tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post2550946331204346684..comments2024-03-25T17:35:02.238-04:00Comments on Debunking Christianity: The Famous "Burgh - Spinoza" Exchange (Almost As If Spinoza Was Speaking to Lee Strobel, J.P. Holding, Steve Hays, James White, Dave Armstrong, et al)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-51067669039318888562008-06-24T13:32:00.000-04:002008-06-24T13:32:00.000-04:00Good post! Just a couple of small points though.Sp...Good post! Just a couple of small points though.<BR/><BR/>Spinoza didn't influence Descartes or Hobbes. Descartes was already well established in Holland when Spinoza was born. Spinoza TAUGHT Descartes' philosophy (his first published book, and the ONLY one under his own named, was a book on Cartesian philosophy, as you note). Hobbes, again, was an influence ON Spinoza, not the other way around.<BR/><BR/>Leibniz is a tricky issue... There is certainty that the two great rationalists met on at least one occasion (probably several though). However, Leibniz was desperate to avoid the charge of Spinozism for his own philosophy. So one wouldn't necessarily call Spinoza an influence on Leibniz, but rather, a contemporary.<BR/><BR/>A second very small issue with your post is that you claim that he was so focused on philosophy that marriage couldn't tear him away. Well, that's not quite true either. He lived for a time at the house of Franciscus Van Den Enden, and fell in love with his daughter, Clara. But she married someone else, and broke Spinoza's heart. As for wealth and fame, well, he had infamy whether he wanted it or not. You are right, though, that he rejected wealth, as he was offered many times substantial amounts of money to help his work, but he rejected it, or had it reduced.<BR/><BR/>And one last small thing... The poem written by Einstein is much longer than the verse you quote.<BR/>Here is the original: http://www.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/history/Einsteins_poem/Spinozas_Ethik.jpg<BR/><BR/>And here is a translation in full:<BR/>http://www.autodidactproject.org/other/einstein9-spinoza8.html<BR/><BR/>... in any case, I don't mean these to be deep criticisms, only slight corrections from a scholar of Spinoza...<BR/><BR/>Great post!Torinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07815304596322655274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-62729878772449711292008-06-19T23:06:00.000-04:002008-06-19T23:06:00.000-04:00It's interesting to notice the tone of the 2 lette...It's interesting to notice the tone of the 2 letters. The first is fearful and nasty while Spinoza writes calmly and with reason. Not much has changed in over 300 years. The apologists are still nasty and hateful and at times immune to reason.<BR/>Spinoza was right. His young former student was motivated to believe based on fear.<BR/>As I understand it, Spinoza's life was shortened due to his trade which was lens grinding. It created a lot of fine dust that compromised his lungs. He did not take very good care of himself. <BR/>Leibniz was jealous of Spinoza and labored to find the flaws in Spinoza's philosophy. He continually failed to do so and towards the end of his life his philosophy seemed to lean towards that of Spinoza's while not admitting it outright. When Leibniz died he refused to allow a priest to visit him and hear his confession. He died ignoring the God he had worked so hard to promote all those years. This last act must have been due to Spinoza's influence.Trouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10728387496683503438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-36111592243755266652008-06-19T20:33:00.000-04:002008-06-19T20:33:00.000-04:00It appears Spinoza had a version of the outsider t...It appears Spinoza had a version of the outsider test as well :)Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14299188458940897810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-51418878908013472792008-06-19T08:15:00.000-04:002008-06-19T08:15:00.000-04:00Spinoza ground lenses by day for a living. I wonde...Spinoza ground lenses by day for a living. I wonder if he had more time to read and write what he could've produced?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com