PhilosophersBaruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
God, that is, Nature: everything follows by necessity.
Rationalism1632 – 1677 NetherlandsRationalistThinker of God-or-NatureDeterministDefender of freedom of thought
Inspirations
Descartes method and clarity, but against free will
Hobbes natural right and the state
Maïmonideagainst bending Scripture to reason
criticLes stoïciensaccepting necessity, living according to nature
Heirs
Leibniz against "blind necessity"
criticPierre Bayle"systematic atheist" (1697)
criticHegel substance becomes subject
Nietzsche "I have a precursor"
Einstein"I believe in Spinoza's God"
Similar and opposite philosophers
how it is computedClosest
C. D. Broad He examines classic arguments and unusual experiences rigorously, without accepting or rejecting them in advance.
86 %Charles Darwin Living things are explained by natural selection, without a prior plan.
86 %Edward Herbert de Cherbury Five truths about God, worship and virtue are recognised by all peoples: they are enough for religion.
86 %Épictète A former slave turned Stoic teacher: he taught that we can act only on our judgements and desires, never on the rest.
80 %