Spinoza on What is God?

Concept Canvas: #08 Painting Philosophy’s Masterpieces

We often have the impression that we can choose between good and evil. But what if that impression is just an illusion? Can we really talk about good and evil if our actions are influenced by external forces that we do not see? Are these external forces God? And if so, what is God really?

Today we are exploring the revolutionary world of Baruch Spinoza, a thinker who dared to challenge the conventions of his time and whose ideas continue to provoke us today.

We are in Amsterdam, a vibrant city of the 17th century. Merchants are busy in the cobbled streets, the smell of exotic spices floats in the air, and church bells are ringing. It is in this cultural and intellectual melting pot that a young man of Portuguese Jewish descent will develop a worldview so bold that it will lead to his excommunication and condemnation by his community.

To give you an idea of the extent of the scandal caused by Spinoza’s ideas, allow me to read a small excerpt from the excommunication decree pronounced against him by the Amsterdam synagogue in 1656:

“By decree of the angels and by the command of the holy men, we excommunicate, expel, curse, and damn Baruch de Espinoza, with the consent of God…
Cursed be he by day and cursed be he by night; cursed be he when he lies down and cursed be he when he rises up. Cursed be he when he goes out and cursed be he when he comes in… No one should communicate with him, neither in writing, nor accord him any favor nor stay with him under the same roof nor come within four cubits in his vicinity; nor shall he read any treatise composed or written by him.”