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Spinoza – Ethics FiveSpinoza – Ethics Five

Charles ManekinCharles Manekin

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Topics of DiscussionTopics of Discussion

Controlling EmotionsControlling Emotions Becoming Free via Therapeutic Becoming Free via Therapeutic

TechniquesTechniques Intellectual Love of GodIntellectual Love of God Immortality and BlessednessImmortality and Blessedness

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Controlling EmotionsControlling Emotions

Denial of “Will Power” and the absolute Denial of “Will Power” and the absolute power of the mind over the emotions, no power of the mind over the emotions, no matter what the conditions of the body or matter what the conditions of the body or this mind. this mind. • Swipe at Descartes and the StoicsSwipe at Descartes and the Stoics

The minds power over the affectsThe minds power over the affects• Affects are psychophysical dispositionsAffects are psychophysical dispositions• Therapies in one realm have indirect influence Therapies in one realm have indirect influence

in another.in another.

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Therapeutic Techniques for Therapeutic Techniques for Replacing Passive Emotions with Replacing Passive Emotions with

Affects following from ReasonAffects following from Reason Separating and JoiningSeparating and Joining

• Remove the emotion from the thought of its external cause.Remove the emotion from the thought of its external cause. Forming a clear idea of a passion; by having an adequate Forming a clear idea of a passion; by having an adequate

idea of our appetite we can convert our unworthy desires to idea of our appetite we can convert our unworthy desires to worthy desires.worthy desires.

Reflecting on determinism.Reflecting on determinism.• Either becoming more clinical or understanding that things I Either becoming more clinical or understanding that things I

hate are determined.hate are determined.• No one pities infant because they are unable to walk.No one pities infant because they are unable to walk.

We have a limited power to arrange and associate We have a limited power to arrange and associate affections of the body according to the order of the affections of the body according to the order of the intellect.intellect.• Living according to maxims of conduct.Living according to maxims of conduct.

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Love of GodLove of God

He who clearly and distinctly understands He who clearly and distinctly understands himself and his emotions loves God. himself and his emotions loves God.

God, strictly speaking, neither loves nor God, strictly speaking, neither loves nor hates anybody. hates anybody.

Nobody can hate God. Nobody can hate God. The intellectual Love of God “We take The intellectual Love of God “We take

pleasure in whatever we understand by pleasure in whatever we understand by the third kind of knowledge, and this is the third kind of knowledge, and this is accompanied by the idea of God as a accompanied by the idea of God as a cause.cause.

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Immortality Immortality

Distinction between the actual existing Distinction between the actual existing body and the essence of the bodybody and the essence of the body

Distinction between the mind as the idea Distinction between the mind as the idea of the actual existing body and the eternal of the actual existing body and the eternal aspect of the mind.aspect of the mind.

That eternal aspect includes “those things That eternal aspect includes “those things that it conceives in understanding.”that it conceives in understanding.”• The eyes of the mind, by which it sees and The eyes of the mind, by which it sees and

observes things, are the demonstrations observes things, are the demonstrations themselves – not memory themselves – not memory