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Ethics — Part 2

by Benedictus de Spinoza (1632–1677)

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"Ethics — Part 2" by Benedictus de Spinoza is the second part of a philosophical treatise written between 1661 and 1675. This section examines the nature and origin of the human mind and body, challenging Cartesian philosophy's fundamental assumptions. Spinoza argues that mind and body are one entity viewed differently, rejects free will, and distinguishes three kinds of knowledge—from unreliable sensory perception to intuitive understanding that relates particular things to God's nature.

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Benedict de Spinoza, THE ETHICS
(Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata)

Translated by R. H. M. Elwes

Part II: ON THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF THE MIND

PREFACE I now pass on to explaining the results, which must necessarily follow from the essence of God, or of the eternal and infinite being; not, indeed, all of them (for we proved in Part i., Prop. xvi., that an infinite number must follow in an infinite number of ways), but only those which are able to lead us, as it were by the hand, to the knowledge of the human mind and its highest blessedness.

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About this edition

This free edition of Ethics — Part 2 by Benedictus de Spinoza comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #920, released 1997-05-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Philosophy & Ethics.

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