Spinoza Part 7

From his work entitled Ethics - published in 1677
pg 265 to 336
Quotes from Baruch Spinoza:
pg 300: "Men are more strongly influenced by an opinion than by true reason,...the true knowledge of good and evil causes disturbance in the mind."
"It is necessary for us to know both the strength and weakness of our nature, so that we may determine what reason can do and what it cannot do in governing our affects (attitudes or actions)."
pg 302: "Virtue is to be desired for its own sake, nor is there anything more excellent or more useful to us than virtue."
pg 308: "The highest good of the mind is the knowledge of God, and the highest virtue of the mind is to know God."

"The highest thing which the mind can understand is God, that is to say, Being absolutely infinite, and without whom nothing can be nor can be conceived, and therefore that which is chiefly profitable to the mind, or which is the highest good of the mind, is the knowledge of God."

pg 316: "The highest good of those who follow after virtue is common to all, and all may equally enjoy it."
"The highest good of those who follow after virtue is to know God."
"For it pertains to the essence of the human mind to have an adequate knowledge of the eternal and infinite essence of God."

"The good which every one who follows after virtue seeks for himself he will desire for others; and his desire on their behalf will be greater in proportion as he has a greater knowledge of God."

pg 328: "He who lives according to the guidance of reason strives as much as possible to repay the hatred, anger, or contempt of others towards himself with love or generosity."

"He who wishes to avenge injuries by hating in return does indeed live miserably. But he who, on the contrary, strives to drive out hatred by love, fights joyfully and confidently, with equal ease resisting one man or a number of men, and needing scarcely any assistance from fortune."

"Partake of the divine nature."

"Everything follows from the necessity of the divine nature."