Ethics

Published shortly after his death in 1677, Ethics is undoubtedly Spinoza’s greatest work—a fully cohesive philosophical system that strives to provide a coherent picture of reality and to comprehend the meaning of an ethical life. Following a logical step-by-step format, it defines in turn the nature of God, the mind, human bondage to the emotions, and the power of understanding, moving from a consideration of the eternal to speculate upon humanity’s place in the natural order, freedom, and the path to attainable happiness. A powerful work of elegant simplicity, Ethics is a brilliantly insightful consideration of the possibility of redemption through intense thought and philosophical reflection.

• First time in Penguin Classics
• Edwin Curley's translation is considered definitive
• Inlcudes an introduction outlining Spinoza's philosophy and placing it in context

Benedict de Spinoza (1632–1677) was born in Amsterdam, where his orthodox Jewish family had fled from persecution in Portugal. Expelled from the synagogue for his heterodox philosophy, he identified God with nature and denied the possibility of an act of creation.

Edwin Curley is professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan and editor and translator of Spinoza’s Collected Works.

Stuart Hampshire has taught at University College London, Oxford, Princeton, and Stanford.