E1P31D
Demonstration — Part I
Latin
Per intellectum enim (ut per se notum) non intelligimus absolutam cogitationem sed certum tantum modum cogitandi, qui modus ab aliis scilicet cupiditate, amore, etc. differt adeoque (per definitionem 5) per absolutam cogitationem concipi debet nempe (per propositionem 15 et definitionem 6) per aliquod Dei attributum quod æternam et infinitam cogitationis essentiam exprimit, ita concipi debet ut sine ipso nec esse nec concipi possit ac propterea (per scholium propositionis 29) ad Naturam naturatam, non vero naturantem referri debet ut etiam reliqui modi cogitandi. Q.E.D.
English (Elwes 1883)
By the intellect we do not (obviously) mean absolute thought, but only a certain mode of thinking, differing from other modes, such as love, desire, &c., and therefore (Def. v.) requiring to be conceived through absolute thought. It must (by Prop. xv. and Def. vi.), through some attribute of God which expresses the eternal and infinite essence of thought, be so conceived, that without such attribute it could neither be nor be conceived. It must therefore be referred to nature passive rather than to nature active, as must also the other modes of thinking. Q.E.D.
Modern English
By intellect (as is self-evident) we do not mean absolute thought, but only a certain mode of thinking, one that differs from the others, namely desire, love, and the like. So it must be conceived through absolute thought (E1D5), that is, through some attribute of God that expresses the eternal and infinite essence of thought (E1P15) and (E1D6), and must be conceived in such a way that without that attribute it can neither be nor be conceived. Therefore it must be referred to *natura naturata*, not to *natura naturans* (E1P29S), and the same holds for the other modes of thinking. Q.E.D.