A Theologico-Political Treatise, and a Political TreatiseIf men's minds were as easily controlled as their tongues, every king would sit safely on his throne, and government by compulsion would cease; for every subject would shape his life according to the intentions of his rulers, and would esteem a thing as true or false, good or evil, just or unjust, in obedience with their dictates.-from "That in a Free State Every Man May Thing What He Likes, and Say What He Thinks"An early voice calling for reason as the ruler of the human mind, and a man with, at best, a Deistic outlook on religion, Spinoza is perhaps the first truly modern philosopher. He is certainly the first modern critic of the Bible. His devoted adherents include many great names of 19th-century literature: Goethe, Coleridge, Shelley, and George Eliot were deeply swayed by his writing; in the 20th century, Albert Einstein claimed Spinoza's deterministic outlook as an abiding influence; understanding the writings of all these figures is greatly enhanced by an appreciation of Spinoza. In Theologico-Political Treatise, first published anonymously in 1670, Spinoza rails against religious intolerance and calls for governments to be entirely secular. His Political Treatise, unfinished at his death, was published only posthumously, and deals with democratic government. Dutch philosopher BENEDICT DE SPINOZA (1632-1677), alternately and paradoxically known as "the best Jew" and "the best atheist," is best known for his Ethics. |
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... eternal election of the Jews . Chap . IV . Of the Divine Law . འཚཆེ ཆེ ཆེ་ ཚེ་ ཚེ 43 48 49 53 £ 4 57 Laws either depend on natural necessity or on human decree . The existence of the latter not inconsistent with the former class of laws ...
... eternal election of the Jews . Chap . IV . Of the Divine Law . འཚཆེ ཆེ ཆེ་ ཚེ་ ཚེ 43 48 49 53 £ 4 57 Laws either depend on natural necessity or on human decree . The existence of the latter not inconsistent with the former class of laws ...
Page vi
... pomorphic notions of the Deity ; Spinoza , in attacking these latter and endeavouring to substitute the conception 1 " Spinoza : ein Denkerleben . " 1855 . of eternal and necessary law , seemed to be striking vi INTRODUCTION ,
... pomorphic notions of the Deity ; Spinoza , in attacking these latter and endeavouring to substitute the conception 1 " Spinoza : ein Denkerleben . " 1855 . of eternal and necessary law , seemed to be striking vi INTRODUCTION ,
Page vii
Benedictus de Spinoza. of eternal and necessary law , seemed to be striking at the very roots of moral order : hence with curious irony his works , which few read and still fewer understood , became associated with notions of monstrous ...
Benedictus de Spinoza. of eternal and necessary law , seemed to be striking at the very roots of moral order : hence with curious irony his works , which few read and still fewer understood , became associated with notions of monstrous ...
Page ix
... eternal , and something of the beauty and calm of eternal things has passed into his teaching . If we may , as he himself was wont to do , in- terpret spiritually a Bible legend , we may say of him that , like Moses returning from Sinai ...
... eternal , and something of the beauty and calm of eternal things has passed into his teaching . If we may , as he himself was wont to do , in- terpret spiritually a Bible legend , we may say of him that , like Moses returning from Sinai ...
Page xxii
... Eternal God . Other influences , no doubt , played a part in shaping his convictions ; we know , for instance , that he was a student of Bacon and of Hobbes , and almost certainly of Giordano Bruno , but these two elements , the Jewish ...
... Eternal God . Other influences , no doubt , played a part in shaping his convictions ; we know , for instance , that he was a student of Bacon and of Hobbes , and almost certainly of Giordano Bruno , but these two elements , the Jewish ...
Contents
4 | |
14 | |
30 | |
32 | |
41 | |
xiii | 51 |
Testimony of the New Testament | 72 |
xiv | 75 |
The author declines to undertake a similar detailed examina | 157 |
Causes that have led the author to write | 162 |
Of the true Original of the Divine Law and where | 165 |
It is shown that Scripture teaches only very Simple | 175 |
Definitions of Faith the True Faith and | 182 |
Of the Foundations of a State of the Natural | 200 |
as it was during the lifetime of Moses and after his death | 214 |
From the Commonwealth of the Hebrews and their | 237 |
Contents | 77 |
Of Miracles | 81 |
Of the authorship of the Pentateuch and the other | 89 |
XV | 91 |
998885 | 100 |
xvi | 124 |
Traces of late authorship in the other historical books | 127 |
That there are many doubtful readings | 133 |
An Examination of the remaining books of the | 146 |
Sketch of Spinozas philosophy | 148 |
It is shown that the Right over Matters Spiritual lies | 245 |
Why Christian States unlike the Hebrew suffer from dis | 254 |
Of Prophecy | 269 |
Prophets perceived revelation by imagination | 275 |
Introduction II Of Natural Right III Of the Right of Supreme Authorities | 283 |
Of the Functions of Supreme Authorities V Of the Best State of a Dominion VI Of Monarchy VII Of Monarchy | 284 |
Of Aristocracy IX Of Aristocracy X Of Aristocracy | 285 |
Of Democracy Continuation Continuation Conclusion PAGE | 286 |
287 | 291 |
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Common terms and phrases
absolutely according Apostles assert authority believe Bible blessedness book of Samuel books of Kings bound called cause chap chapter Christ citizens clearly command commonwealth conceived conclusion contrary council covenant Decalogue decree Deut Divine law doctrine dominion doubt easily eternal evil explain expressly Ezekiel Ezra fact faith fear follows further Gentiles God's Hebrews high priest human inasmuch instance interpretation Isaiah Israelites Jehoram Jews Joshua judge king knowledge Lastly law of Moses liberty live Lord Maimonides matters means mind miracles monarch Moses narrative nations natural right never obedience obey Old Testament opinions passages patricians peace Pentateuch Pharisees piety plainly possessed preach preserve prophecy prophets reason reign religion revealed rulers sacred Scrip Scripture shown solely sovereign power speak Spinoza Spirit supreme teach things tion true truth understanding unto verse virtue Wherefore whole wished words worship writings written
Popular passages
Page 41 - And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it ; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
Page 16 - And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
Page 36 - And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Page 53 - For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight : is it not in that thou goest with us ? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Page 54 - Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God.
Page 19 - If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches ; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold ; wherefore, then, were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
Page 163 - Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
Page 159 - For I know thy rebellion and thy stiff" neck : behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord ; and how much more after my death ? 28.
Page 249 - And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Page 52 - For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.