Spinoza argued that God and Nature were two names for the same reality. It was the God Albert Einstein believed in.... among others.
2006-12-25 05:46:38 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'd say it's a sight better than a vain, insecure, and immensely cruel parody of a primitive tribal tyrant.
2006-12-25 05:51:02 · answer #1 · answered by JAT 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Spinoza is easy, what is hard is religion. Now thats a puzzle thats easy to screw up.
You paint a painting, does it get down off the easel, take your keys and money and have babies with your girl friend? It doesn't become you or anyone else, does it? Likewise, the creation of the Creator cannot become the Creator and is only an emanation of the Creator. Can you understand something that would bring the universe into existence? The painting didn't understand you and never will.
If you will accept it, the only part of the Creator that you can comprehend are the concepts shared with you by His Messengers. Your problem is finding them and demonstrating to yourself beyond doubt that you are not in error.
A closed mind will often proudly parade itself around claiming to be open though it has a tiny little sphincter that is as tight as a frogs butt. In 1892 some scientists at the Chicago Worlds Fair claimed that science had reached its crowning glory, that all that is to be known about the universe is known. You aren't like that are you? You aren't just shuffling your prejudices and calling it thought are you?
2006-12-25 14:11:08 · answer #2 · answered by regmor12 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IVP28: Knowledge of God is the mind's greatest good: its greatest virtue is to know God.
Since anyone can use their mind to pursue this, Spinoza has a great deal to offer. Certainly it would help the level of discourse on YA. The identification w/ nature is more difficult to work with as it has little to offer in terms of basic social tenets or reasons to believe. As I understand Spinoza, Nature as a principal is poorly tied to nature as principle. I would hate for my God to erode away like the Grand Canyon.
I admit to a prejudice here. I find him frightfully tedius to read.
2006-12-25 14:42:08 · answer #3 · answered by Joe Cool 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many do, most cannot grasp Spinoza's thought.
2006-12-25 13:52:25 · answer #4 · answered by neil s 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋