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Horst Steinke
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However, there is a transcending dimension to reason that needs
to be brought to the fore, namely, the ability to derive truthful
insights from a realization of the essence(s) of reality through in-
tuitive knowledge. This type of reason is applying the power of
deduction in bringing a true understanding of ultimate reality and
causality to bear on matters of science. The following two in-
stances from Spinoza’s own scientific research may serve to
demonstrate this point. In his review of essays by Boyle on ex-
perimental issues, Spinoza questioned Boyle’s concern with ex-
perimentally determining the smallest possible size of bodies
(particles) on which to exert a force; his rationale was that «it is
by reason and calculation that we divide bodies to infinity, and
consequently also the forces required to move them. We never
confirm this by experiments»
345
. The «reasoning» employed here
is inference from the notion of «infinity» in the realm of intuitive
knowledge
346
. The second example can be found in another letter
taking issue with Boyle who was not convinced of the impossi-
bility of creating a vacuum, in which letter Spinoza explained his
certainty of such impossibility as follows: «But I do not know
why he calls the impossibility of a vacuum a hypothesis, since it
clearly follows from the fact that nothing has no properties»
347
.
In this instance, Spinoza seems to equate a physical state of af-
fairs (the vacuum) with the metaphysical concept of «nothing»
that is part of the third kind of knowledge, and then arrive at a
conclusion by reasoning from that premise
348
.
In Spinoza’s further expositions of his epistemology, it is
noteworthy that the juxtapositions, comparisons, and contrasts
seem to gravitate to the polarity of the first vs. third kind of
knowledge rather than to the first vs. the second, or second vs.
the third kind, respectively. Since we are here concerned primari-
ly with Spinoza’s philosophy of language, we are limiting our-
selves to statements that expressly deal with language-related
terms. In
Ethics
, many references to language are subtle, embed-
ded in the narrative flow, but stand out in being used to point