Spinoza’s ethical man

Abstract

Spinoza’s philosophy was exposed in his most significant text Ethica Ordine Geometrico Demonstrata (The Ethics) published in 1677, the same year in which the author passed away. There is no other aim in this book than to guide the man of our days to the understanding of himself through the comprehension of the affections. That is the reason why the following reflection is directed by Spinoza’s sentence: “It is not about eliminating the affections but to direct them to the right path”. The analysis will be divided in four stages: firstly, the importance of the ethics in Spinoza’s philosophy; secondly, the role of the affections; thirdly, the necessity of achieving an understanding of them; and finally, the freedom founded in the ethics. The paper concludes by presenting a
position that avoids determinism.