Spinoza was famously called ‘the prince of philosophers’ by French post-structuralist, Gilles Deleuze. He has been accused of atheism, he was kicked out of his Synagogue because of his philosophical views and he has become one of the most influential philosophers in modern times.
Spinoza’s approach, much like his contemporary, Leibniz, was very close to that of Aristotle’s view of substance. The problem he was faced with was, given there is a new science, how can it be reconciled with the best metaphysics we know?
Spinoza created a remarkable pantheism, or possibly a panentheism. Pantheism means ‘God is in all things’ and pnanentheism means ‘All is in God’ and that God is the one and the many.
Spinoiza was a Jewish lens-grinder, he lived from 1632-1677, he was excommunicated from his Amsterdam Synagogue under accusations of atheism.
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