When Baruch Spinoza composed his philosophical masterpiece, the
Ethics, he knew that his ideas (particularly those of God) would be considered heretical
in the extreme, leading to any number of unpleasant consequences. This was the reason
that the Ethics were published in 1677, posthumously (p.97)1. His apprehensions are well
justified in the light of what he writes in the Appendix (p.145-149) to Part1: Concerning
God (p.129-145) regarding the prejudices present in the minds of human beings. For, it is
here that Spinoza directly challenges the prevalent religious orthodoxy and seeks to
remove the very dogma that was the basis of their power.
Spinoza asserts in the Appendix (p.145) that there exist certain prejudices
in the minds of people that prevent them from understanding (and accepting as true) the
conclusions that he reaches after a thoroughly logical and indeed, geometrical process of
reasoning. The root of all these prejudices, he further clarifies, is the almost universal
belief that all Natural things exist and act with some definite goal being pursued. Further,
he presents for scrutiny the very strong anthropomorphism inherent in most human minds
that makes these people believe in the universe having been created for their sake. Lastly
comes the religious part of this picture, wherein mankind exists so that it may worship
God, thereby closing the circle of creation.
Spinoza (naturally, considering his philosophy) rejects this picture and
thereby attempts in the Appendix to argue on the following crucial points: 1) The reason
1 Roger Ariew & Eric Watkins. Modern Philosophy: An anthology of primary sources.
Indianapolis/Cambridge, 1998.
Note: All references to Spinoza will be to this text unless otherw...
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...e former, Spinoza replies, “...the perfection of things should be measured solely from
their own nature and power” and not with respect to definitions in the imagination.
Furthermore, God had no free will in creating the universe, (from Cor. 1 Pr. 32, p.142 as
described previously) and (from Pr.16, p.137) “from the necessity of the
divine..(follows)..everything that can come within the scope of infinite intellect”.
Therefore, God must, of necessity, be the cause of everything, perfect and imperfect!
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In conclusion, Spinoza provides an immaculate argument that should
readily convince the reader of the truth of his main proposition in the Appendix, i.e. that
the major reason for obstacles in the path of understanding is the anthropocentric view
of Nature that most people hold on to, irrespective of the enormity of the contradictions
inherent in that view.
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reality. A belief can be modest or tragic, but the true believer seperate one idea to another
When the word “prejudice” is mentioned in public conversation, undertones of anger and unfairness usually accompany it. Prejudice is often defined as a predetermined opinion not based on fact,experience, or knowledge. Many acts of inequalities and discriminative wrong-doings in history can be traced back to being a result of prejudice.So what place does a concept with such a negative connotation have in an institution of higher education where students and faculty of varying cultures and backgrounds come together to learn? Instinctively, a good number of people would answer that prejudice and its negative consequences have no place in such an environment. However, a contradicting opinion is expressed in an article written by Jonathan Rauch titled “In Defense of Prejudice” . In this article, Rauch expresses his dissatisfaction with the
There are many factors that influence core beliefs; one being a biologically based condition like depression. A person may have a typical family history and childhood but because of the impact depression has on their mood, that person may interpret the "stuff" we all go through in ways that are more negative and impactful. Failing a test or feedback received from a parent may take on a deeper meaning that feeds into the understanding that a person has about themselves. A child or teen without depression may move on from these events or, perhaps, use these events as motivating factors to improve. A...
The main purpose of this essay is to explain why and under what conditions some
nature of many of the aspects of human existence which we tend to hold very dear.
Another belief is that of annihilationism. The idea behind annihilationism is that upon death nothing survives. Both the body and the soul are destroyed and there is no form of rebirth or reincarnation. Annihilationism is a belief held by both materialists and some Christians. Materialists believe that noth...
Discuss this statement and show how your critical understanding of the text has been strengthened by at least two different readings.
... story for this reason, to prove “a hypothesis which covers the facts” (173)to himself and the others. The progress functions the same way in close reading. The reader must present evidences for his inferences to make them more credible and academically acceptable.
creating a world in which evil exists, then He would not be omniscient. If God
one of the major problems people have when trying to understand a higher power. This
d) The author thinks that certain taxes are useless, however some are necessary and stimulate the
...ly, I believe that what is the most important of all is the desire and the innate craving for knowledge what should never be lost, even though, it may sometimes be difficult to accept the ephemeral nature of facts which we have always thought to be true.
that it allows everyone to live with in the world, with each other, and together as one.
Prejudice and discrimination have both been prevalent throughout human history. Prejudice deals with the inflexible and irrational attitudes and opinions that are held by others of one group against those of another. Discrimination on the other hand refers to the behaviors directed against another group. Prejudiced individuals have preconceived beliefs about groups of people or cultural practices. There are both positive and negative forms of prejudice, however, the negative form of prejudice leads to discrimination. Individuals that practice discrimination do so to protect opportunities for themselves, by denying access to those whom they believe do not deserve the same treatment as everyone else. An example of discrimination based on prejudice involves the Jews. “Biased sentiments and negative stereotypes of Jews have been a part of Western tradition for centuries and, in fact, have been stronger and more vicious in Europe than in the United States. For nearly two millennia, European Jews have been chastised and persecuted as the “killers of Christ” and stereotyped as materialistic moneylenders and crafty business owners (Healey, p.65). The prejudice against these groups led to the discrimination against them.