Baruch Spinoza
Also known as Benedictus de Spinoza
Dutch philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin (1632–1677); a radical rationalist and forerunner of the Enlightenment.
At a glance
Main ideas
God or Nature, Philosophy as geometry, The Bible as history …
See all 5Books to start with
Theologico-Political Treatise, Ethics, Political Treatise …
See all 4Connections
René Descartes and Theologico-Political Treatise
See all 2
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Spinoza was born in Amsterdam to a Portuguese-Jewish family and was permanently expelled from its Jewish community in 1656 for challenging rabbinic authority.
- He then lived outside any religious affiliation and supported himself by grinding lenses.
- His Ethics equates God with Nature, and his Theologico-Political Treatise argues for a secular, democratic state.
- He published little in his lifetime to avoid persecution; most of his works came out after his death.
Why it matters
- He is counted among the most original and influential thinkers of the seventeenth century, and a founder of modern biblical criticism; Rebecca Goldstein called him "the renegade Jew who gave us modernity".
Key facts
- Born
- 24 Nov 1632, Amsterdam, Dutch Republic1
- Died
- 21 Feb 1677, The Hague, aged 44, probably of tuberculosis1
- Expelled
- Permanently, from Amsterdam's Portuguese-Jewish community, 16561
- Living
- Grinding lenses and making instruments1
- Homes
- Rijnsburg from 1660 or 1661, Voorburg from 1663, The Hague from 16701
- Declined
- The chair of philosophy at the University of Heidelberg1
- Published in his name in his life
- Only two works, including his exposition of Descartes' Principles of Philosophy (1663)1
Main ideas
-
God or Nature1
There is one infinite, self-caused substance, "Deus sive Natura"; everything else is a mode of it.
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Philosophy as geometry1
The Ethics proceeds from definitions and axioms in the manner of Euclid.
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The Bible as history2
Scripture is a compiled human text to be read like any other historical document.
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Freedom to philosophize2
The state exists to secure citizens' freedom; churches should have no power over it.
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Value this life1
He rejected messianism and the emphasis on the afterlife, stressing the value of life for oneself and others.
Books to start with
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Theologico-Political Treatise1
Scripture, the state, and freedom of thought; published anonymously.
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Ethics1
His chief work, finished in 1674 and published after his death.
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Political Treatise1
Unfinished at his death; meant to show that democratic states are best.
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The Principles of Cartesian Philosophy1
His geometric exposition of Descartes.
Connections
Related
- René DescartesDescartes' writings have been described as Spinoza's starting point
Links
Sources
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