Spinoza's Ethics, Part 1, Axiom 7

by Corry Shores
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[the following is quotation; my summary and commentary is in brackets. The Latin text comes last.]

Spinoza, Ethics

Part I "Concerning God"

Axiom VII:

VII. If a thing can be conceived as non-existing, its essence does not involve existence.

[Logical consequences follow from something's definition. If something's existence follows, then it can only be conceived as existing. For, thinking it as non-existing contradicts a necessary consequence of its essence. For more, see Part 1, Definition 1, and §§91-97 of Improvement of the Understanding.]

From the Latin:

VII. Quicquid ut non existens potest concipi, ejus essentia non involvit existentiam.

Spinoza. Ethics. Transl. Elwes. available online at:

http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/spinoza/benedict/ethics/index.html

Spinoza. Ethica. available online at:

http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/Chronologia/Lspost17/Spinoza/spi_eth0.html