Spinoza saw ... that if a falling stone could reason, it would think, 'I want to fall at the rate of thirty-two feet per second per second.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author uses a metaphor to show how entities might rationalize their constrained existence as choice.
- In plain terms
- Things might think their limits are desires.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize when constraints are mistaken for choices.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can we distinguish desire from necessity?
- How much of our will is constrained?
Another view
The analogy oversimplifies complex cognitive processes.
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