Baruch Spinoza
Dutch philosopher (1632 to 1677), born in Amsterdam's Portuguese-Jewish community; died in The Hague; author of the Ethics and the Theological-Political Treatise.
Baruch Spinoza did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Their wordsWhatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 1st of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsHerefrom it follows, first, that men think themselves free inasmuch as they are conscious of their volitions and desires, and never even dream, in their ignorance, of the causes which have disposed them so to wish and desire.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 2nd of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsIn the mind there is no absolute or free will; but the mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause, which has also been determined by another cause, and this last by another cause, and so on to infinity.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 3rd of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsHatred is increased by being reciprocated, and can on the other hand be destroyed by love.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 4th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsAs for the terms good and bad, they 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.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 5th of 8 in this piece
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Our reading
A free person thinks about death least of all; their wisdom is a meditation on life, not death
Their wordsA free man thinks of death least of all things; and his wisdom is a meditation not of death but of life.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 6th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsBlessedness is not the reward of virtue, but virtue itself; neither do we rejoice therein, because we control our lusts, but, contrariwise, because we rejoice therein, we are able to control our lusts.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 7th of 8 in this piece
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Their wordsBut all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.
↗Ethics (tr. R. H. M. Elwes, 1883)gutenberg.org 8th of 8 in this piece
The line under a date fills as the words age, a quarter at a time: past a month, six months, a year, and three years. Empty means said within the last month; full, more than three years ago. It says when, not whether it still holds — a change of mind is marked on the claim itself.
Dashed means we only know the words existed by that date; they may be older.