logo
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#146591 11/01/04 12:34 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 662
pieter Offline OP
Gecko
OP Offline
Gecko
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 662
Benedict de Spinoza was among the most important of the post-Cartesian philosophers who flourished in the second half of the 17th century. He made significant contributions in virtually every area of philosophy, and his writings reveal the influence of such divergent sources as Stoicism, Jewish Rationalism, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Descartes, and a variety of heterodox religious thinkers of his day. For this reason he is difficult to categorize, though he is usually counted, along with Descartes and Leibniz, as one of the three major Rationalists. Given Spinoza�s devaluation of sense perception as a means of acquiring knowledge, his description of a purely intellectual form of cognition, and his idealization of geometry as a model for philosophy, this categorization is fair. But it should not blind us to the eclecticism of his pursuits, nor to the striking originality of his thought.

Among philosophers, Spinoza is best known for his Ethics, a monumental work that presents an ethical vision unfolding out of a monistic metaphysics in which God and Nature are identified. God is no longer the transcendent creator of the universe who rules it via providence, but Nature itself, understood as an infinite, necessary, and fully deterministic system of which humans are a part. Humans find happiness only through a rational understanding of this system and their place within it. On account of this and the many other provocative positions he advocates, Spinoza has remained an enormously controversial figure. For many, he is the harbinger of enlightened modernity who calls us to live by the guidance of reason. For others, he is the enemy of the traditions that sustain us and the denier of what is noble within us. After a review of Spinoza�s life and works, this article examines the main themes of his philosophy, primarily as they are set forth in the Ethics.

http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/spinoza.htm#Life%20and%20Works

Sponsored Post Advertisement
#146592 11/24/04 07:16 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9
Newbie
Offline
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9
Didn't Spinoza convert to another religion?
- Paula


Judaism @ BellaOnline.com
http://judaism.bellaonline.com
#146593 12/02/04 07:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 662
pieter Offline OP
Gecko
OP Offline
Gecko
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 662
Spinoza was placed out of the religious jewish community in Amsterdam and banned out of the city, because his views were not shared by the jewish religious authorities and their calvinist allies, who ruled the city.
His rational and mathematical philosophy got opposition from both jewish and christian side.
I don't think that he converted to christianity, although he changed his hebrew name baruch to the latin Benedict. But he was stil the son of two sephardic jewish parents, which makes him 100 % jewish!


Link Copied to Clipboard
Brand New Posts
Make It Sew Easier
by Cheryl - Sewing Editor - 03/27/24 04:34 PM
2024 - on this day in the past ...
by Mona - Astronomy - 03/27/24 01:31 PM
Planner Template Kit - Weekly Layout Template
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:39 PM
Planner Template Kit - Yearly Layout Template
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:37 PM
How to Use Digital Planner Template Kit
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:36 PM
Review - 20 Illustrator Color tips Helen Bradley
by Digital Art and Animation - 03/26/24 07:32 PM
March Equinox to June Solstice
by Mona - Astronomy - 03/26/24 12:27 PM
Hobotrader unleashes never seen opportunity with i
by Jamal molla - 03/26/24 11:55 AM
Psalm for the day
by Angie - 03/25/24 09:05 AM
Genealogy, Sort of
by Angie - 03/24/24 05:39 PM
Sponsor
Safety
We take forum safety very seriously here at BellaOnline. Please be sure to read through our Forum Guidelines. Let us know if you have any questions or comments!
Privacy
This forum uses cookies to ensure smooth navigation from page to page of a thread. If you choose to register and provide your email, that email is solely used to get your password to you and updates on any topics you choose to watch. Nothing else. Ask with any questions!


| About BellaOnline | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Become an Editor |
Website copyright © 2022 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.


Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5