Academic-Capital

Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Philosopher of Jewish descent. He spent a great deal of time reading ancient philosophy, Descartes, and Hobbs. He supported himself through grinding lenses and spent every free moment he could reading, theorizing, and writing. He so desired to maintain his intellectual independence that he turned down a regular job to work as a teacher at Heidelberg. His intellectual independence led him to some amazing theoretical discoveries that influenced philosophy, psychology, democracy, law and ethics. His two greatest works were Tractatus Theologico-Politicus and Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demostrata.  In his work The Tractatus Theologico-Politicus  he provided a strong critique of the militant nature of Holland's ruling House of Orange. He also advocated tolerance of religions. He believed that religions could live peacefully with each other if they rose above their petty ideological debates. The problem is that people become narrowly defined by the