Ethics (book)

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Ethics is a philosophical book written by Baruch Spinoza. It was written in Latin. Although it was published posthumously in 1677, it is his most famous work, and is considered his magnum opus.

The style and system of the book is, as Spinoza says, "demonstrated in geometrical order", with axioms and definitions followed by propositions. For Spinoza, this is a considerable improvement over the style of Descartes's writing in his Meditations, which reads like a diary.

The book is called the Ethics because the main purpose of the book is to show that the ethical and content life can be attained by the life of reason and thought, which for Spinoza is literally contemplating God (the one infinite substance). Spinoza also says that one will attain comfort by realizing that all things are predestined and cannot be changed. That is, in essence everything happens by God's will, and we therefore should not fear for the future.

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The Chief Works of Benedict De Spinoza translated by R. H. M. Elwes, 1951:

Volume II; ISBN 0-486-20250-X

The Ethics:

Part One - Concerning God. Table of Contents.

1P1, 1P2, 1P3, 1P4, 1P5, Conclusion.

Part Two - Of the Nature and Origin of the Mind. Table of Contents.

Part Three - Of the Origin and Nature of the Emotions. Table of Contents.

Part Four - Of Human Bondage or the Strength of the Emotions. Table of Contents.

Part Five - On the Power of the Understanding, or of Human Freedom. Table of Contents.