67. Is REALITY "Perfection"? -- excerpts from "Arnold Zweig Presents the Living Thoughts of Spinoza", 1939

Excerpts
from

"Arnold Zweig

Presents
the
Living Thoughts
of Spinoza",

1939,

David McKay Co.,
Fawcett Publications

[All quotations
reproduced here
will be from
Spinoza
(born 1632 - died 1677)
except
where
otherwise noted.]

"What
Spinoza
did
was
to cry out
to
every epoch:

Use
your
intellect,
sharpen it,
trust it,
learn to use it,
and
be guided by it
alone.

It is
the dictator
that will
advance the world;
it is
the creative process
with whose help
you can
oppose to
the chaos
that troubles you
the powers
of
enlightenment,
contentment,
and formation."
-- Arnold Zweig

[page i]

"Minds
are not
conquered
by force,
but by
love
and
high-mindedness."
-- Spinoza
 [page i]
 
 
"By
Courage
I mean the
desire
whereby
every man
strives
to preserve
his own being
in accordance
solely
with the dictates
of
Reason.
 
By
High-Mindedness
I mean the
desire
whereby
every man
endeavors,
solely under the dictates
of Reason,
to
aid other men
and
to unite them
to
himself
in friendship."
[p. 87]
 
Thus
temperance,
sobriety
and
presence of mind
in danger,
etc.,
are varieties
of Courage;
courtesy,
mercy,
etc.,
are varieties
of
High-mindedness."
[p. 87]
 
"... men
who are governed
by
Reason --
that is,
who seek
what is useful
to them
in accordance
with reason --
desire for themselves
nothing
which they do not
also desire
for
the rest of mankind,
and,
consequently,
are just,
faithful
and
honorable
in their conduct."
[p. 95]
 
"The mind's
highest good
is
the knowledge of God,
and
the mind's
highest virtue
is
to know God."
[p. 96]
 
"We sometimes
see men
so absorbed
in
one object,
that,
although it
be not present,
they think
they have it
before them;
when
this is the case
with a man
who is not asleep,
we say
he is delirious
or
mad;
nor
are those persons
who
are
inflamed with love,
and
who
dream all night
and
all day
about
nothing
but their mistress,
or
some woman,
considered
as
less mad,
for
they are made
objects of ridicule.

But when
a miser
thinks of nothing
but gain
or
money,
or
when an ambitious man
thinks of nothing
but glory,
they
are not reckoned
to be mad,
because
they are
generally harmful,
and
are thought worthy
of
being hated.

But,
in reality,
Avarice,
Ambition,
Lust,
etc.,
are
species of Madness,
though
they may not be
reckoned
among diseases."
[p. 104]
 
"HATRED
CAN NEVER BE
GOOD
 
Envy,
derision,
contempt,
anger,
revenge
and other
emotions
attributable to hatred,
or
arising therefrom,
are
bad.
 
Between
derision
and
laughter
I recognize
a
great difference.
 
For laughter,
as
also jocularity,
is
merely
pleasure;
therefore,
so long as
it be not
excessive,
it is in itself
good.
 
Assuredly,
nothing forbids man
to enjoy himself,
save
grim
and gloomy
superstition.
 
For why is it
more lawful
to satiate
one's hunger and thirst
than
to drive away
one's melancholy?
 
I reason,
and
have convinced myself
as follows:
No deity,
nor anyone else,
save the envious,
takes pleasure
in
my infirmity
and
discomfort,
nor
sets down to my virtue
the tears,
sobs,
fear,
and
the like,
which are signs
of
infirmity of spirit;
on the contrary,
the greater
the pleasure
wherewith
we are affected,
the greater
the perfection
whereto
we pass;
in other words,
the more must we
necessarily
partake of
the divine nature.
 
Therefore,
to make use of
what comes
in our way,
and
to enjoy it
as much as possible
(not to the point
of satiety,
for that
would not be
enjoyment),
is
the part
of
a wise man.
 
I say
it is the part
of a wise man
to refresh
and
recreate
himself
with
moderate and pleasant food
and drink,
and also with perfumes,
with the soft beauty
of growing plants,
with dress,
with music,
with many sports,
with theatres
and the like,
such as
every man may make use of
without injury to his neighbor."
[p. 104 - 105]
 
"He who lives
under the guidance
of Reason,
endeavors,
as far as possible,
to render back
Love,
or
Kindness,
for other men's
Hatred,
Anger,
Contempt,
etc.,
toward him."
[p. 105]

"Extreme pride
or
dejection
indicates
extreme ignorance
of self.
 
Extreme pride
or
dejection
indicates
extreme infirmity
of spirit.
 
He
who
is led by fear,
and
does good
in order
to escape evil,
is not
led by Reason."
[p. 107]
 
"The more
we understand
particular things,
the more
do we
understand God."
[p. 126]
 
"God loves Himself
with
an infinite
intellectual Love.
 
The intellectual Love
of the mind
toward God
is
part of
the infinite Love
wherewith
God loves Himself.
 
In proportion
as each thing
possesses more
of
Perfection,
so is it
more
active,
and
less passive;
and,
vice versa,
in proportion
as it
is more active,
so
is it
more perfect.
 
Blessedness
is not
the reward
of virtue,
but
virtue itself;
neither do we
rejoice
therein,
because
we control our lusts,
but
contrariwise,
because we rejoice therein,
we
are able
to
control our lusts."
[p. 127]
 

"If

the way
which I have
pointed out
as
leading
to this result
seems
exceedingly hard,
it may
nevertheless
be discovered.
 
Needs must it
be hard,
since
it is
so seldom
found.
 
How would it
be possible,
if salvation
were
ready to our hand,
and
could
without great labor
be found,
that it should be
by almost all men
neglected?
 
But all things
excellent
are
as difficult
as they are
rare."
[p. 128]
 
"I could see
the benefits
which are acquired
through
fame and riches,
and that
I should be
obliged
to
abandon the quest
of
such objects,
if I seriously
devoted myself
to
the search
for
something different
and new."
[p. 57]
 
"The pursuit of
honors
and
riches
is likewise
very absorbing,
especially
if such objects
be sought
simply
for their own sake,
inasmuch
as they are then
supposed to constitute
the
highest good.
 
In the case
of fame
the mind
is still more absorbed,
for fame
is conceived
as always good
for its own sake,
and
as
the ultimate end
to which
all actions
are directed.
 
Further,
the attainment
of
riches and fame
is not followed
as in the case
of sensual pleasures
by
repentance,
but,
the more we acquire,
the greater
is our delight,
and consequently,
the more we are incited
to increase
both the one and the other;
on the other hand,
if our hopes
happen to be
frustrated
we are plunged
into
the deepest sadness.
 
Fame
has
the further drawback
that
it compels its votaries
to
order their lives
according to the opinions
of their fellow-men,
shunning
what they usually shun,
and seeking
what they usually seek."
[p. 58]
 
"... I was
in a state
of
great peril,
and
I compelled myself
to seek
with all my strength
for a remedy,
however uncertain it might be;
as a sick man
struggling
with a deadly disease,
when he sees
that death
will surely be upon him
unless
a remedy be found,
is compelled
to seek
such a remedy
with
all his strength,
inasmuch as
his
whole hope
lies
therein.
 
All the objects
pursued
by the multitude,
not only
bring
no remedy that
tends to preserve
our being,
but
even
act as hindrances,
causing the death
not seldom
of
those who possess them,
and always
of those
who are possessed
by them."
[p. 59]
 
"... we
are compelled
first of all
to lay down
certain rule of life
as
provisionally good,
to wit,
the following:
 
1. To speak
in a manner
intelligible
to the multitude
and
to comply
with
every general custom
that does not
hinder
the attainment
of
our purpose.
 
For we
can gain
from the multitude
no small advantages,
provided that
we strive
to accommodate ourselves
to its understanding
as far as possible:
moreover,
we shall
in this way
gain a friendly audience
for
the reception
of
the truth.
 
2. To indulge ourselves
with pleasures
only
in so far as they are
necessary
for
preserving health.
 
3. Lastly,
to endeavor
to obtain
only sufficient money
or
other commodities
to enable us
to preserve
our life and health,
and
to follow
such general customs
as are consistent
with
our purpose."
[p. 62]
 
"Whatever
is,
is
in God,
and
without God
nothing can
be,
or
be conceived.
 
The corporeal
or
extended substance
was not created
by  God
but
is one of
the infinite attributes
of God.
 
All things
which come to pass,
come to pass
solely
through the laws
of
the
infinite nature of God,
and follow
from the necessity
of His essence.
 
Nothing
in the universe
is
contingent,
but all things
are conditioned
to exist and operate
in a particular manner
by the necessity
of
the divine nature.
 
Things
could not have been
brought into being
by God
in any manner
or in any order
different
from that
which has
in fact
obtained.
 
Therefrom
it follows
that things
have been
brought into being
by God
in the highest perfection,
inasmuch as
they have
necessarily
followed
from
a most perfect nature.
 
Reality
and
perfection
I use
as
synonymous terms.
 
The nature
and
properties
of God
are:
that He necessarily
exists,
that He
is One;
that He is,
and acts
solely
by the necessity
of His own nature;
that He
is the free cause
of all things;
that
all things
are in God,
and so
depend on Him,
that
without Him
they
could neither exist
nor
be conceived;
lastly,
that
all things
are pre-determined
by God,
not through
His free will
or
absolute fiat,
but
from the very nature
of God
or
infinite power."
[P. 63 - 64]
 
"Will
cannot be called
a Free Cause,
but only a
necessary
Cause.
 
In the mind
there is no
Absolute
or
Free
Will;
but
the mind
is determined
to Wish this
or that
by a cause,
which has also
been determined
by another cause,
and
this last
by another cause,
and so on
to
Infinity.
 
Men
are mistaken
in
thinking themselves
free;
their opinion
is made up
of
consciousness
of their own actions,
and
ignorance
of the causes
by which
they are
conditioned.
 
Their idea
of freedom,
therefore
is
simply their ignorance
of any cause
for their actions."
[p. 76 - 77]
 
"Therefore,
those
who believe
that they speak
or
keep silence
or
act in any way
from
the free decision
of their mind,
do
but dream
with
their eyes open."
[p. 79]
 
"This doctrine
raises
social life,
inasmuch as it teaches us
to hate no man,
neither to despise,
to deride,
to envy
or
to be angry
with any.
 
Further,
as it tells us
that each
should be content
with his own,
and
helpful to his neighbor,
not from any
womanish pity,
favor
or superstition,
but solely
by
the guidance of Reason,
according
as the time
and occasion
demand."
[p. 80]
 
"Pleasure
is
the transition
of a man
from
a less
to
a greater
perfection."
[p. 81]
 
" ... everyone
endeavors,
as far as possible,
to cause others
to love
what
he himself loves,
and to hate
what
he himself hates."
[p. 84]
 
"If a man
has
begun to hate
an object
of his Love,
so that
Love
is
thoroughly destroyed,
he
will regard it
with
more hatred
than if he had
never loved it,
and
his hatred
will be
in proportion
to
the strength
of
his former love.
 
He,
who
conceives himself
to be
hated
by another,
and
believes
that he
has given him
no cause
for hatred,
will
hate that other
in return.
 
If anyone
conceives
that he
is loved
by another,
and
believes
that
he has given
no cause
for such love,
he
will
love that other
in return.
 
If a man
has been affected
pleasurably
or
painfully
by anyone,
of a class
or nation
different
from his own,
the man
will feel love
or hatred
not only
to
the individual stranger,
but also
to
the whole class
or
nation
whereto he belongs.
 
Hatred
is
increased
by
being reciprocated,
and
can
on the other hand
be destroyed
by Love.
 
Hatred
which is
completely
vanquished
by Love
passes
into
Love:
and
Love
is thereupon
greater
than if
Hatred
had not
preceded it."
[p. 85 - 86]
 
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