(9) It happens indeed
that, when we mistakenly fear an evil, the fear vanishes when we hear the
true tidings; but the contrary also happens, namely, that we fear an evil
which will certainly come, and our fear vanishes when we hear false
tidings; thus imaginations do not vanish at the presence of the truth, in
virtue of its being true, but because other imaginations, stronger than
the first, supervene and exclude the present existence of that which we
imagined, as I have shown in II:[xvii].
Prop. [II] We are only passive, in so far as we are apart
of Nature, which cannot be conceived by itself
without other parts.
Proof.- (2:1) We are said to be passive, when something arises in us,
whereof we are only a partial cause (III:[De.ii] ), that is (III:[De.i] ),
something which cannot be deduced solely from the laws of our nature.
(2) We are passive therefore in so far as we are a part of Nature,
which cannot be conceived by itself without other parts. Q.E.D.
Prop. [III] The force whereby a man persists in existing is limited,
and is infinitely surpassed by the power of external causes.
Proof.- (3:1) This is evident from the axiom of this part. (2) For, when
man is given, there is something else - say A - more powerful; when A is
given, there is something else - say B - more powerful than A, and so on
to infinity; thus the power of man is limited by the power of some other
thing, and is infinitely surpassed by the power of external causes.
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