Chain: Mind-Body Relation

Purpose: Demonstrates mind and body are the same thing expressed through different attributes.

The Chain

1. Part I Proposition 15 - All things in Nature
2. Part II Proposition 1 - Thought is attribute of Nature
3. Part II Proposition 2 - Extension is attribute of Nature
4. Part II Proposition 7 - Order of ideas = order of things ⭐
5. Part II Proposition 11 - Mind is idea of body ⭐
6. Part II Proposition 13 - Object of mind is body ⭐

Summary

Nature has (at least) two attributes humans know: thought and extension. The same causal order exists in both attributes - they’re parallel expressions of one reality. Human mind is the idea (in thought) of the human body (in extension). They’re not two things interacting but one thing expressed two ways.

Significance

• Solves mind-body problem without interaction
• Shows psychophysical parallelism
• Eliminates Cartesian dualism
• Foundation for psychology and ethics

Leads To

• Chain - Theory of Knowledge - How mind knows
• Chain - Conatus to Ethics - Mind-body as striving unit