Ethics, and On the Improvement of the Understanding

Benedict de Spinoza has often been considered the first modern philosopher because he was the first to write from a standpoint beyond the commitment to any particular religious persuasion. Spinoza was one of a group of free thinkers including Thomas Hobbes and René Descartes, both o who influenced him greatly. He was also among the first to advocate democracy a the best form of government. Ethics is the mature articulation of Spinoza's philosophy, and he regarded it as the first truly scientific treatise on psychology. Also of lasting significance is Spinoza's commitment to the search for a comprehensive understanding of all things, a theory of everything. Einstein found Spinoza's quest for a universal naturalistic vision particularly inspiring, and he believed that Spinoza's insight wa essentially correct.