Baruch Spinoza quotes
1632 – 1677 · Dutch Republic, 17th century · Philosopher
About Baruch Spinoza
Born in Amsterdam in 1632 and died in The Hague in 1677, Spinoza developed a rigorous naturalistic and rationalist system. In the Ethics and his political writings he argues that mind and nature follow natural laws and that passions should be explained through causes rather than condemned. His work shaped Enlightenment thought.
Works: Ethics (Ethica), Tractatus politicus (Political Treatise), Theological‑Political Treatise
Quotes
“I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, nor to hate them, but to understand them.”
Source: Tractatus politicus, Introduction (1677) · Check the source
Verified attributionWhat we know
- What is documented
- The Latin formula appears in the Introduction to Spinoza’s Tractatus politicus and is presented there as his method of study.
- What remains uncertain
- Attribution to Spinoza is secure, but the line is often loosely translated and sometimes misassigned to other works.
Spinoza states a research method: suspend mockery, lament and hatred, and seek causal explanation for human acts. Phrased in the Introduction to the Tractatus politicus, it reflects his rationalist, deterministic approach to the passions.