Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher born in 1632 in the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam. Like many at the time, he was thrust into Judaism, and throughout his childhood, he learned and became a solidified member of the religion.

As he grew older, his ideologies started to form, in which he started to question religion as a whole. The beliefs, systems, and deep-rooted indoctrinated views on how life should and shouldn’t be lived. Although very much included in the Jewish community, he slowly transitioned out of the religion.

Although he respected Judaism and the various other religions as a whole, especially the significant importance they each had on the world, he disagreed with various aspects of it. It wasn’t that he was an atheist, but more so his belief that the idea of a single entity that forms the pinnacle of the hierarchical tower was a fallacy. He believed in a universal energy, a god as being a descriptive word for everything, and that the best way to know god is to understand how the world and the universe work, through psychology, natural science, philosophy, and simply studying everything that is.

He was so opposed to the idea of religions, or the existing formations of religion at the time, that he wanted to form his own religion, or at least reframe it. He believed in three parts to the universe - substance (the makeup of the world), attributes (our train of thought and how we understand substances), and modes (constructions of matter). Trying to describe these facets in detail is difficult for me to explain, but he more or less broke down everything, and nothing, into a universal construct that we all participate in. From the ant to the tree, the sky to the ocean, and everything in between. We are all a construct of a universal energy that exists, a universal god if you will.

His thoughts, ideas, and concepts were incredibly far-fetched at the time, and many disagreed with his approach. So much so, that he was seen as an atheist, an outsider, and was forced out of Amsterdam to live out his days in somewhat solitude. I guess in the end, it was his arrogance in believing that religion was a fallacy, and that he thought he knew better, was his downfall. Although I believe strongly in his outlook, he underestimated everything that contributes to what religion is and the elements that people resonate and attach themselves to; community engagement, celebrations, festivals, hope, and contribution to the world.

He was also heavily influenced by the stoic philosophers. Concepts on god and nature, questioning the religious governing bodies that have dictated various aspects of life, the world, and how people think, for thousands of years, which contributes strongly to his questions for life. His concept of the aspect of time vs the aspect of eternity was also very interesting and shared a valuable insight into just how he viewed the world. Sensory vs universally limitless potential of understanding within humankind.

His concept of happiness aligning our will with the universe was profound, and I deeply resonated with this perspective.

“The wise man is the person who understands why and how things are, possesses eternally true complacency of spirit.”

Baruch Spinoza was a remarkable person, and I believe his views are more relevant now, in today's world, than maybe ever before. As the world traverses through the universe, ideologies of something far greater than ourselves, yet also a part of us, are starting to take shape, and the spirit of us all is starting to believe in universal truth and universal connection amongst us all. He had a wonderful view on connection, and the search for understanding everything, that he elaborates on is a significant contributing factor in the search for happiness.

Thanks,

Dean