 In addition to E1ax4 and E2p7, the claim that for Spinoza all cognition is cognition of causes also fits with his definition of “adequate cause” as one “whose effect can be clearly and distinctly perceived through it” (E3def1), which suggests that causes are at least sufficient for adequately conceiving of a thing. Likewise, in E1p11altd1, Spinoza appears to identify the “causes” of a thing’s existence or nonexistence with “reasons [ratio]” for that existence or nonexistence by means of the conjunction sive.