That which cannot be conceived through anything else must be conceived through itself.Everything which exists, exists either in itself or in something else.By eternity, I mean existence itself, in so far as it is conceived necessarily to follow solely from the definition of that which is eternal.Įxplanation-Existence of this kind is conceived as an eternal truth, like the essence of a thing, and, therefore, cannot be explained by means of continuance or time, though continuance may be conceived without a beginning or end.On the other hand, that thing is necessary, or rather constrained, which is determined by something external to itself to a fixed and definite method of existence or action. That thing is called free, which exists solely by the necessity of its own nature, and of which the action is determined by itself alone. ![]() By God, I mean a being absolutely infinite-that is, a substance consisting in infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality.Įxplanation-I say absolutely infinite, not infinite after its kind: for, of a thing infinite only after its kind, infinite attributes may be denied but that which is absolutely infinite, contains in its essence whatever expresses reality, and involves no negation.By mode, I mean the modifications of substance, or that which exists in, and is conceived through, something other than itself.By attribute, I mean that which the intellect perceives as constituting the essence of substance.By substance, I mean that which is in itself, and is conceived through itself: in other words, that of which a conception can be formed independently of any other conception.So, also, a thought is limited by another thought, but a body is not limited by thought, nor a thought by body. A thing is called finite after its kind, when it can be limited by another thing of the same nature for instance, a body is called finite because we always conceive another greater body.By that which is self-caused, I mean that of which the essence involves existence, or that of which the nature is only conceivable as existent. ![]() Samuel Shirley’s translations in Hackett’s edition of Spinoza’s Complete Works is also useful.) Spinoza’s Ethics, Part One: Concerning God (1677) Definitions (Textual note: the standard edition of the Ethics is to be found in A Spinoza Reader, edited by Edwin Curley. One helpful way to think about Spinoza is to ask how he could both be excommunicated and called (by Coleridge) ‘that God-intoxicated man.’ ![]() o one shall communicate with him neither in writing nor accord him any favor nor stay with him under the same roof nor within four cubits in his vicinity nor shall he read any treatise composed or written by him.’ The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven. Cursed be he when he goes out and cursed be he when he comes in. … Cursed be he by day and cursed be he by night cursed be he when he lies down and cursed be he when he rises up. By decree of the angels and by the command of the holy men, we excommunicate, expel, curse and damn Baruch de Espinoza, with the consent of God. ‘Having long known of the evil opinions and acts of Baruch de Spinoza … The said Espinoza should be excommunicated and expelled from the people of Israel. ![]() In part, the deed of excommunication reads thus: Spinoza was born into a community of Portuguese Jews in Amsterdam who had fled the Inquisition.
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