I think that Spinoza's views on both God and free will are very interesting and different than any previous philosophical views. I do not agree however, with the thought that God is everything. If there is a God, in my views it would be a being and not all of the physical things in life. If Spinoza's thoughts were true, would that not mean that God is each of the people on our world? There are just too many things that contradict in my mind for this to be the case. In addition, I disagree with his views on free will, as I believe that everything that happens is due to the direct choice of a person. Choices that people make do trickle down and combine with other peoples's choices, which may seem like it is predetermined. I imagine this like a river that is made up of many smaller streams. Everyone has a choice to make, even if they feel confined by family, society, religion, etc. it is their call. On the contrary, I do agree with Spinoza in the fact that we should not just go through life reacting to what happens, like in bondage, but we should journey through life making the actions happen. Why sit and wait for something to come to you? In all, I was very entertained by the philosophical points mentioned in the reading.
FQ: What is the meaning of pantheism? LH 76
FQ: Where was Spinoza born? LH 76
DQ: Do you believe that free will is real or an illusion?
FQ: (T/F) Spinoza had uncontroversial views.
ReplyDeleteDQ: Is Spinoza's God something worth believing in?