Theologico-Political Treatise

Renew：Volume IV Part 4
Author：Benedictus de Spinoza
Update：08-15-2023
Tags：Philosophy
Description：Theologico-Political Treatise summary: Theologico-Political Treatise summary is updating. Come visit Novelonlinefull.com sometime to read the latest chapter of Theologico-Political Treatise. If you have any question about this novel, Please don't hesitate to contact us or translate team. Hope you enjoy it.

Read Now

Chapter List

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter I
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter I., did not perceive what was revealed by virtue of their natural reason, and though there are certain pa.s.sages in the Pentateuch which seem to be appeals to induction, they turn out, on nearer examination, to be nothing but peremptory commands. (15) For instance, when Moses says, Deut. x.x.xi:27, "Behold, while I am yet alive with you, this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death," we must by no means conclude that Moses wished to convince the Israelites by reason that they would necessarily fall away from the worship of the Lord after his death; for the argument would have been false, as Scripture itself shows: the Israelites continued faithful during the lives of Joshua and the elders, and afterwards during the time of Samuel, David, and Solomon. (16) Therefore the words of Moses are merely a moral injunction, in which he predicts rhetorically the future backsliding of the people so as to impress it vividly on their imagination. (17) I say that Moses spoke of himself in order to lend likelihood to his prediction, and not as a prophet by revelation, because in verse 21 of the same chapter we are told that G.o.d revealed the same thing to Moses in different words, and there was no need to make Moses certain by argument of G.o.d"s prediction and decree; it was only necessary that it should be vividly impressed on his imagination, and this could not be better accomplished than by imagining the existing contumacy of the people, of which he had had frequent experience, as likely to extend into the future.
Chapter 12
Chapter IV.
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter VII.). (10) What I here mean by the kingdom of G.o.d is, I think, sufficiently clear from what has been said in Chapter XIV.
Chapter XV., and shown that reason should nevertheless remain unshackled. (37) If we hold to the principle that a man"s loyalty to the state should be judged, like his loyalty to G.o.d, from his actions only - namely, from his charity towards his neighbours; we cannot doubt that the best government will allow freedom of philosophical speculation no less than of religious belief. (38) I confess that from such freedom inconveniences may sometimes arise, but what question was ever settled so wisely that no abuses could possibly spring therefrom? (39) He who seeks to regulate everything by law, is more likely to arouse vices than to reform them. (40) It is best to grant what cannot be abolished, even though it be in itself harmful. (41) How many evils spring from luxury, envy, avarice, drunkenness, and the like, yet these are tolerated - vices as they are - because they cannot be prevented by legal enactments. (42) How much more then should free thought be granted, seeing that it is in itself a virtue and that it cannot be crushed! (43) Besides, the evil results can easily be checked, as I will show, by the secular authorities, not to mention that such freedom is absolutely necessary for progress in science and the liberal arts: for no man follows such pursuits to advantage unless his judgment be entirely free and unhampered.