These posts have been of great interest to me. I’m no philosopher but this summer I read a great deal of and about Spinoza: background studies for a series of poems I have been working on for some time. The sequence includes a poem supposedly in the voice of Spinoza’s fellow philosophers and other correspondents. I have considerable sympathy Spinoza in his impatience with Van Blijenberg although frankly VB seems to have exposed a central nerve in Spinoza's corpus.
The poem I mention ends with these couplets:
“Our questions multiply. Our quills dip anxiously and write.
We press our correspondent to show some route
By which we may live – he offers self knowledge and peace
From knowledge of God, all passions and struggles surpassed.”
I'll spare you the rest, but I thought it might interest you to hear how your posts can be of wider instruction and help than you might have guessed.
Thanks again, Helen, it was indeed a fascinating read and it will keep with me from now on, I think I will remember these letters many times. Thank you so much for sharing them, the translation is a joy to read and real gift! Many many thanks!
Van Blijenbergh is a pest. He is asking the same questions to which Spinoza has answered. "Do you think evil exists, and if so, what is it? What do you mean that our will is not free?" He knows Spinoza's answer he just seems to be unhappy with it. It then becomes an annoying conversation!
Unlike Joe, I can’t help but pity Van Blijenbergh. To me, it feels like he is trying his best and Spinoza keeps putting him down!
These posts have been of great interest to me. I’m no philosopher but this summer I read a great deal of and about Spinoza: background studies for a series of poems I have been working on for some time. The sequence includes a poem supposedly in the voice of Spinoza’s fellow philosophers and other correspondents. I have considerable sympathy Spinoza in his impatience with Van Blijenberg although frankly VB seems to have exposed a central nerve in Spinoza's corpus.
The poem I mention ends with these couplets:
“Our questions multiply. Our quills dip anxiously and write.
We press our correspondent to show some route
By which we may live – he offers self knowledge and peace
From knowledge of God, all passions and struggles surpassed.”
I'll spare you the rest, but I thought it might interest you to hear how your posts can be of wider instruction and help than you might have guessed.
Thanks again, Helen, it was indeed a fascinating read and it will keep with me from now on, I think I will remember these letters many times. Thank you so much for sharing them, the translation is a joy to read and real gift! Many many thanks!
Van Blijenbergh is a pest. He is asking the same questions to which Spinoza has answered. "Do you think evil exists, and if so, what is it? What do you mean that our will is not free?" He knows Spinoza's answer he just seems to be unhappy with it. It then becomes an annoying conversation!