Publish at July 29 2025 Updated July 29 2025
Spinoza is not one of those philosophers whose thought is easily summed up. And yet, it's all the more interesting to take a closer look, as many say that the Dutch intellectual was almost the first thinker of personal development, with his "Ethics".
For Spinoza, God is not a supreme being placed above mankind. He is to be found in nature, and manifests Himself in two ways: "naturant" nature, i.e. the creative impulse of all things, and "naturated" nature, i.e. all created elements that have a beginning and an end.
Consequently, it is the knowledge of nature and of oneself that develops happiness, made up of "joys", short moments offering the power to act, and "beatitude", which is perfect satisfaction, or perfect joy if you like. To achieve this means to have improved our consciousness, which, for Spinoza, means looking at the causes that determine our desires.
The desire to travel, to meet someone, to have a child, to expatriate oneself: all these stem from a series of social and personal determinants. Knowing them will make it easier to achieve bliss.
Running time: 5 minutes
Image: Jill Wellington from Pixabay
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