Baruch Spinoza

learning understanding free

“The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free.”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

excellent difficult rare

“Everything excellent is as difficult as it is rare.”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

new idea true accept many

“Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many.”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

free consent reason

He alone is free who lives with free consent under the entire guidance of reason”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

imagination beautiful ugly well-ordered confused

“Only in relation to our imagination can things be called beautiful or ugly, well-ordered or confused”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

self-preservation foundation virtue

“self-preservation is the primary and only foundation of virtue.”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

nature belong all

“Nature offers nothing that can be called this man's rather than another's; but under nature everything belongs to all.”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

will intellect

“Will and intellect are one and the same thing.”

― Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)