Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinozawas a Dutch philosopher of Sephardi/Portuguese origin. By laying the groundwork for the 18th-century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism, including modern conceptions of the self and the universe, he came to be considered one of the great rationalists of 17th-century philosophy...
NationalityDutch
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth24 November 1632
no-fear no-hope
There is no fear without some hope, and no hope without some fear.
inspirational perfection excellence
All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.
men people hatred
A free man, who lives among ignorant people, tries as much as he can to refuse their benefits. .. He who lives under the guidance of reason endeavours as much as possible to repay his fellow's hatred, rage, contempt, etc. with love and nobleness.
faith individuality individual
The more we understand individual things, the more we understand God.
life hate law
He who hates anyone will endeavor to do him an injury, unless he fears that a greater injury will thereby accrue to himself; on the other hand, he who loves anyone will, by the same law, seek to benefit him.
philosophy men essence
Desire is the very essence of man
practicals practical-life compelled
In practical life we are compelled to follow what is most probable ; in speculative thought we are compelled to follow truth.
believe men people
Of all the things that are beyond my power, I value nothing more highly than to be allowed the honor of entering into bonds of friendship with people who sincerely love truth. For, of things beyond our power, I believe there is nothing in the world which we can love with tranquility except such men.
men sides action
Men will find that they can ... avoid far more easily the perils which beset them on all sides by united action.
life envy hatred
If anyone conceives, that an object of his love joins itself to another with closer bonds of friendship than he himself has attained to, he will be affected with hatred towards the loved object and with envy towards his rival.
grateful men free-man
Only free men are thoroughly grateful one to another.
divine particular all-things
Nothing in the universe is contingent, but all things are conditioned to exist and operate in a particular manner by the necessity of the divine nature.
life complacency emotion
The greater emotion with which we conceive a loved object to be affected toward us, the greater will be our complacency.
men careers giving
To give aid to every poor man is far beyond the reach and power of every man. Care of the poor is incumbent on society as a whole.