Self-complacency is pleasure accompanied by the idea of oneself as cause. Baruch Spinoza More Quotes by Baruch Spinoza More Quotes From Baruch Spinoza A man is as much affected pleasurably or painfully by the image of a thing past or future as by the image of a thing present. Baruch Spinoza anticipationmenpast Things which are accidentally the causes either of hope or fear are called good or evil omens. Baruch Spinoza omencausesevil Everyone has as much right as he has might. Baruch Spinoza might If a man had begun to hate an object of his love, so that love is thoroughly destroyed, he will, causes being equal, regard it with more hatred than if he had never loved it, and his hatred will be in proportion to the strength of his former love. Baruch Spinoza hatelove-islife Since love of God is the highest felicity and happiness of man, his final end and the aim of all his actions, it follows that he alone observes the divine law who is concerned to love God not from fear of punishment nor love of something else, such as pleasure, fame, ect., but from the single fact that he knows God, or that he knows that the knowledge and love of God is the highest good Baruch Spinoza and-lovelawmen A free man, who lives among ignorant people, tries as much as he can to refuse their benefits. .. He who lives under the guidance of reason endeavours as much as possible to repay his fellow's hatred, rage, contempt, etc. with love and nobleness. Baruch Spinoza hatredmenpeople Desire is the essence of a man. Baruch Spinoza essencedesiremen I do not presume that I have found the best philosophy, I know that I understand the true philosophy. Baruch Spinoza foundknowsphilosophy He who hates anyone will endeavor to do him an injury, unless he fears that a greater injury will thereby accrue to himself; on the other hand, he who loves anyone will, by the same law, seek to benefit him. Baruch Spinoza hatelifehands I make this chief distinction between religion and superstition, that the latter is founded on ignorance, the former on knowledge. Baruch Spinoza lattersuperstitionsignorance Philosophers conceive of the passions which harass us as vices into which men fall by their own fault, and, therefore, generally deride, bewail, or blame them, or execrate them, if they wish to seem unusually pious. Baruch Spinoza passionmenfall To understand something is to be delivered of it. Baruch Spinoza I do not believe anyone has reached such perfection, surpassing all others, except Christ, to whom God immediately revealed - without words or visions - the conditions which lead to salvation. Baruch Spinoza visionperfectionbelieve In regard to intellect and true virtue, every nation is on a par with the rest, and God has not in these respects chosen one people rather than another. Baruch Spinoza intellectvirtuepeople Men will find that they can ... avoid far more easily the perils which beset them on all sides by united action. Baruch Spinoza cooperationsidesmen In the mind there is no absolute or free will. Baruch Spinoza determinismfree-willmind In proportion as we endeavor to live according to the guidance of reason, shall we strive as much as possible to depend less on hope, to liberate ourselves from fear, to rule fortune, and to direct our actions by the sure counsels of reason. Baruch Spinoza our-actionsguidancereason Simply from the fact that we have regarded a thing with the emotion of pleasure or pain, though that thing be not the efficient cause of the emotion, we can either love or hate it. Baruch Spinoza painhatelife He who wishes to revenge injuries by reciprocal hatred will live in misery. But he who endeavors to drive away hatred by means of love, fights with pleasure and confidence; he resists equally one or many men, and scarcely needs at all the help of fortune. Those whom he conquers yield joyfully Baruch Spinoza fightingrevengemean How would it be possible if salvation were ready to our hand, and could without great labor be found, that it should be by almost all men neglected? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare. Baruch Spinoza excellentmenhands
