Spinoza And Determinism

Question 1

Spinoza

Answer 1

17th century (enlightenment period) philosopher, tried to reinvent religion moving it away from superstition to scientific
Believed God is nature and substance and only thing uncaused ‘God is not a person who stands outside of nature, no one to hear our prayers or to create miracles or punish us.’

Causality: its a necessary world out there: everything is a consequence of a cause and nothing is outside of nature so nothing free from causality

Spinoza ‘substance’ - what GOd is (made of nature) exists by itself, nothing creates it, creates itself.

Question 2

View on free will

Answer 2

Illusion
Humans part of nature so part of causality, every decision is result of causes.
Ignorant for thinking we are free, forgot what led us to now - can’t remember everything
Rationalist - knowledge through mind not senses

‘God is not He who is, but that which is.’

‘In the mind there’s no absolute or free Will; but mind is determined to wish this or that by a cause’

Merely consider ourselves to be free because we are ignorant of the totality of causes acting upon us. If we could take into account everything then we would understand our choices are determined.

E.g. every time her call stalls Mrs. Smith panics, thinks she was in a car accident as chid and in new situation, fear comes back - many ppl. Unaware of causes but doesn’t mean causes not there

Det. Distinguishes bet. Freedom and apparent freedom of free will, we are rational and aware creatures - allows us to understand world around us - gives us some sort of freedom - allows us to understand nature, some degree glimpse of God