A thing does not cease to be true because it is not accepted by many. I am at a loss to understand the reasoning whereby it is considered that chance and necessity are not contraries. If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past. Spinoza believed that everything that exists is God. Everyone endeavors as much as possible to make others love what he loves, and to hate what he hates… This effort to make everyone approve what we love or hate is in truth ambition, and so we see that each person by nature desires that other persons should live according to his way of thinking. Emotional distress and unhappiness have their origin mostly in excessive love toward a thing subject to considerable instability. We affirm and deny many things because the nature of words, not the nature of things, makes us to do so. Baruch Spinoza, born in 1632, was a philosopher who focused on teaching about God, and the limits of religious authority. We are so constituted by nature that we are ready to believe what we hope and reluctant to believe what we fear. Here are some of the best known sayings and quotes by Baruch Spinoza. Desire that arises from reason cannot be excessive. And men of leisure are never deficient in the ingenuity needed to enable them to outwit laws framed to regulate things which cannot be entirely forbidden… He who tries to determine everything by law will foment crime rather than lessen it. People under the guidance of reason seek nothing for themselves that they would not desire for the rest of humanity. Nature offers nothing that can be called this man’s rather than another’s; but under nature everything belongs to all. Everyone should be allowed freedom of judgment and the right to interpret the basic tenets of their faith as they think fit. The better part of us is in harmony with the order of the whole of Nature. He who loves God cannot endeavor that God should love him in return. The less the mind understands and the more things it perceives, the greater its power of feigning is; and the more things it understands, the more that power is diminished. He would always point me to himself to trust him. If we could live by reason as much as we are led by blind desire, all would be led by reason and would order their lives wisely. It became the most famous version of an answer he gave often: “I believe in Spinoza’s God,” who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of all that exists, but not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” As you go through the emotions that we have, hostility is not from God, bitterness, unforgiveness, all of these are attacks from Satan. There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope. Indeed, one of the important issues of Spinoza‘s philosophy is to understand the concept of a God “out of religion”. Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived. Einstein used only about half his allotted number of words. The God Spinoza presents to us, is not one of egomaniac nature but rather a primordial force, a neutral force which people have the power to use or to discard. In God there is necessarily the idea not only of his essence, but also of all things which necessarily follow from his essence. In the universe there is only one substance. Baruch Spinoza. Therefore, my discouragement is from Satan. The basic purpose of democracy is to keep people rational, as far as possible, in order to live in peace and harmony. The eternal part of the mind is the intellect, through which alone we are said to be active. As well, he stressed on the importance of freedom, and he provided the masses with a scientific interpretation of the Bible. The endeavor to understand is the first and only basis of virtue. States must necessarily be created so that all people–both rulers and ruled; willing and unwilling–will act for the common welfare. Ignorance of true causes makes for total confusion. “whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived” ― Baruch Spinoza tags: atheism , god , metaphysics , mysticism , pantheism , philosophy , spinoza The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. 200 quotes from Baruch Spinoza: 'The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. Only in relation to our imagination can things be called beautiful or ugly, well-ordered or confused. Spinoza’s God : A pantheistic theory. The wise are richest by nobly despising riches instead of greedily pursuing them. Enjoy the best Baruch Spinoza quotes and picture quotes! Hatred which is completely vanquished by love, passes into love; and love is thereupon greater than if hatred had not preceded it. Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them. In isolation no one has the strength to defend themselves and acquire the necessities of life. In regard to intellect and true virtue, every nation is on a par with the rest, and God has not in these respects chosen one people rather than another. For I hold that God is of all things the cause immanent, as the phrase is, not transient. We feel and experience ourselves to be eternal. I believe that a triangle, if it could speak, would say that God is eminently triangular, and a circle that the divine nature is eminently circular; and thus would every one ascribe his own attributes to God. I do not know how to teach philosophy without becoming a disturber of the peace. Baruch Spinoza . Those who take an oath by law will avoid perjury more if they swear by the welfare & freedom of the state instead of by God. Baruch Spinoza (The Ethics, 1677) Claim: Albert Einstein said he believed in pantheism, a theological doctrine based on the work of 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. The free person never acts with deceit, but always with good faith. As a boy he hadundoubtedly been one of the star pupils in the congregation’sTalmud Torah school. He also taught about the human mind, science, and morality. His work is also important for the adoption of a new human relationship of nature, as he believed that nature is everything. In adversity there is no counsel so foolish absurd or vain which people will not follow. Our motto is: Don't quote it if you can't source it. Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Discover and share Spinoza Quotes On God. The real slave lives under the sway of pleasure and can neither see nor do what is for their own good. That’s why Spinoza may well be the best bet for moderns seeking a philosophical guide. Some of his better known works include ‘A Short Treatise on God’, ‘Man and His Well Being’, ‘The Principles of Cartesian Philosophy’ and his most famous work ‘The Ethics’ among others. We … Spinoza. Philosopher Jonathan Rée unravels the story within Spinoza's knotty work of 17th century rationalism, the Ethics. Will and intellect are one and the same thing. According to Spinoza, however, those natural laws are themselves manifestations of the divine nature, so to say that God contravened natural law is to say that God “acted against his own nature—an evident absurdity.” Indeed, since God is perceived through the “immutable order of nature,” our knowledge of God increases along with our understanding of nature. Baruch Spinoza . Things which are accidentally the causes either of hope or fear are called good or evil omens. No matter how thin you slice it, there will always be two sides. The endeavor to understand is the first and only basis of virtue. Baruch Spinoza (2014). Conduct that brings about harmony is that which is related to justice, equity, and honorable dealing. Nowadays, with regard to climate change and the questions posed by it, Spinoza’s quotes acquire a new meaning and can help to bring people and other living creatures closer together in nature. God is the Immanent Cause of all things, never truly transcendent from them. That is the statement of faith traditionally attributed to Martin Luther. All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare. The supreme mystery of despotism, its prop and stay, is to keep men in a state of deception, and with the specious title of religion to cloak the fear by which they must be held in check, so that they will fight for their servitude as if for salvation. The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is. Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing. self-preservation is the primary and only foundation of virtue. Happiness is a virtue, not its reward. When all decisions are made by a few people who have only themselves to please, freedom and the common good are lost. He admired the Dutch Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza, and wrote: “I believe in Spinoza’s god, who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a god who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.” That Facebook text speaks in the voice of a God who has a personality and is into building personal relationships with individuals. I say that all things are in God and move in God. Spinoza, age 23, left Amsterdam’s Jewish quarter and Latinized his first name to Benedict. Baruch Spinoza Quotes: God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things. In so far as the mind sees things in their eternal aspect, it participates in eternity. It is in the nature of reason to perceive things in the light of ETERNITY. The causes of his banishment have been much debated. This third video on Spinoza's philosophy is all about comparing the Dutch philosopher's conception of God to the Gods we usually find in religions. By defining a peculiar idea of God, Spinoza succeded in making the synthesis of numerous spiritual conceptions of his time. Happiness is not the reward of virtue, but is virtue itself; nor do we delight in happiness because we restrain from our lusts; but on the contrary, because we delight in it, therefore we are able to restrain them. My opinion concerning God differs widely from that which is ordinarily defended by modern Christians. However, he did not hold the converse view that God is no more than the sum of what exists. Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a … Those who know the true use of money, and regulate the measure of wealth according to their needs, live contented with few things. Baruch Spinoza . By operating this transmutation of our conception of God, I think Spinoza fight on two fronts: Healthy people take pleasure in food and thus enjoy a better life than those who eat to merely avoid death. Man can, indeed, act contrarily to the decrees of God, as far as they have been written like laws in the minds of ourselves or the prophets, but against that eternal decree of God, which is written in universal nature, and has regard to the course of nature as a whole, he can do nothing. The mind of God is all the mentality that is scattered over space and time, the diffused consciousness that animates the world. Baruch Spinoza. Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata ( Ethics Geometrically Demonstrated) (published in 1677) is a philosophical treatise written by Baruch Spinoza . https://goldenageofgaia.com/2020/10/14/einstein-i-believe-in-the-god-of-spinoza This is the God or nature of Spinoza: God would have said: “Stop being praying and giving you blows in the chest, what I want you to do is to go out into the world to enjoy your life. Baruch Spinoza. Freedom is of the first importance in fostering the sciences and the arts. God had infinite qualities, of which we can perceive only two, thought and extension. Most people parade their own ideas as God’s Word, mainly to compel others to think like them under religious pretexts. God does not exist for an end, and so God does not act for an end. This idea is not a given solution to all the problems we meet in our everyday life, but can make us think about our relationship with the world and ourselves. It is far better for the honest policies of a state to be open to enemies than for the guilty secrets of tyrants hidden from citizens. The investigation of Nature in general is the basis of philosophy. In a letter to Henry Oldenburg, Spinoza wrote: "as to the view of certain people that I identify god with nature (taken as a kind of mass or corporeal matter), they are quite mistaken". Such people aim only to make others as wretched as they themselves are, so it is no wonder that they are generally burdensome and hateful to men. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure....you are above everything distressing. Did Einstein Believe in the God of the Bible? There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope. Read More about Baruch Spinoza on Wikipedia, 150 Seneca Quotes (That May Help You Reevaluate Life), Tags: famous quoteslove quotesphilosophyquotes by a single personalitySpinozawisdom, © Birthday Wishes Expert All Rights Reserved. One of Spinoza’s quotes states: “Those who, while ignoring something, resort to the will of God, are completely deluded: a ridiculous way, no doubt, to confess their own ignorance.” Even though he was a deeply religious man, in that quote he talked about the existence of other forces, many of them under our control, with which we can shape our future. A miracle–either contrary to Nature or above Nature–is mere absurdity. He was intellectually gifted, and this could nothave gone unremarked by the congregation’s rabbis. The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. Pride is pleasure arising from a man’s thinking too highly of himself. Apply yourself with real energy to serious work. If you would convince others, seem open to conviction yourself. Happiness Reward Virtue. All happiness or unhappiness solely depends upon the quality of the object to which we are attached by love. Only free people are truly grateful to one another. Sourced quotations by the Dutch Philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632 — 1677) about god, nature and love - Page 4. Difficult Rare Things. It ispossible that Spinoza, as he made progress through his st… Now it is evident, from the definition above given, that prophecy really includes ordinary knowledge; for the knowledge which we acquire by our natural faculties depends on our knowledge of God and his eternal laws; but ordinary knowledge is common to all men as men, and rests on foundations which all share, whereas the multitude always strains after rarities and exceptions, and thinks little of the gifts of nature ; so that, when prophecy is talked of, ordinary knowledge is not supposed to be included. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure….you are above everything distressing. I want you to enjoy, you sing, have fun and enjoy everything I’ve done for you. Everything excellent is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza (The Ethics, 1677) Happiness is a virtue, not its reward. Understand. He wasthe middle son in a prominent family of moderate means inAmsterdam’s Portuguese-Jewish community. Hence God must also exist in dimensions far beyond those of the visible world. I do not believe anyone has reached such perfection, surpassing all others, except Christ, to whom God immediately revealed — without words or visions — the conditions which lead to salvation. Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, Remarkable Last Words (or Near-Last Words). Explore our collection of motivational and famous quotes by authors you know and love. The numerous interpretations of the above quotes often attempt to cage Einstein in a Deist or Atheist box. Contrary to the God of religion Spinoza’s God is not a person but a principle. ', and 'I do not know how to teach … Those who cannot manage themselves and their private affairs will far less be capable of caring for the public interest. This is the nature of the God of Spinoza: God would have said: “Stop praying and giving yourselves blows on your chests, what I want you to do is to go out into the world to enjoy your life. Nay, so far are they from doing anything to control the desires and passions of men that, on the contrary, they direct and incite men’s thoughts the more toward those very objects, for we always strive toward what is forbidden and desire the things we are not allowed to have. The superstitious know how to reproach people for their vices better than they know how to teach them virtues, and they strive, not to guide men by reason, but to restrain them by fear, so that they flee the evil rather than love virtues. Truth becomes a casualty when in trials attention is paid not to justice or truth but to the extent of a person’s wealth. Nothing exists from whose nature an effect does not follow. Help us translate this quote — Baruch Spinoza. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century of a businessman father who was successful but not wealthy. In practical life we are compelled to follow what is most probable ; in speculative thought we are compelled to follow truth. Love is nothing but Joy with the accompanying idea of an external cause (. The more you struggle to live, the less you live. Letter 21 (73) to Henry Oldenburg, November (1675) Variant translation: The eternal wisdom of God … has shown itself forth in all things, but chiefly in the mind of man, and most of all in Jesus Christ. Outside Nature, which is infinite, there is, and can be, no being. But as we will see, his views are complex and appear to change depending on his interlocutors. “The Road to Inner Freedom: The Ethics”, p.76, Open Road Media “The Road to Inner Freedom: The Ethics”, p.76, Open Road Media 43 Copy quote Baruch Spinoza Quotes: God is the indwelling and not the transient cause of all things. Evil is that which hinders a person’s capacity to perfect reason and to enjoy a rational life. Things could not have been brought into being by God in any manner or in any order different from that which has in fact obtained. Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing. Reflection on the deceptiveness of the senses induces doubt. Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure....you are above everything distressing. Along with several other important thinkers, Baruch Spinoza laid the principles of the Enlightenment and of the contemporary ideas regarding the state and democracy. N'T quote it if you would convince others, seem open to conviction yourself God and move God! The causes either of hope or fear are called good or evil omens is necessarily the not! ) desire is the very essence of a man ’ s hearts are conquered not by but., indicates extreme weakness of spirit emotion, which is completely vanquished by love absurd or which! 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