177 weten is used as a synonym of the technical term for the third kind of knowledge.
Related concepts: genieten, ondervinden.
'Gewaarworden' is used for becoming conscious in general. The term is used in a loose sense but seems very appropriate for being applied on the body as source of cognition (329). The expression 'zijn plicht waarnemen' (doing his duty) has a biblical connotation (218). The term is not used in technical sense for the first kind of knowledge, like 'ondervinden'.
Related concepts: idee, kennis, verstaan, bepalen, denkbeeld.
'Concept, begrip and bevatting' are in KV the usual terms for conceptual consciousness content i.e. the way consciousnes conceives; sometimes Cartesian (273n). In 'begrijpen and bevatten' a reference to cognition by defining -the species are contained in its genus- can be read (288 cf.TIE94sqq.). Allthough conceptual consciousness content most times forms knowledge of the second kind, technical use of the terms 'bevatting and begrip' for kinds of knowledge is rare (186).
Forms with versta* (understand) occur 167 times in KV (76x verstand*; 91x versta*): klaar en onderscheidelijk verstaan [clare et distincte intelligere]; bevat en verstaan worden; bestaan noch verstaan worden. 'Verstand' generally translates intellectus; 'verstaning' only occurs in the appendix for the attribute cogitation, whereas 'verstandige en uitgebreide zelfstandigheid' (064sqq.) for the attributes only occur in the dialogues.
Related concepts: begrip, concept, bevatting, denkbeeld; ziel; kennis, vormelijk wezen.
Idea is used as an alternative technical term for 'begrip, concept' etc. (cf.143, 264, 283). It predominantly (69,5%) occurs in the notes and the appendix: 24x in 001n-016n; 9x in 143n-147n; 3x in 373n-3744n; 9x in 333n-334n; 10x in 337n,340n; and 18x in 415-137app. (=73 out of 105; 69,5%). As a technical term the appendix and the notes 001-016 stress the relation with formal essence (vormelijk wezen, voorwerp).
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: zoeken
For the first kind of knowledge (cognitio ab experientia vaga) 'ondervinding' is the usual (73,3%) technical term in KV (153sqq, 342). Ervaring seems unfit as such, because it interferes with a deviating biblical use. Find (vinden) and experience (bevinden) predominantly do not have any technical application and are used for non discursive cognition reached by introspection etc. In some cases (155, 172) 'bevinden' is used instead if experience; sometimes (186sqq.) 'ondervinden' is used in non technical sense.
Related concepts: ondervinding.
'Horen' both functions in technical sense for the first kind of knowledge (16x van horen zeggen; ex auditu) and for to hear in loose sense.
Related concepts: waan; geloof; kennis.
Allthough 'mening' according to Kók can be used besides 'waan' as a translation of opinio, no instances of its use as a technical term occur in KV.
Related concepts: toedichten, toeschrijven.
The ordinary 17th century term for fiction is 'versiering'. It is not very common in KV and its use concentrates around 010 about the question if selfevident knowledge (ideas) can be fictitious.
Related concepts: opinie, mening; geloof; verbeelding.
'Wanen' is used as a synonym of 'bedriegen, dolen' in ordinary language non technical sense as well as for the first kind of knowledge in technical sense. The editor uses it in the margin (16x) in order to structurate the reasoning of the text when the technical terms 'opinie' and 'menen' are used; cf. Kók: opinio=waan, mening.
Related concepts: kennis, waan, versieren, verenigen.
'Geloof' can be used for two of the three kinds of knowledge distinguished by Spinoza (153). The text closely follows the use of its target group of believers in truth and virtue. Corresponding use in the Ethics could not be established. As a synonym of 'waan' it is used for the first kind of knowledge; as 'waar geloof' for the second kind (157sqq.). The concepts it is used for only can be derived from the context in each specific case. In the margin (215sqq.) the editor uses 'geloof' in order to structurate the reasoning of the text.
Uniting occurs between 1) cause and effect; 2) part and whole; 3) body and soul; 4) object and cognition. Circumstantial effects: love and fruition. The use of 'unite and union' in the Ethics is almost restricted to the relation between body and soul. Due to Leone Ebreo's (ca.1460-ca.1523) Platonist love mysticism in Spinoza's early philosophy, this semantic field has a wider extension in the KV.
Denying (ontkennen) and approving (bevestigen) refer to judgements on knowledge that can be true or false. Selfevident knowledge by definition is not in need of such a judgement (282sqq.) so that the will plays no part in it (277; cf.2,48s).
To understand clearly and distinctly (klaar / duidelijk en onderscheiden verstaan) functions as the Cartesian criterium for selfevident knowledge in KV: clare et distincte intelligere.
Related concepts: klaar, verscheiden.
Mostly used in Cartesian sense (clare et distincte), but also in Neo-Aristotelian sense of diferentia specifica (128). 16 out of 25 occurrances of 'onderscheiden' (N/V) are registrated in the appendix on the soul in the context of 'dadelijk'. The elements 'verschil* and ver/onderscheid*' in the semantic field difference/ distinction do not show substantially deviant use. In both the Ethics and the KV 'differentia specifica' is the basic meaning (geslagt en onderscheid). In 41 cases out of 65 Spinoza uses distinct* in the combination clar* et distinct* (klaar en onderscheiden). Only 'verscheiden' can be used as a numeral.
Related concepts: onderscheiden.
'Verscheiden' and 'verschillend' function synonymously for different (verschillend) and distinguished (onderscheiden). Besides 'verschillen' is used for being different by differentia specifica or deviate by specific characteristics.