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
fighting men thinking
The greatest secret of monarchic rule...is to keep men deceived and to cloak in the specious name of religion the fear by which they must be checked, so that they will fight for slavery as they would for salvation, and will think it not shameful, but a most honorable achievement, to give their life and blood that one man may have a ground for boasting.
ignorance pride self
The greatest pride, or the greatest despondency, is the greatest ignorance of one's self.
happiness happy philosophical
All happiness or unhappiness solely depends upon the quality of the object to which we are attached by love.
rewards virtue blessedness
Blessedness is not the reward of virtue but virtue itself.
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.
gratitude thinking quality
The terms good and bad indicate no positive quality in things regarded in themselves, but are merely modes of thinking or notions, which we form from the comparison of things one with another. Thus one and the same thing can be at the same time good, bad, and indifferent. For instance, music is good for him that is melancholy, bad for him that mourns; for him that is deaf; it is neither good nor bad.
men past anticipation
A man is as much affected pleasurably or painfully by the image of a thing past or future as by the image of a thing present.
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.