Spinozism
Baruch Espinoza was a substance monist (all is one, God — pantheist). This in contrast with the other continental rationalists such as Leibniz who was a substance pluralist (all things are many, many Gods). Spinoza’s system was simple, there is only one thing and that is God. He also calls it substance, which is infinite and is-of-itself. From one substance we get an infinite amount of attributes, of which all things in the universe are finite modes (of being) of God’s attributes. Humans are only finitely aware of two of the attributes: thought and extension. All differentiated things that one sees in the world are simply a finite extension of the one substance (Nature/God), the one that sees is the thinking self (soul).
The things of the world are modes of God’s attributes — “From the necessity of divine nature there must follow infinitely many things in infinitely many modes”, Spinoza.
“The modes are affections of God’s attributes, or modes by which God’s attributes are expressed in a certain and determinate way”
Spinoza splits nature (God) into two divisions: Natura Naturans (“Naturing Nature”), and Natura Naturata (“Natured Nature”). The Naturing is the active force of nature, God, in creation of things in nature whereas the Natured is the product or the result of the active act of creation, the thing in nature. Is this new thing, the Natured, God as well? Possibly the passive side of the force of nature. This idea leads modern scholars into a philosophical debate about the pantheistic nature of Spinoza, does he truly believe God is nature, that God’s creations are simply God himself (Pantheism) or is God distinct from the creations, that is to say is God separate from nature? (Panentheism).
Spinoza does not believe God is a personal God. He does not believe in miracles or acts of God in our world because of the doings of mankind. God is not a personal anthropomorphic being.
The idea of there being a single immanent substance being the reality of the created world and identified with God is not a new idea and was around before Spinoza. His system is unique in that it utilizes this idea of God as well as utilizing many other philosophical/theological ideas.
The active man versus the passive man. The passive man is a slave to trends, emotions, passions, opinions or “affects”. The active man is led by reason, complies with no one’s wishes but his own and does only the things he knows to be the most important in life. The active man is guided by his “conatus”, his desire for longevity and survival (Marcuse reality principle, will to power?). The active man’s diet would consist of foods that he knew where they came from, a rational analysis would be conducted with questions such as if the food was ethically grown or not, what suffering went into the manufacturing of the food, general concern for the food, but also an rational analysis would be conducted on the effect the food will have on the body. Is this food good for me and my goals? General impact on the body? Also general impact on the environment. We have to use our thinking to understand the effects of our choices and actions made upon desires. Prudence, stoicism.
“He who understands himself and his affects clearly and distinctly loves God, and does so the more, the more he understands himself and his affects.” Spinoza. Fundamentally the person who is guided by reason and who understands nature will have two things: strength of character — the will/strive to understand the world, and they’ll be active — guided by reason and not pushed around by affections. Spinoza was against hedonistic pleasure. Joy = increase in our conatus (increase in our Power), Spinoza’s ethics therefore is grounded in increasing an active, in control, rational joy. “A person who sees the necessity of things regards their passage with calm and composure.” Spinoza. Let reason be your guide and reflect on the causes of things.
His most famous work is called “Ethics”, where he lays out his groundwork for morality. Rational beings want to minimize negativity and increase their conatus, therefore you should surround yourself with other rational minded beings. The grouping of affects in certain patterns is what gives birth to the different disciples of medicine, cultural norms, etc. We should chase after the positive affects instead of the negative affects with as much people as possible. Spinoza has been criticized by scholars for his lack of insight into differing goals of individuals. What are affects exactly?
Hygeia (health.) vs Nosoi (illness, Latin Morbus)
