Spinoza: Secret Stoic Philosopher?

 

      I was reading about Baruch Spinoza, a 17th-century philosopher who proposed a philosophy known as Spinozism or pantheism, and I found a lot of parallels between his philosophy and Stoicism that I wanted to share. For more information about the Stoic philosophy read my blog post for necessary background context: https://zainphilosophy.blogspot.com/2023/11/notes-on-basics-of-stoicism.html

Spinoza argued for a monistic view of reality where God and nature are ontologically synonymous. Spinoza’s main work titled, “Ethics” explores concepts like substance, modes, and the interconnectedness of all existent things. He argued for a deterministic universe i.e. that there is no free will and emphasized the importance of reason and understanding emotions to achieve intellectual freedom. There are similarities between Spinoza’s philosophy and the Stoic concept of the logos. In Stoicism, the logos represents a rational and divine principle governing the cosmos and is the substance of which all that exists, including God, is made up of. While there are differences in their metaphysical details both shared the concept of substance monism. In his philosophy, Spinoza proposed that there is only one ultimate substance, which he referred to as “God” or “Nature”. This substance, according to Spinoza, is infinite, eternal, and encompasses everything in existence. He rejected the traditional Cartesian dualistic view that separates God and the material world instead arguing for unity. For the Stoics, there is nothing beyond the material realm. Even our souls and God or Zeus are composed of passive matter of a refined fire known as the pneuma. Yet there is an active intelligent principle that orders the universe. The active principle that orders is the logos or a universal principle of reason or pneuma and is intelligent and identified with God which permeates everything. The whole of everything is in sympathy with itself as it extends throughout materially. Therefore, if reason is God which permeates through everything then nature itself is perfect and ordered deterministically that must be appreciated. Humans participate through having a rational mind. This is what it means to be in harmony with nature. The universe is one creature made from a single substance and soul and therefore all things in existence are interconnected.  

According to Spinoza, the purpose of life is rooted in understanding and aligning oneself with the fundamental nature of reality. In his philosophy, the highest goal is to attain knowledge and achieve intellectual freedom. Spinoza believed that by comprehending the nature of God individuals could free themselves from the bondage of emotions and passions. He argued that this intellectual freedom leads to a more harmonious and fulfilling existence, allowing individuals to live in accordance with the laws of nature. Ultimately, the purpose is to attain a state of joy and blessedness through a rational understanding of one’s place in the unity of reality. Both philosophies prioritize the use of reason as a means to understand and navigate life. They stress the importance of intellectual freedom and rationality. Spinoza and Stoics encourage understanding and mastery of emotions. Spinoza’s work delves into the logical nature of emotions, and Stoicism teaches emotional resilience and self-control.

      Stoicism incorporates a deterministic view of the universe. Stoic philosophy posits that everything in the cosmos is governed by the Logos. According to Stoicism, this Logos determines the order and structure of the universe, leading to a deterministic worldview. Stoics believed in fate, which they saw as the unfolding of events according to the rational plan of the Logos. Individuals were encouraged to accept the inevitability of events, recognizing that their own lives were part of a larger, predetermined cosmic order. This deterministic aspect of Stoicism is a fundamental part of how Stoics approached challenges, aiming to cultivate resilience, wisdom, and virtue in the face of events beyond their immediate control. Spinoza’s philosophy includes a strong emphasis on causal determinism. He argued that everything in existence follows from the nature of the ultimate substance, denying any notion of independent dualistic forces.

      Despite the similarities between the two philosophies there are some differences as well. A major difference is that Spinoza thinks that God’s intellect is qualitatively different from ours, as humans are only “finite modes” of God’s infinitude. For the Stoics, on the other hand, claim that human and divine faculties are the same while rejecting an anthropomorphic God. For the Stoics, God is identical with causality, fate and providence. Spinoza, by contrast, thinks it is a mistake to regard God as directing things toward an end but rather nature is a blind force. The parallels between Stoicism and Spinozism are not only noted by myself but the famous mathematician and philosopher, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz,

         “The sect of the new Stoics believes that there are incorporeal substances, that human

souls are not bodies, and that God is the soul of the world, or, if you wish, the primary

power of the world, that he is the cause of matter itself, if you wish, but that a blind

necessity determines him to act; for this reason, he will be to the world what the spring or

the weight is to a clock. […] In fact, these are Spinoza’s views, and there are many

people to whom Descartes appears to be of the same opinion.” (Leibniz)