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    The formal reality of an idea, understood as an operation... — Carmelics
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    The formal reality of an idea, understood as an operation of the mind, cannot be greater than the formal reality of the mind itself.

    Consciousness & MindDivine Attributes
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.An idea in the material sense is a mode of the mind.
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    • 2.The formal reality of a mode is derived from the formal reality of the substance it belongs to.
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    • 3.The mind is the substance from which mental modes derive their formal reality.
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
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    • 1.Spinoza argues that finite modes participate in attributes of substance whose infinite nature exceeds any individual modal expression.
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    • 2.If ideas are modes of an infinite attribute (Thought), their formal reality is grounded in infinite substance, not merely the finite mind.
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    • 3.Therefore, the formal reality of an idea may exceed the finite mind's reality by virtue of its rootedness in the infinite attribute of Thought.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Malebranche holds that finite minds perceive ideas in God, meaning ideas have their formal locus in a being of greater reality than the human mind.
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    • 2.If the formal seat of an idea is God rather than the finite mind, the idea's formal reality is not bounded by the mind's own ontological grade.
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    Topics

    Divine AttributesConsciousness & Mind

    Connections

    2 topics

    Causation1 linkedPhilosophy of Language1 linked

    Related

    An idea in the material sense is a mode of the mind.If ideas are modes of an infinite attribute (Thought), their formal reality is g...If the formal seat of an idea is God rather than the finite mind, the idea's for...Malebranche holds that finite minds perceive ideas in God, meaning ideas have th...
    +4 moreShow less
    Spinoza argues that finite modes participate in attributes of substance whose in...The formal reality of a mode is derived from the formal reality of the substance...The mind is the substance from which mental modes derive their formal reality.Therefore, the formal reality of an idea may exceed the finite mind's reality by...

    Similar

    Consciousness is real, whereas the mind is less real than consciousnes...81%The idea of God's objective reality originates in God's formal reality...80%The mind is the substance from which mental modes derive their formal ...80%Mysticism identifies reality with the immediate content of the mind, d...79%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: descartes-ideas
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    The term “idea” can be used to refer to a specific kind of act or operation of the mind—here, it is the act of representing. In this sense, the idea is simply an existent mode of the mind. In light of the formal-objective reality distinction, since the formal reality of an idea (a mode) is derived from the formal reality of the mind (its substance), it follows that its level of formal reality cannot be greater than that of the mind. This is what Descartes means when claiming that his ideas, unde
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit