Mens and Corporis in Spinoza

Abstract

Mens and Corporis in Spinoza are expressions of a monistic philosophy developed during the modern age. Presented in Ethics, they give an account of the constitution of what is human. With notes of pantheism, materialism and immanentism, these conjugate a presentation that contrasts with the one offered by Cartesianism. A single substance, absolute and divine, it explains through its modes and attributes the assembly of what is observed in nature, as well as the laws that govern and dominate there. The body-mind

problem, of interest in current ontological, epistemological and ethical areas, frequently finds a model to foster and stimulate debate in the so-called body- mind parallelism. It is a medicine interested in becoming part of an interdisciplinary task and willing to analyze corporal representations as well as health-disease processes. One may find in Spinoza’s philosophy elements that enhance the reflection that contemporary challenges demand.