Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza Quotes

A collection of quotes by Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza.

Baruch (Benedict de) Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher who lived during the 17th century. His ideas challenged traditional religious and philosophical beliefs, leading to his excommunication from the Jewish community. Spinoza's philosophical works explored notions of God, ethics, and the nature of existence, emphasizing a rational and pantheistic perspective. His most influential work, "Ethics," continues to be studied and admired for its profound insights into metaphysics, epistemology, and human nature. Spinoza's revolutionary ideas have greatly influenced subsequent philosophers and continue to shape modern philosophy.

The greatest pride, or the greatest despondency, is the grea

The greatest pride, or the greatest despondency, is the greatest ignorance of one's self.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Ignorance & Stupidity

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Flattery

Desire is the essence of a man.

Desire is the essence of a man.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Desires

Only that thing is free which exists by the necessities of i

Only that thing is free which exists by the necessities of its own nature, and is determined in its actions by itself alone.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Freedom

The ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain,

The ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain, by fear, nor to exact obedience, but contrariwise, to free every man from fear, that he may live in all possible security; in other words, to strengthen his natural right to exist and work without injury to himself or others.No, the object of government is not to change men from rational beings into beasts or puppets, but to enable them to develop their minds and bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled; neither showing hatred, anger, or deceit, nor watched with the eyes of jealousy and injustice. In fact, the true aim of government is liberty.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Government

Music is good to the melancholy, bad to those who mourn, and

Music is good to the melancholy, bad to those who mourn, and neither good or bad to the deaf.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Music

Men govern nothing with more difficulty than their tongues,

Men govern nothing with more difficulty than their tongues, and can moderate their desires more than their words.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Speeches (oratory)

We feel and know that we are eternal.

We feel and know that we are eternal.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Immortality

Will and intellect are one and the same.

Will and intellect are one and the same.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Will Willpower

I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at

I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Understanding

I would warn you that I do not attribute to nature either be

I would warn you that I do not attribute to nature either beauty or deformity, order or confusion. Only in relation to our imagination can things be called beautiful or ugly, well-ordered or confused.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Beauty

Pride is pleasure arising from a man's thinking too highly o

Pride is pleasure arising from a man's thinking too highly of himself.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Pride

Fame has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it, we

Fame has also this great drawback, that if we pursue it, we must direct our lives so as to please the fancy of men.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Fame

But if men would give heed to the nature of substance they w

But if men would give heed to the nature of substance they would doubt less concerning the Proposition that Existence appertains to the nature of substance: rather they would reckon it an axiom above all others, and hold it among common opinions. For then by substance they would understand that which is in itself, and through itself is conceived, or rather that whose knowledge does not depend on the knowledge of any other thing.

Baruch (_Benedict de) Spinoza

Reality