Life of Baruch Spinoza - Assignment Example

Life of Baruch Spinoza al Affiliation) The Life of Baruch Spinoza The world of philosophy boasts of a man of great deedsreferred to as Baruch Spinoza. Born in 1632 in Amsterdam, Baruch Spinoza restructured the field of philosophy. He went to the extent of disagreeing with Dualism, a phenomenon emanating from Rene Descartes. Some philosophers went ahead to claim that they can only agree with Spinoza. However, Spinoza began his works from subjective perspectives. He questioned the validity of the Divine and the Hebrew Bible.

As such, he was disqualified from the Jewish society in 1655. Later on, the Catholic Church listed his books in the Index of Forbidden Books. His perspective that everything that exists results from God characterizes Spinoza’s works. He claims that God’s qualities are infinite, and humanity can only perceive thought and extension. Such a perception rules humanity in the sense that the thought of God goes beyond what is visible. Such a perception of ethics led him to put his works in writing titled “The Ethics.

” As such, Spinoza believed that ethics can result from the belief that “God or nature” defines everything (Spinoza, & Morgan, 2006). He summarized his works with the assertion that the knowledge of God is the greatest good as it eliminates fear, oppression from desires, and results in blessings. Despite all his philosophical works, Spinoza earned a living from grinding lenses. He lived a humble life residing at The Hague. In 1677, Spinoza suffered from lung illness attributable to inhaling fine glass dust.

He died later on before turning 45. His works remain valid through the years due to his recognition of the link between God and nature (Spinoza, & Morgan, 2006).ReferenceSpinoza, B., & Morgan, M. (2006). The Essential Spinoza Ethics and Related Writings. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.