Spinoza wrote about his views on ethics and his concept of a pantheist God at a time when the Catholic Church dominated Europe. His views were deemed heretical and he was sent into exile. This article will attempt to make Spinoza’s ethics understandable for modern readers.
Spinoza’s Pantheist God
Spinoza is called a determinist because he says that while humans have a free mind, they do not have a "free will." To understand how this works, he provides a detailed description of the universe and what it’s made of. He says there is one substance that makes up the entire universe. This substance is basically Spinoza’s concept of God. Spinoza says this "substance" contains two attributes; spirit and matter, and each attribute takes on various forms (like a chair or a plant). These forms are called "modes."
All humans are just modes of this one substance, and their minds and physical matter are attributes. The illusion that there is more than one substance occurs because the way humans perceive the world through their senses. The human’s senses and intellect are geared toward distinguishing different modes (i.e. the mind tells a human 'here’s a rock,' or 'there’s a plant,')
Spinoza's Philosophy – Why Humans Do Not Have Free Will
Spinoza says that since humans are just modes, they can’t behave freely even though they have a free mind. The reason for this is that humans are just part of this overall "substance," and their behaviors are largely determined by their desires and circumstances, all of which at the present moment are set in stone. As finite modes, humans are dictated by the infinite modes of time and space. More importantly, humans are controlled by their desires. So, right now things are as they should be; even if right now one happens to be a drug addict.
When the body craves something, the mind craves it as well. This craving for something by the mind and the body is "appetite." When the appetite is tied to consciousness, (i.e. when humans are aware of it), it’s called “desire”. Humans always act according to their desire. To illustrate, a drug addict will choose his drug of choice over sobriety, over and over again, because the drug has the effect of bringing him back to a perceived state of normality. A drug addict can freely imagine himself as not being addicted; but his desire is what dictates his actions.
Spinoza on Overcoming Desire by Switching Masters
By becoming knowledgeable about the reasons for their desire, Spinoza says that a person becomes wise, and wisdom will cause a person to alter his bad behavior. This is done basically by switching masters, instead of physical vice, wisdom becomes the master.
By acquiring knowledge, Spinoza talks about a “meditation of life”, becoming aware of one’s life and the reasons he may have for behaving in certain ways. Bad behavior is almost always guided by faulty reasoning due to desires, and good behavior is guided by good reasons. Spinoza says that this conscious attention toward life will bare the reasons humans have for behaving in certain ways. Bad reasons will fall away, and with those so too will the desire. With wisdom as the person’s new master, the person will no longer be satisfied by simple physical desires. Instead, the person will begin to seek knowledge and even the greater good, and this pursuit will satisfy the person instead.
Sources:
1. Spinoza, Baruch. The Ethics. 1677
Andrew Perry - Andrew has a B.A. in Philosophy & Journalism. He has worked professionally for newspapers, news sites, and local government.
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