Ethics

Author: (Dutch) Spinoza He Lin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-02-01
Features: Preface to the Publication
Spinoza (Baruch de Spinoza, 1632-1677) was a great philosopher, materialist, and militant atheist of the 17th century "typical capitalist country" - the Netherlands, as well as a pioneer of rationalism. Spinoza's worldview was formed during the period of rapid development of capitalist production relations in the Netherlands, reflecting the interests and demands of the emerging bourgeoisie. His philosophical thought should be regarded as an argument for bourgeois freedom.
"Ethics" is one of Spinoza's main works, in which his philosophical ideas are basically expressed. He spent over a decade writing this work, starting in 1662 and completing it in 1675. During his lifetime, this work was not published; it was only published after his death by his friends. Shortly after its publication, it was deemed "blasphemous and atheistic doctrine" by the Dutch authorities at the time and was banned from circulation.
"Ethics" was written using the "geometric method." Spinoza, like the French philosopher René Descartes (1596-1650), who came slightly earlier, believed that only knowledge derived from rational ability, like geometry, from a few definitions and axioms obtained through intuition, was reliable. Therefore, when writing "Ethics," he studied human thought, emotions, desires, and so on as if they were points, lines, and planes in geometry. He first proposed definitions and axioms, then proved them, and finally drew conclusions.