Philosophical Works · Chapter
LXV explained
This chapter explains how we can best understand the diverse modes of thought (such as intellection, imagination, recollection, volition) and the modes of extension (such as figures, situation of parts, and motions) by considering them simp
What happens
This chapter explains how we can best understand the diverse modes of thought (such as intellection, imagination, recollection, volition) and the modes of extension (such as figures, situation of parts, and motions) by considering them simply as modes of the things in which they inhere, and by treating motion merely as locomotion without investigating its producing force.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it presents the precise moment of epistemological crisi…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Mind-Body Dualism
The chapter distinguishes modes of thought (mental) from modes of extension (physical), reinforcing the dualistic framework.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The narrator explains the method for apprehending modes of thought and extension.
Key passages
“In the same way we will best apprehend the diverse modes of thought, as intellection, imagination, recollection, volition, etc. , and also the diverse modes of extension, or those that belong to extension, as all figures, the situation of parts and their motions, provided we consider them simply as modes of the things in which they are; and motion as far as it is concerned, provided we think merely of locomotion, without seeking to know the force that produces it”
We can best understand the various forms of thinking (like understanding, imagining, remembering, willing) and the various forms of physical extension (like shapes, arrangements, and movements) by treating them as mere properties of the substances they belong to, and by considering motion only as local movement without investigating its underlying cause.
The narrator advises focusing on modes as properties of substances and avoiding inquiry into the force behind motion.
