h which alone
we are said to act, but that part which, as we have shown, perishes, is
the imagination itself, through which alone we are said to suffer.
Therefore that part which abides, whether great or small, is more
perfect than the latter.

These are the things I proposed to prove concerning the mind, in so far
as it is considered without relation to the existence of the body, and
from these, and other propositions, it is evident that our mind, in so
far as it understands, is an eternal mode of thought, which is
determined by another eternal mode of thought, and this again by
another, and so on _ad infinitum_, so that all taken together form the
eternal and infinite intellect of God.

_Conclusion_

The primary and sole foundation of virtue or of the proper conduct of
life is to seek our own profit. But in order to determine what reason
prescribes as profitable, we had no regard to the eternity of the mind.
Therefore, although we were at that time ignorant that the mind is
eternal, we considered as of primary importance those things which we
have shown are related to strength of mind and generosity; and
therefore, even if we were now ignorant of the eternity of the mind, we
should consider those commands of reason as of primary importance.

The creed of the multitude seems to be different from this; for most
persons seem to believe that they are free in so far as it is allowed
them to obey their lusts, and that they give up a portion of their
rights, in so far as they are bound to live according to the commands of
divine law. Piety, therefore, and religion,[42] and absolutely all those
things that are related to greatness of soul, they believe to be burdens
which they hope to be able to lay aside after death; hoping also to
receive some reward for their bondage, that is to say, for _their_ piety
and religion. It is not merely this hope, however, but also and chiefly
fear of dreadful punishments after death, by which they are induced to
live according to the commands of divine law, that is to say, as far as
their feebleness and impotent mind will permit; and if this hope and
fear were not present to them, but if they, on the contrary, believed
that minds perish with the body, and that there is no prolongation of
life for miserable creatures exhausted with the burden of their piety,
they would return to ways of their own liking. They would prefer to let
everything be controlled by their own passions, and to obey