Steven Nadler gives us much information about Spinoza’s philosophy; however more clarity is needed. As a private teacher and student of Spinoza’s Ethics, I understand that free will is an illusion and that the laws of necessity and self-preservation govern and direct all of existence. Also, intuition is required to understand his Ethics, reason alone will not help you. His philosophy is to be lived and understood; otherwise, it becomes abstract and only entertaining.
It's more accurate to call him an atheist than a agnostic since he talks about deus sive natura (God or Nature). So for sure not an agnostic . That being he did deny being an atheist but it's way of being a theist way closer to what we call atheism today than what we call theism.
Thank you for this informative, comprehensive presentation. I am left with the impression that Spinoza was brilliant, and courageous. His prescient ideas are still relevant, especially in the light of current events.
Steven Nadler gives us much information about Spinoza’s philosophy; however more clarity is needed. As a private teacher and student of Spinoza’s Ethics, I understand that free will is an illusion and that the laws of necessity and self-preservation govern and direct all of existence. Also, intuition is required to understand his Ethics, reason alone will not help you. His philosophy is to be lived and understood; otherwise, it becomes abstract and only entertaining.
Spinoza vehemently denied he was an Atheist. He could have been an Agnostic, but certainly not an Atheist.
It's more accurate to call him an atheist than a agnostic since he talks about deus sive natura (God or Nature). So for sure not an agnostic . That being he did deny being an atheist but it's way of being a theist way closer to what we call atheism today than what we call theism.
Thank you for this informative, comprehensive presentation. I am left with the impression that Spinoza was brilliant, and courageous. His prescient ideas are still relevant, especially in the light of current events.