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
humble humility ambitious
Those who are believed to be most abject and humble are usually most ambitious and envious.
law liberty libertarian
He who regulates everything by laws, is more likely to arouse vices than reform them.
passion envy hatred
I should attempt to treat human vice and folly geometrically... the passions of hatred, anger, envy, and so on, considered in themselves, follow from the necessity and efficacy of nature... I shall, therefore, treat the nature and strength of the emotion in exactly the same manner, as though I were concerned with lines, planes, and solids.
beauty beautiful nature
I would warn you that I do not attribute to nature either beauty or deformity, order or confusion. Only in relation to our imagination can things be called beautiful or ugly, well-ordered or confused.
life hands hatred
Hatred is increased by being reciprocated, and can on the other hand be destroyed by love.
pride self reason
Pride is over-estimation of oneself by reason of self-love.
vanity abuse honor
It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the world.
body bears remember
It is not possible that we should remember that we existed before our body, for our can bear no trace of such existence, neither can eternity be defined in terms of time or have any relation to time. But notwithstanding, we feel and know that we are eternal.
hope believe men
We are so constituted by Nature that we easily believe the things we hope for, but believe only with difficulty those we fear, and that we regard such things more or less highly than is just. This is the source of the superstitions by which men everywhere are troubled. For the rest, I don
lying men names
Human infirmity in moderating and checking the emotions I name bondage : for, when a man is a prey to his emotions, he is not his own master, but lies at the mercy of fortune : so much so, that he is often compelled, while seeing that which is better for him, to follow that which is worse.
men laughing understanding
I have tried sedulously not to laugh at the acts of man, nor to lament them, nor to detest them, but to understand them.
our-actions guidance reason
In proportion as we endeavor to live according to the guidance of reason, shall we strive as much as possible to depend less on hope, to liberate ourselves from fear, to rule fortune, and to direct our actions by the sure counsels of reason.
needs use wealth
Those who know the true use of money, and regulate the measure of wealth according to their needs, live contented with few things.
men liberty may
the ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain by fear, nor to exact obedience, but to free every man from fear that he may live in all possible security... In fact the true aim of government is liberty.