E2P19D
Demonstration — Part II
Latin
Mens enim humana est ipsa idea sive cognitio corporis humani (per propositionem 13 hujus) quæ (per propositionem 9 hujus) in Deo quidem est quatenus alia rei singularis idea affectus consideratur vel quia (per postulatum 4) corpus humanum plurimis corporibus indiget a quibus continuo quasi regeneratur et ordo et connexio idearum idem est (per propositionem 7 hujus) ac ordo et connexio causarum, erit hæc idea in Deo quatenus plurimarum rerum singularium ideis affectus consideratur. Deus itaque ideam corporis humani habet sive corpus humanum cognoscit quatenus plurimis aliis ideis affectus est et non quatenus naturam humanæ mentis constituit hoc est (per corollarium propositionis 11 hujus) mens humana corpus humanum non cognoscit. At ideæ affectionum corporis in Deo sunt quatenus humanæ mentis naturam constituit sive mens humana easdem affectiones percipit (per propositionem 12 hujus) et consequenter (per propositionem 16 hujus) ipsum corpus humanum idque (per propositionem 17 hujus) ut actu existens; percipit ergo eatenus tantum mens humana ipsum humanum corpus. Q.E.D.
English (Elwes 1883)
The human mind is the very idea or knowledge of the human body (II. xiii.), which (II. ix.) is in God, in so far as he is regarded as affected by another idea of a particular thing actually existing: or, inasmuch as (Post. iv.) the human body stands in need of very many bodies whereby it is, as it were, continually regenerated; and the order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of causes (II. vii.); this idea will therefore be in God, in so far as he is regarded as affected by the ideas of very many particular things. Thus God has the idea of the human body, or knows the human body, in so far as he is affected by very many other ideas, and not in so far as he constitutes the nature of the human mind; that is (by II. xi. Coroll.), the human mind does not know the human body. But the ideas of the modifications of body are in God, in so far as he constitutes the nature of the human mind, or the human mind perceives those modifications (II. xii.), and consequently (II. xvi.) the human body itself, and as actually existing; therefore the mind perceives thus far only the human body. Q.E.D.
Modern English
The human mind is the very idea, or knowledge, of the human body (E2P13), which (E2P9) is in God insofar as he is regarded as affected by another idea of a singular thing actually existing. Or, since (E2Post4) the human body needs many other bodies by which it is, as it were, continually regenerated, and since the order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of causes (E2P7), this idea will be in God insofar as he is regarded as affected by the ideas of very many singular things. God therefore has the idea of the human body, that is, knows the human body, insofar as he is affected by many other ideas, not insofar as he constitutes the nature of the human mind. That is (E2P11C), the human mind does not know the human body. But the ideas of the affections of the body are in God insofar as he constitutes the nature of the human mind, that is, the human mind perceives those affections (E2P12), and consequently (E2P16) the human body itself, and as actually existing (E2P17). The human mind therefore perceives the human body only to that extent. Q.E.D.