Spinoza's Metaphysics：Substance and Thought

YitzhakMelamedhereoffersanewandsystematicinterpretationofthecoreofSpinoza'smetaphysics.Inthefirstpartofthebook,heproposesanewreadingofthemetaphysicsofsubstanceinSpinoza:hearguesthatforSpinozamodesbothinhereinandarepredicatedofGod.Usingextensivetextualevidence,heshowsthatSpinozaconsideredmodestobeGod'spropria.HegoesontoclarifySpinoza'sunderstandingofinfinity,mereologicalrelations,infinitemodes,andtheflowoffinitethingsfromGod'sessence.Inthesecondpartofthebook,Melamedreliesonthisinterpretationofthesubstance-moderelationandthenatureofinfinitemodesandputsforwardtwointerrelatedthesesaboutthestructureoftheattributeofThoughtanditsoverarchingroleinSpinoza'smetaphysics.First,heshowsthatSpinozahadnotone,buttwoindependentdoctrinesofparallelism.Then,inhisfinalmainthesis,Melamedarguesthat,forSpinoza,ideashaveamultifaceted(infact,infinitelyfaceted)structurethatallowsoneandthesameideatorepresenttheinfinitelymanymodeswhichareparalleltoitintheinfinitelymanyattributes.Thoughtturnsouttobecoextensivewiththewholeofnature.SpinozacannotembraceanidealistreductionofExtensiontoThoughtbecauseofhiscommitmenttotheconceptualseparationoftheattributes.Yet,withinSpinoza'smetaphysics,Thoughtclearlyhasprimacyovertheotherattributesinsofarasitistheonlyattributewhichisaselaborate,ascomplex,and,insomesenses,aspowerfulasGod.