Spinozism

Protestant ReformationCounter-ReformationAristotelianismScholasticismPatristicsSecond scholasticism of the Jesuits and the DominicansLutheran scholasticism during Lutheran OrthodoxyRamism among the Reformed scholasticsMetaphysical poets in the Church of EnglandLabadists against the JesuitsPietism against orthodox LutheransNadere Reformatie within Dutch CalvinismRichard Hooker against the RamistsModernists against Roman CatholicsNeologists against LutheransSpinozists against Dutch CalvinistsDeists against English ChristianityJohn Locke against Bishop StillingfleetSpinozism (also spelled Spinozaism) is the monist philosophical system of Benedict de Spinoza that defines 'God' as a singular self-subsistent Substance, with both matter and thought being attributes of such.It cannot be overemphasized how the rest of Spinoza's philosophy, his philosophy of mind, epistemology, psychology, moral philosophy, political philosophy, and philosophy of religion – flows more or less directly from the metaphysical underpinnings in Part I of the Ethics.By substance I understand what is in itself and is conceived through itself, i.e., that whose concept does not require the concept of another thing, from which it must be formed. (E1D3)By attribute I understand what the intellect perceives of a substance, as constituting its essence. (E1D4)By mode I understand the affections of a substance, or that which is in another through which it is also conceived. (E1D5)Except God, no substance can be or be conceived. (E1P14)From a given determinate cause the effect follows necessarily; and conversely, if there is no determinate cause, it is impossible for an effect to follow. (E1A3)I pass now to the remaining Part of the Ethics, which concerns the means or way to Freedom. Here, then, I shall treat of the power of reason, showing what it can do against the affects, and what Freedom of Mind, or blessedness, is. (E5, Preface)The order and connection of ideas is the same as the order and connection of things. (E2P7)The knowledge of an effect depends on, and involves, the knowledge of its cause. (E1A4) Spinozism (also spelled Spinozaism) is the monist philosophical system of Benedict de Spinoza that defines 'God' as a singular self-subsistent Substance, with both matter and thought being attributes of such. In a letter to Henry Oldenburg, Spinoza wrote: 'as to the view of certain people that I identify god with nature (taken as a kind of mass or corporeal matter), they are quite mistaken'. For Spinoza, our universe (cosmos) is a mode under two attributes of Thought and Extension. God has infinitely many other attributes which are not present in our world. According to German philosopher Karl Jaspers, when Spinoza wrote 'Deus sive Natura' ('God or Nature') Spinoza meant God was Natura naturans not Natura naturata, that is, 'a dynamic nature in action, growing and changing, not a passive or static thing.' Spinoza's metaphysics consists of one thing, Substance, and its modifications (modes). Early in The Ethics Spinoza argues that there is only one Substance, which is absolutely infinite, self-caused, and eternal. Substance causes an infinite number of attributes (the intellect perceiving an abstract concept or essence) and modes (things following from attributes and modes). He calls this Substance 'God', or 'Nature'. In fact, he takes these two terms to be synonymous (in the Latin the phrase he uses is 'Deus sive Natura'), but readers often disregard his neutral monism. During his time, this statement was seen as literally equating the existing world with God - for which he was accused of atheism. Spinoza asserted that the whole of the natural universe is made of one Substance – God or Nature – and its modifications (modes).