The identification of God with substance on Spinoza’s writings comes from his interpretation of cartesian philosophy, in as much as he understands substance as necessary instead of taking it in its essentialist sense. Thus, there’s a scholastic distinction between substantial existence and necessary existence. This same distinction would be the one referred to in Descartes’ Principia Philosophiae concerning his definition of substance; nevertheless, Spinoza interprets them as equivalent. In this way, Spinoza identifies substance, on its essentialist sense, with the feature of necessity of the divine being; all of this in his Etica ordine geometrico demonstrata. This results on the identification of God with substance, because he is indeed the only substantial being that gathers all the distinct attributes expressed in many modes.

The identification of God with substance on Spinoza’s writings comes from his interpretation of cartesian philosophy, in as much as he understands substance as necessary instead of taking it in its essentialist sense. Thus, there’s a scholastic distinction between substantial existence and necessary existence. This same distinction would be the one referred to in Descartes’ Principia Philosophiae concerning his definition of substance; nevertheless, Spinoza interprets them as equivalent. In this way, Spinoza identifies substance, on its essentialist sense, with the feature of necessity of the divine being; all of this in his Etica ordine geometrico demonstrata. This results on the identification of God with substance, because he is indeed the only substantial being that gathers all the distinct attributes expressed in many modes.

Aristotelian cosmology and physics received by the medieval occident justify the scientific view of the (medieval) astrology. How so? Well, let’s consider the aristotelic theory of the tripartite man: body, soul and pneuma (as the link between both and as the reason of the ability of the soul to catch inmaterial knowledge from the material one). Now, let’s consider the aristotelian view of the cosmos as a system of celestial spheres –moved by the Unmoved mover – and that influences on earth in a way that they produce its movement. These two prior considerations will serve as a support to talk about the relation man-cosmos throughtout the pneuma (made from the aristotelian quintessence, the eter). This view, altogether, will be useful to justify some medieval views about the astrology as a scientific discipline, as starting in natural philosophy. Once this cosmological system fall...

Aristotelian cosmology and physics received by the medieval occident justify the scientific view of the (medieval) astrology. How so? Well, let’s consider the aristotelic theory of the tripartite man: body, soul and pneuma (as the link between both and as the reason of the ability of the soul to catch inmaterial knowledge from the material one). Now, let’s consider the aristotelian view of the cosmos as a system of celestial spheres –moved by the Unmoved mover – and that influences on earth in a way that they produce its movement. These two prior considerations will serve as a support to talk about the relation man-cosmos throughtout the pneuma (made from the aristotelian quintessence, the eter). This view, altogether, will be useful to justify some medieval views about the astrology as a scientific discipline, as starting in natural philosophy. Once this cosmological system fall...